I've got to get started at some point.

My English teaching job with EPIK is 99.9% confirmed.  I'm just waiting for that all-important Notice of Appointment so I can quit my job and take care of the bajillion other little (and not-so-little) things that must be taken care of before I leave the country (preferably before I leave DC).  My recruiter, Footprints (who have been amazing, by the way, those crazy Canadians), says there's a package of appointment notices en route to their offices.  Hopefully mine is among the many, and I can get started sooner rather than later.

Something you should know about me: I'm a planner.  I like to plan ahead.  I like to have goals and a map of how I'll reach those goals.  In the latter segment of my life, I've been trying to balance this with a belief in Spirit and the Universe having its own ways, which is pretty tricky.  How do you both plan and "make it happen" while still being open to opportunities that are put in front of you, and back off of plans you were making when the Spirit says, "Um, that's so not gonna happen. Sorry."  So what I currently call flexibility is really more of me making Plan A along with Backup Plans B, C and D.  I'm ok as long as I don't have to resort to Plan E or some variation thereon, at which point I freak out.  But I'm really and truly working on it.  And my entire Korea teaching application process has been a powerful learning tool in this area.

There have been many last-minute scrambles and readjustments of the mental Plan (and Backup Plans) throughout the entire application process.  How does this happen to a Planner who gets started early and researches all the details she can possibly know ahead of time?  Suffice it to say that I had talked a dear friend from high school into going with me who is (a) not as much of a Planner as I am, (b) does not have the same understanding of "make it happen" as I do, and (c) doesn't have the ingrained ability to navigate bureaucracy as I have (something you learn in order to survive five years in the Bureaucracy Capitol of America).  We had our applications tied together so we could go have a grand adventure AND be partners in crime, but then we ended up with somewhat different timing when it came to acquiring and submitting our documents to Footprints, and, well.....yeah.  Our applications aren't linked any more.  God love him, he did try.  My mother was talking of mailing a cream pie to him but couldn't figure out how to get it to launch from the box into his face, so she gave up.  For my part, I'm bummed, but I'm not mad at him.  This whole Grand Adventure of our Late 20s was my idea anyway.  Live and learn.

So, why the name of the blog, you ask?  I'm told that the Koreans are completely uninterested in dairy, particularly cheese (and Mexican food, but that's secondary to the cheese).  And dairy is an inordinately large part of my diet, particularly cheese and yogurt.  Now, I can make yogurt myself; I'll just throw some packets of culture into my suitcase.  But cheese?  I think not.  So I will most likely be spending a proportionate [amount of time:searching for cheese] as [cheese has been:my diet].  And I'll report every delectable (or disgusting) detail back to you, the few readers that I might have, and hopefully I'll be able to throw in some humor/interesting situations/life lessons with it.

Oh, and the kitty needs a new home.  Neither of us is happy about it, but there's nothing much we can do about it.  The Koreans aren't keen on importing pets, which I can understand.  Besides, whether it'd be her or a baggage handler, someone would likely die during Sabina's transit to the other side of the world.  I certainly don't want her to die just so I can spend a year abroad!  So, who wants a charmingly fat, furry, talkative cat??  I'm leaving DC at the end of this month....