Maybe it’s that I only had 9 days to enjoy seeing my family and friends. Maybe it’s that I didn’t get a chance to see nearly as many friends as I anticipated. Damn, I didn’t even get to see all of my family with Lizzie not able to make it. And many of those I did see, I saw only once.

Whatever the reason, I’m feeling a little more than homesick today.  In the 3 years I’ve been here, I’ve been home 3 times. The first, I was excited to come back because my wife, MyeongHee, was moving in while I was in America and we’d soon be getting married. The 2nd time, I went with MyeongHee and we shared our sadness (or at least mine) at not being to see everyone again for a while. This time, it’s hard.  I hope it passes quickly.

I probably mentioned to many of you while I was home that Korea is not the forever home for us. I told MyeongHee a while back I wanted to move back to America after her son, DongHyun graduates from high school in the spring of 2011. Not permanently, as she’d feel as homesick as I do now. But she agreed that a few years here and a few there would be difficult, but best for both of us.  It all depends on DongHyun’s college and mandatory military service schedule. We’ll see, but I look forward to the day when I won’t be counting my days left in America. I’d like to think that I’m home long enough to watch my granddaughters recognize me when I come in after just a few days  absence. Having them come running for a hug when Grandpa comes to visit, just as my daughters did when they were young is a goal I look forward to.

MyeongHee’s nephew, ChangHyun is staying with us this month. He’s on winter vacation from his school and he’ll spend it with us. He’s 10 years old and a good kid. Typical TV and video game infested Korean boy.  He’ll start taking English lessons at my school today. He’s got some English knowledge he learned from his older sister, MinGyoung, who is a very good English speaker, but he’s never been to an English school himself. Being family and just for a short time, we’ll get the big discount and it won’t cost him, me or his family anything for the classes. We just have to pay for his books, which should be $20 or so.  I hope to send him back to his parents with a bit more vocabulary and grammar.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Love to all.