Christmas in Europe:

In just about 2 weeks or so, I will be boarding a plane bound from Seoul, South Korea to Amsterdam, Netherlands with my friend Susan! It's interesting how Christmas has panned out the past few years.

In 2007, I spent Christmas in Jeju Island, South Korea.

In 2008, I spent the morning of Christmas in Seoul, South Korea and then flew 14 hours, and spent Christmas again in Chicago, IL.

In 2009, I will again spend my morning in Seoul and then spend Christmas night in Amsterdam!

Our Europe trip will consist of 4 countries, as many cities as possible, all in a quick 9 days.

We start in Amsterdam, spend a few days in Paris, hop on over to Cologne, Germany, stop through Brussels and make our way back to Amsterdam!

Christmas in Amsterdam, New Years Eve in Paris, New Years Day in Cologne! I'm stoked.

Next year, I'm definitely spending Christmas with my family in Chicago though. Hold me to it now!

Smitten:

I feel happier than I have in a long time.

Maybe it's rather childish, but I want to jump through puddles, and sing in the rain, and dance in the streets.

Giving Thanks:

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. This being my third Thanksgiving here in Korea, I was bound to make it the best, and I believe that I have succeeded. I even got to eat Turkey on 2 separate occasions (which is more than the last two years combined).

Thanksgiving is more than just turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. It's a time that we actually slow down our hectic lives and give thanks to the ones we love. We share good food, good times, and good laughs. Even if you can't spend the actual day with your family, your own traditions still live on, and at the end of the day they are still on your mind and in your hearts.

This year I have a lot to be thankful for:

1. As always, I am thankful to have a loving and supportive family who have never stood in my way when it came to finding myself. They have pushed me to be the best person I could be, and I am forever grateful.

2. I am extremely thankful for the independence I have gained living abroad for the past two years. It has helped me to see that there is so much more to life than I ever thought was imaginable. It has helped me to grow and find myself.

3. I am thankful for the people who I have met here in Korea that have made this experience special in many ways and for always watching out for me.

4. I am thankful that I have had the chance to see some amazing places, learn about cultures I never knew about before, and eat traditional foods from all around the world that would have scared me two years ago.

5. I am thankful and excited for the future and the endless opportunities that I now know exist.

Non-Stop November:

Shinsaegae Department Store decked out for Christmas:

Pond inside Seoul Forest:

Suspension Bridge in Seoul Forest:

Follow the yellow brick road:

The Big Man in Seoul Forest:

King Sejong standing his ground in front of the Palace Entrance:

Ideal Self Project & The Bucket List

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. - Epictetus

Sometimes I read strangers blogs, and today I came across one entitled: "Ideal Self Project", and since I've been doing a lot of thinking about my own life these days, I decided to steal her idea. I really hope that The Martini Backpacker will not mind.

Starting today I am going to work hard to become the ideal self that I have envisioned for a long time, but never quite reached.

My Ideal Self:

1. Having a full time job in the United States
2. Not living pay check to pay check
3. Debt Free
4. Being healthy - eating right, exercising, cooking more
5. Enjoying people and things around me
6. Staying positive- loving me for me
7. Reflecting on life and writing about it more
8. Volunteering and helping others on a regular basis

My Bucket List:

1. Finish my teaching contract on February 28th and MOVE on with my life
2. Buy something that will turn into an investment- condo, house, etc.
3. Visit Australia, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Antarctica, Hawaii, and Alaska
4. Form a good relationship with my brother and teach him the values of life


I'll add more as it comes to me, and keep you updated on my progress. What's on your bucket list?

Addict:

My name is Ray, and I am an itunes addict. It took the fact that I was dirt poor this month, but used my credit card to charge itune purchases over buying food for the refrigerator for me to see that I had a problem.

I can't stream my favorite TV shows on major network websites because of copyright infringements, and YouTube rarely has the full episodes available. American television is my only vice, and I miss it dearly.

There is nothing I look forward to more than downloading the latest episode of Brother's and Sister's, Glee, or Ugly Betty.

I have come to the conclusion that I either need to win the lottery, or simply find a new hobby.

Kinochio Sudaimas:

Close your eyes and think about a time that you can remember an extreme rush of adrenaline through the core of your body. Some of you may have imagined sex, bungee jumping, cliff diving, sky diving, etc. I, however, envision my newest obsession/hobby: Taiko Drum Master.

Taiko Drum Master is a drumming game based on the popular Japanese arcade game. You can now buy this game for your Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation, but I doubt that it will compare to the actual arcade game.

The game has two main characters- WadaDon, a red-faced and blue body taiko, and WadaKatsu, a blue-faced and red body taiko. I am always WadaKatsu and Jen is always WadaDon.

The point of the game is to drum to the beat of the song by following symbols that move horizontally along a timeline. These symbols show you what to hit and when. Sometimes you have a single strike and sometimes a double strike, but you have to know which and when.

As you hit each symbol successfully you build up your life meter. If the meter is past a certain point by the end of the song, then you have passed the song. Usually the taiko's throw some confetti and give you a ribbon.

There are many levels to this game, and we've figured out that you need to get at least 75 percent accuracy to pass the song. This gets more difficult with the harder levels, but so far we've mastered the beginner and intermediate levels.

Last night I got a complete rush through my whole body as I got 100 percent accuracy on a song. Jen and I both were kicking butt, so much that a few koreans and Japanese gathered around us to watch. We thought we were the shit, until a Japanese guy went after us and was able to do the hardest level like it was nothing at all.

All in all it was a fun way to spend an hour, but today I can barely make a fist.