Why I'm Going Back

This blog explains why I'm moving back to the USA, instead of staying on a 2nd year in Korea.  I started it weeks ago, but didn't know if it was a good idea to post it--now it's after the fact, but up it goes anyway.  I'll post another short one today too, as follow up on major events since this one began.

I'm going because of family, getting certified to teach (which has to be done in-state), 

and illustrating/writing and publishing goals.  

First: Family.  

My dear boy, Jordan, graduated with an MFA in Screen Writing from Boston University this May.  Wow.  He flew to Utah from there and will be soliciting additional funding for a joint-venture, feature-length, action movie script he wrote.  And there's a girl...

While our on-line, weekly chats are fun, it so happens that I gave birth to my best friend, and I'm sick of us living 1000's of miles apart.  He's the main reason I bought property in Utah.  

Coincidentally, for the first time in decades, all 7 of my brothers, as well as my son, 

will be living on the same side of the country. 

Three are in Utah now (with wives and kids I adore!); 3 more in AZ, and that tallest one is in Seattle. 

This photo is from the last time we were all together--Mom's funeral.   

We've had so precious few opportunities to make memories together.  

My older brothers in Utah are going out of their way to help me with renter issues, collecting my mail, 

and taking care of difficulties I didn't have time to settle before I left.  They also welcome my son.

Tom, the oldest, and his wife, Marji are "home base" for most of us.  They've been like Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to my students here in Korea, sending them candy, balloons, and toys galore!  

I've started having the kids call them "Uncle Tom" and "Aunt Marji."

To have everyone so close, geographically, makes my staying on here just feel wrong.  

If we weren't such a transient group, I might stick around Korea for longer.  

I really enjoy my job!  It's taught me that I love teaching and 

I'd fully intended to sign another year's contract, but when it came time, I just couldn't.  

Despite how many loose ends there are, and unanswered questions, 

I know this is going to be a year filled with major events in my family.

A niece was born since I've been in Korea; and 2 more are on the way!  

I lost an uncle and a favorite aunt, his wife, is in an assisted-living facility.  

Making family memories has moved into a very high priority slot.

My brother found this old book and mailed it here to me in Korea, just because he thought maybe he remembered I'd liked this book as a child.  It's a 1968 edition of a picture book based on a series about collies by Albert Payson Terhune.  Few random acts of kindness have touched me more deeply.  This picture book would've been published at around the same time Mom passed her old, well-read Lad books on to me.  Hers were original editions, I think, and I still have them.  We both read those Lad books several times through.  The thing is, my brother and I don't "hang out."  We hardly know each other.  But then he does something like this. Naturally, I am making sure 

he never does anything like it again by broadcasting the fact.  Love the note he included: 

"I'm not completely sure this was your book...I recognize all the illustrations, 

but I thought your copy was a regular hardback."--you remember correctly! 

 These colorized illustrations match the line drawings in the hardback versions.  

One of the reasons I got a long-haired German Shepherd, Gideon (bless that noble dog's soul) was because he reminded me of the collies, combined with Call of the Wild huskies,
I'd read about again and again.

"So Merry Christmas, Joanna.  The 1968 printing of a book you may or may not have ever owned." 

I miss Paul's particular way of turning a phrase, including this recent insight:
"There's a difference between not wanting to leave and wanting to stay."  

I don't really want to leave Korea, but,  I don't feel good about staying.
In an email correspondence with another brother,
I wrote of the pain over memories we're not making.
That's when I knew why I felt compelled to go back.   

Who knows how long we'll have to remedy those omissions?
Ok, and the final reason is both silly and pretty exciting:
I've completed most of the illustrations to go with music and words for 2 children's books.
2 more are progressing quickly.  I need technical/recording resources now.
This is what I do when I'm not teaching, shopping, cleaning, doing church stuff, exploring, etc.
I draw, sing & hum to myself (yep--crazy), and write.
These are snapshots (most of them didn't turn out very well).
But, here's part of an illustration for one story:

Here's one for another story:

And finally, here's one for the newest story,
inspired by a couple of my kids' inventive thinking
and a Korean advertisement:

When I sing the words for this one, even quietly to myself, my 2nd graders sing along!!
A special thank you to my amazingly visionary friends and, especially,
my sister-in-law, Gina, for cheering me on to work on these.  I feel silly, but I also can't stop.  So, since the work's reached the point where I need a good scanner, recording studio and such--all of which I have lined up in Utah, well--there you go.
Also, I won't be able to bring it all home if I keep creating stuff here.