Nancy in Korea

Nancy is the mother of one of my oldest friends. She is an extraordinary woman and teacher and when my dear friend says that she wants to grow up and be just like her mom, I don't blame her. She's a professor of English and is one of the most adventurous people I know. By looking at Nancy, I can see where her daughter has inherited so much of her character and smarts (a few of the reasons why I love that chick!).

Anyway, Nancy has been living and teaching in South Korea for the past several months. She was recruited to be a teacher at a new progressive school in a very "exclusive" neighborhood of Seoul. She keeps a blog where she writes of her adventures and it is just so fun for me to see her point of view as a visitor to the country.

I emailed with Nancy before she left and told her what I could, not knowing if anything I wrote would be of much help to her. She seemed both anxious and excited, as this would be the first time that she will have left home for a substantial length of time. But she seems to have adjusted so easily and with such gusto in such a short period of time. When I read some of the things she writes about her experiences in Korea, I almost feel ashamed that I am sometimes not as open and accepting of my own culture. I fall short in offering grace and understanding and tend to be overly critical of many things "Korean," you see. Nancy, you can tell, is there to learn as much as she is there to teach, and it is so eye-opening and heart-warming. She's an amazing woman with such an accepting, adventurous spirit, you can't help but love her, even from afar.

So here's to Nancy and all of the little ones she's teaching in Seoul. May the country and people inspire her as she undoubtedly leaves her indelible mark on them.