(Not) Counting Down the Days

As I continue to work through my last semester of teaching English in Korea, I begin to face an all too familiar problem; counting down the days.  It’s something I caught myself doing while in India, and by the time my departure came around my mind had already been in Michigan for weeks.

I’m determined to not let myself do that again.

Once you start counting down the days, you start actively divesting from living in the present moment.  Your body might be in one place, but your mind is on another continent already…and it shows.

I suppose it’s only natural to some extent, however.  There are still some things that surprise me in Korea, but by and large my job and my routine are certainly not the exhilarating experiences they once were.  At the same time, I’m not that naïve to think that I deserve to be wowed and amazed every day over here, either.

And so, I find myself increasingly spending my time planning and re-planning my next move after Korea during my free time.  It’s certainly a slippery slope, though.  If I spend too much time thinking about what’s next I end up despising where I’m at.

I guess (like all things) it’s about striking a balance.  Don’t let yourself get complacent where you’re at, but don’t seek improvement/progress at the expense of mindfulness.  As a good friend in Germany once told me Alles in Maßen.

So, here’s to not counting down my days here!  Korea’s an amazing place and I’ve still got a lot to learn from it! (and you, should you find yourself in a similar situation!)

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