O Adventurous Year of Being 23

To some people a birthday is just another day to hang out with friends. My birthday, however is at the very end of the year, so this is always a time for me to reflect on the past year's happenings and events.So how ways my past year of being 23?

I think my year was winding river, with many twists and turns in the direction of the flow. I started the year very unsure about what would happen or what I really wanted; I would graduate but I wasn't settled about what job I wanted or what I could even get. I wasn't sure about my future with Japan and the JET program. My group of friends had shift a lot in the past year and I was spending time with totally different groups of people in a city still unfamiliar to me.And then the biggest twist of all, I am now in Seoul, living a life I never would have expected (nor do I have much I can expect, and delightfully so).

But honestly, I think this year of uncertainty has been on of adventure. It has been a chance to see the paths I have walked and make a choice to change course. I deeply believe life is not about "finding yourself" but about MAKING YOURSELF. I feel blessed to have experienced some challenges and been given the strength to make the choice for a path of uncertainty and adventure.

To see the friends and significant people who came together to share my birthday with me was a kind of self-affirmation, a second unexpected twist, Today I spent the morning with my boyfriend Gi-Hyun (if you don't know, yes I met a nice Korean guy. yes, I think Korean guys are more affectionate than Japanese guys, but that's a topic for another diary :) and then went to a cafe in Gangnam station area to meet up with some friends for a small party.

As I was sitting in the cafe, waiting for my friends and Gi-Hyun to show, the brown-grey wintry clouds unleashed their baggage - it began to snow! It was just like the song "Walking in a winter wonderland~~ ..." The normally dirty black streets were suddenly transform in a blanket of white, like powdered sugar on a dark fudge brownie. A snowy birthday, how perfect!

But most importantly....

my friends finally gathered, a cake was brought, candles were lit,

the most wonderful birthday song was sung to me, in English and Korean. As I sat there for a moment thinking of my birthday wish, I looked

at the faces of new friends who surrounded me.

Crazy-fun-talkative-ball of energy Wiyen from Malaysia, cool-laid-back Lukas from Czech, my improv acting friend Meghan from Canada, the ever-jesting Kyung-Uk and sweet Taeun from Korea, and my namja-chingu (boyfriend in Korean), Gi-Hyun. I feel blessed to have only lived in this country for 4 months, but I already feel I know 5 people who really care about me.

As it says on my the birthday card my mom sent me, "It's all about the Journey... and the friends you make along the way."

There will always be a good time. But a good time is always better when shared with caring friends. Thank you to my new and dear friends who made this day very enjoyable.