These past two weeks, I was with the four-year-olds. The kids have gotten to know me since I have been here for three months. It is exciting to see my impact on the children. They recognize me at school and in public, get excited when they see me, run up to me for hugs and high fives, and get sad when I leave the school or can’t play with them. It can get hard with all the kids wanting time with me, I wish I could duplicate myself so every kid can have fun without debating who gets to play with me. One day, when we took the kids on a walk to a park, I taught a few kids how to swing. Some of them were trying to pump their legs, but the swing wasn’t moving or pumping opposite to how they should be. I got on a free swing, taught the kids how to do it, and then helped them. Two more kids now know how to swing independently! I was so proud of them!

I have been getting mistaken for a Brazilian more frequently. Many Brazilian immigrant parents at the nursery school see me and ask if I am also Brazilian. I get mixed reactions when I tell them I am American, but it is interesting how often people assume I am from Brazil. 

Despite only being with the four-year-olds, I did music therapy with both the three and four-year-old classes. The three-year-olds were so cute! I brought musical activities to promote socialization and listening. Listening skills are where they need the most growth. They can follow directions and nonverbal cues beautifully. However, listening carefully for specific cues is more difficult. 

I have started making myself chicken onigiri for lunch. The recipe is inspired by my favorite recipe back home, making my lunches so much tastier. On Wednesday, after volunteering, I was picked up by a friend I met at the park on Easter weekend. He took me to his friend’s grandmother’s house for a barbecue. There was another American there, so I had someone to talk to and understand the conversation. The food was incredible! After eating, I brought out my guitar and sang “Country Roads.” It was an enjoyable time. I have been talking much more on the phone with my best friend Emma. She has been great to help me get through the heartbreak of being broken up with. She has even started sending me a daily Pinterest post with an inspirational message to go with it. In my free time, I have been doing everything possible to care for myself. Prayer, feeling my feelings, calling loved ones, exercising, as well as letting myself veg out with snacks and video games. 

I finished my itinerary for my trip to South Korea and packed as much fun stuff as I could into my schedule. Even though I had to go alone, all the activities I planned got me very excited for my trip. The day I flew to Korea was nice, except customs confused me, and I got stressed. Thankfully, some employees helped me kindly. My hotel was awesome, and it had an amazing view of the street it was on. The location was incredible, right in the middle of street markets, cafes, and arcades. My first night there I was waiting in line for a restaurant, and the family in frot of me kindly offered to let me eat with them. It was a husband and wife with the wife’s mother. The couple was in Seoul from California and told me how they immigrated to the United States when they were both young. They have four kids, two of whom are incredibly talented creatives. I was able to tell them all about music therapy and what I do in Japan. They ended up paying for my meal and wishing me God’s blessings and prayers. It was incredibly sweet and an experience that is so unique. It was an experience I wouldn’t expect to have in the United States. Normally, I would be wary of strangers, but Seoul is one of the safest cities in the world! I felt very comfortable. I will miss that when I come home, both Japan and South Korea are incredibly safe countries. The next day I got up early because I had a reservation to rent a hanbok: a traditional Korean dress often worn by royalty. I felt sooo pretty, and the best part was that if you where a hanbok to Gyeonbukgung palace, you get in for free! I spent the entire morning at the palace before going to Bukchon village. I met many Japanese tourists there and was able to hold entire conversations in Japanese! I got many compliments from the Japanese people I met. After returning my hanbok, I had a very delicious lunch! South Korean fried chicken with sweet potatoes. Oh my goodness… おいし！After a food coma nap, I ended the day at N tower. The views were beautiful! Even though I went to bed late, I still managed to wake up before my alarm the next morning. I had a delicious bagel from a cafe near my hotel called Onjisim. It was one of the few cafes open since most do not open until 10 am! The culture in Seoul is so nightlife-based that even coffee shops don’t open early. I went outside of Seoul to go to a spa called “Cimer”. It was amazing, they had multiple floors of pools, experiences, snack bars, and saunas. They even had two waterslides! I started my day at the spa with a massage, then I hit all the pools and slides, and ended my time with the saunas. After I got back to my hotel, I walked down to the night market. I ate a bunch of Korean street food and explored the shops and booths for last-minute souvenirs. Flying home went incredibly smoothly. I had such a blast in South Korea! I am so grateful I got that opportunity, and now my visa is all good for the rest of my trip in Japan! It was also nice to go shortly after my breakup. It was a great time and helped me feel better. I have moved into a new phase of the healing process, and I am proud of myself for how well I have been taking this and how healthily I have been processing it. The following weekend, after coming back from South Korea, I gave myself some music therapy in the park by doing some songwriting.