Ah! The joys of free time! A year ago, I was a busy beaver. There was so much to do back then; documents after documents needed to be filled, apostilled, signed- a long list of tasks needed to get done. 

A one-way flight to South Korea needed to be booked, hotel accommodations needed to be reserved- nevermind packing, cleaning out the condo and selling the car, just thinking of it makes my head spin.

How in the world did I manage my last few weeks in the Western Hemisphere without going crazy? Only God really knows! Still, in retrospect, I still don’t know how I got through it all.

January 2016 vs 2017

The biggest difference to how my life was last year in January 2016 to how it is this year are my days of nothingness. I came back from vacation on Tuesday. The days rolled by and I had the utmost honor to not have to be anywhere, be on anyone’s timetable or have to meet a deadline.

I had the pleasure to go about my days however I pleased. I have thoroughly enjoyed my days of nothingness.

Farfetched Dream

This new found free time gave me a chance to reflect. In January 2015, living and teaching abroad was a farfetched dream. After all, people like me, from little ol’ Rhody, (Rhode Island)  don’t leave the state never mind the country.

Familiarity was my breeding ground. Back then, it was good to have control of my next steps in life. Stepping into the realm of the unknown is completely forbidden.

Interesting Turn

My life started getting interesting once I began to question my daily norms. Why was thinking outside the box and taking a leap of faith into the unknown forbidden?

First of all, who was making up these ridiculous rules and why was I foolish enough to abide by them? What made me pursue a life abroad was the potential of what could be and not what was a reality for me at the moment.

What exactly pushed that thought process to take place? Honestly, it was days of nothingness. Time spent alone to reflect on life’s  twist and turns.

The Journey

Times of nothingness come on days like today, as I reflect on this past year abroad or the school year that’s about to end. Or perhaps my challenges and triumphs in various capacities or reflecting on my spontaneity in January 2015.

I sit and reflect on the process that led me to this point and I beam with joy for taking this leap of faith. No, it hasn’t been easy, but it hasn’t been horrible either.

As the pendulum swings on a balancing beam, I determine whether it will swing too far right or left. Or will it be just the right balance in producing great results? That is completely up to me to decide.

Nevertheless, I am grateful for these days of nothingness, for they tend to remind me of how grateful I should be to defy the odds and start living life for me.

What reflections have you made on your time abroad? Let us know in the comments section below, we would love to hear them. 

Willynn taught in the education field for three years. It was her curiosity and interest to see the world from a different perspective that lead her to Daejeon, South Korea. Willynn is currently working with young learners teaching English for EPIK in South Korea. In her free time, Willynn loves to go on adventures with her husband, Micah, engage in language exchanges at coffee shops with the locals in her community. As well as participate at Open Mic events across Daejeon and Seoul sharing her spoken word pieces. Follow Willynn on Youtube  or on WordPress.