Don't underestimate Adam Sandler

Okay, this was written about a week or two ago, but like the procrastinator I am, I'm just posting it now.

Homesickness has finally hit me in two separate incidents. It's definitely not bad enough to send me home or anything, but it was unexpected. A group of us have established a game/movie night. A week and a half ago we got together and ended up watching the movie Click with Adam Sandler. I didn't really have a desire to see the movie but majority vote won out. Little did I know I was about to see an incredibly sad, touching, albeit cheesy movie. It is kind of along the lines of It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. Anyway, it really highlighted the importance of family and not missing out on family events, important life milestones, etc.

I teared up a bit at the end of the movie. Never would I have thought an Adam Sandler movie could make me become a weepy mess. Ironically, I skipped out on a Skype date with my mom to go to movie night. The movie made me realize that I'm forfeiting a year with my friends and family to be in South Korea. With Grandma Jo having a stroke while I'm over here, it's really been difficult at times being gone.

So this is how I was feeling after watching the movie. After thinking about it a bit more, I gained a new perspective. As I posted in a previous entry, I spent some time with my grandparents before I left for Korea. We went gambling and had a nice time at the casino and also on the bus ride there. If I hadn't been leaving for Korea I probably would've foregone the casino outing because it wouldn't have seemed as important to go with them because I could see them any time. Who knows if I would have even seen Grandma Jo again before she had the stroke. The same thing applies with my friends. Before I left for Korea I got together with almost all of my friends, some I hadn't even seen in months. If I hadn't left for Korea, I probably wouldn't have gotten together with all of those people, especially the ones I hadn't seen in awhile.

Another bout of homesickness hit me at school last week. I was having a meeting with my English co-teachers and one of them asked me what has been difficult about teaching in Korea or what I miss about teaching in the U.S. I started tearing up as I explained that I missed having a relationship with my students. While teaching in the U.S. I prided myself on the positive relationships I fostered with the students at my school. Here in Korea, the students love me but only because I am the token American and we play games in my class. I love them dearly, but I can't have a real relationship with most of them because their English is so limited. Also, I've stayed in touch with a lot of my former students and I received a lot of emails from them last week and that just added to the homesick feeling.

Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it here and know that I made the right decision in coming. This past weekend in Seoraksan cemented that decision. (You'll see in my next post--especially if you look at my pictures.)

So moral of the story: Appreciate what you have while you have it, and don't underestimate Adam Sandler and his ability to tug at the heart strings. Could I be any cheesier right now? Probably not.