Happy birthday ... to me.

Yep, I turn 28 today. If you had told me three years ago that I'd be living in a foreign country teaching English, I would have laughed at you. It's kind of funny how this life thing shakes down. Small steps, lead to bigger steps that eventually lead to giant leaps. Butterflys consumed my stomach when I moved from my college town of Missoula, MT to student teach in neighboring Spokane, WA. While it was only three hours away I thought, "man, I'm really going to miss my friends." But as time has a tendency of doing, it healed me and consequently made me stronger. That three hour commute then stretched into a six hour plane ride when I moved to Hawaii. Again, I'd miss my friends and family but would never give up in a heartbeat the new expereiences and strentgh I gained. My next adventure put me into uncharted territory ... Asian. Why Asia? Because I honestly can't thing of a place more foreign. I really wanted to test myself. For whatever reason there are three quotes that really stick out in my head when it comes to this new adventure bussiness. They are as follows;

1. How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight? - Fight Club
2. I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head. - Into the Wild
3. The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences - Into the Wild

I have to give Ma and Pa! credit, for if it weren't for our move to Montana, I would have definitely lacked the courage to leave lowly ole Pinckney, Michigan, let alone move across the country, and then finally, across the world. It's quite humorous when you think about it. My mother said when she held me when I was first born she wondered what her son would be like when he was 20. I'm sure even in her wildest imagination she never what thought I'd be living overseas. Hell, up until the day I booked the airline ticket to S Korea, I'd never thought I'd live overseas. If someone is looking for a gut check, I'd recommend hovering the cursor over the "purchase" button for a one-way ticket to Asia. It's your life. If there is something you want ... reach out and grab it.

So here I sit typing with the warm ondol heating eminating warmth beneath my feet, sipping on soju wondering what birthday #29 will have in store for me.

My locations for birthdays past.
24 - Missoula, Montana
25 - Spokane, Washinghton
26 - Kihei, Hawaii
27 - Paris, France
28 - Masan, South Korea
29 - The moon?