Hazy Summer Days...

I'm so happy it's Friday!

Sometimes I forget how close Suwon is to the ocean. On certain Spring, Summer and Autumn days, when I'm walking down the street or up the hill to get to school, I get the faintest whiff of the ocean on the breeze. I love it.

The city feels inland, and it is, but it isn't more than a 30 minute drive to the ocean and there are few mountains between us and the coast. It's easy to forget things when you live in a bubble, I guess.

It's also that time of year: monsoon season is over, giving way to hot and extremely humid weather. At least it's sunny almost every day! The big kicker is that it's also the time of year that those godforsaken cicadas come out of the ground and start partying in the trees.

I first arrived in Korea two years ago, at the end of July. When I heard these bugs for the first time I was frightened, thinking something was wrong with the power lines. The bugs make a very electrical sound- and it's so loud, so unnatural!

Now I'm used to them and even welcome their singing. When I climb the hill to my school every morning it feels like I'm walking through the jungle (heat and noise wise). It helps that the founder of Yeongbok was a great nature lover and made sure the school was completely surrounded by gardens and trees- we even have squash and lettuce growing in the flower gardens!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend- I'm headed to the beach! No Great Whites, please.