New Person

Against my better judgement, I just had a bagel with cheese on it! It was so good, but now my stomach hurts! I just know that when I come back to the States my body is going to FREAK OUT!

I've decided that I am turning into a person that I don't think many people will readily recognize when I come back to the U.S. For one, my hair is so long right now and I plan to just continue to let it grow and grow until I get back. Also, I have glasses. I really think they change the way I look. People here had a hard time recognizing me with my glasses on, I can't imagine what it's going to be like back home!

I'm all skinny now too! Ok, not really skinny, but I have slimmed down a LOT!

So, as my co-teacher said, I'm "re disguising" myself. I don't think I'm trying to disguise myself, or even re-disguise myself (I was never trying to disguise myself in the first place), but I do think I'm turning into a different person. And, I think that's good. I'd hate to be stuck my whole life as the same old person I've always been! How boring! And, how unproductive. But don't worry, so much of me is, in fact, the same ol' Hilary that so many of you have known for so long! I'm still a big dork! That certainly hasn't changed in the slightest!

I just bought a new coat. I like it a lot, but it was kind of expensive. I nearly didn't buy it because of the price, but the more I thought about it, the more I decided it would really be a good coat to have. And, the price, though expensive, was reasonable considering the quality of the coat. I'm finding it SO hard to leave behind the college mentality of "if it's free then it fits" and actually spend money. I'm not a pauper anymore; I forget sometimes!

But, it really is a little unnerving learning how to make big purchases... a new computer, a camera, a coat, a trip to Hong Kong (you thought I'd make them all start with "c" didn't you??? I'm still rockin' the alliteration though! GO, ENGLISH TEACHER, GO!!!))!!! I feel like I'm doing something wrong or bad by spending all this money! I might get in trouble... but, no.... wait... IT'S MY MONEY!??!?!?! It really is ok to spend it, I need to lose the college clothes and become an adult.

I'm just so attached to all of my old crappy T-shirts though. I don't have to throw them away now that I'm a big girl, do I?

*Sigh* Again, re-disguising myself!

A bunch of my friends and I ate at this cute little restaurant on Saturday. I call it, "The Side Dish Place" because the meal consists of a bunch of... side dishes. I'm amazed at my eloquence.

But, I'm becoming concerned that something is seriously wrong with me. On Saturday, I didn't eat breakfast and so by the time I got to "The Side Dish Place" I was starving! We ate almost everything they served to us, and I think I ate more than most of the people there (they were all girls, so it might not be saying much) and after the meal, I was still hungry!! You see, when you eat at "The Side Dish Place" you have nothing but side dishes. Often times, here in Korea, the side dishes are just vegetables and really light food. We had an assortment of kimchi, fish, veggies, quail eggs, mushrooms, beans and... fish. Needless to say, I didn't touch the fish, but I had a little of everything else. What I'm trying to say is that the meal was pretty light.

After lunch, we went to a coffee shop and then out shopping (where I bought my coat) and we didn't have anything else to eat for the rest of the day. I don't know why, but when the time came to have dinner, I was hardly hungry at all. I ate a third of a sandwich and then I was stuffed! By the time I got home, I was still full and that was all I ate for the day.

I think my stomach is confused. Or maybe it's the rest of my body. I have slimmed down a lot since I've been here, but I'm still a big girl. I can't understand why I'm still so big if I eat like a starved chicken everyday!


Well, anyways... A big shout out to Neil and Marilyn Litzenberger, Adam and Laura Snyder, Nate and Jen Snyder, and Allison Easterhaus. I just got all of your letters! Thank you so much for sending them. It's like getting a little hug from home each time I see a new letter! I can't tell you how much I appreciate you sending them! I feel so loved!

God is good all the time!
All the time, God is good!
Amen.

Hil