Happiness

It's been a very long and busy week, even though it's only Thursday. It feels like it should be Friday or Saturday but, then again, my body's internal clock is seriously screwed up right now. I go to bed late (2 or 3 am, last night it was 4) and wake up later and later (11, noon, etc). I blame David and his ridiculous work schedule but really, it's my own night owlish tendencies. I've always been more productive at night and love the quiet stillness of the early morning hours. Anyway, I'm trying to get back on a more regular schedule, but it's been difficult. Especially since my body can't seem to get enough sleep these days.

We've been in Korea for 6 weeks now. I'm almost getting to the point where I feel comfortable in my surroundings though I haven't done as much exploring as I would have liked. It was at this point after moving to Hawaii that I began to feel very, very discouraged and depressed. There were no job opportunities, I was bored, and had little to fill my time with. But surprisingly, I do not feel that way here at all. I've been quite content to just stay at home to clean and organize or run to errands, and I have yet to feel guilty for not having a job. I'd like to have a job because I always function better when I have a more consistent schedule, but I don't feel as useless here as I did in Hawaii. I know part of it is a change in my attitude, but a big part of it is feeling like I have a support network here, which I lacked in Hawaii.

See, when you are stationed overseas, the world becomes a lot smaller. By that I mean, the number of places where you can meet and form acquaintances becomes smaller for any number of reasons: language barriers, culture differences, etc. I love to learn about Korean culture in my daily interactions with Koreans, but ultimately, nothing beats being with fellow Americans who share the same language, cultural understandings, humor, and food. (Though I enjoy Korean food, I need more variety in my diet.) As such, David and I already have a strong network of friends both from church and David's work. We've had more social engagements in the last 6 weeks here than our first 6 months in Hawaii. The ward has been extremely welcoming and friendly and we already feel like we belong. Plus, the wives often get together for girl time at least once a month (Pedicures and lunch....we've done it twice already. My feet are very appreciative.) I never realized how much I missed having girl time since getting married. I love being with David and spending lots of time with him. We talk about everything but there's just something different about getting to be around other women.

In my other time, I read and watch movies (thankfully the base has a pretty decent library) and spend time baking and cooking. David and I are trying to change our eating habits by eating more fruits and vegetables and I've enjoyed finding and trying out new, healthier recipes. I don't know how much longer this arrangement will keep me content, but for now, I'm quite happy to just be a housewife. (Although, for some reason, I was quite offended that the Korean official listed me as a "home maker" on my visa application.) I'm often surprised to realize how happy I am here (though I wish it weren't so blasted hot and humid) and I figure I should just enjoy it while it lasts.