15 Weeks

With 15 weeks left at my job, it's kind of an ambiguous place to be. It's very close, but it still seems very far. I have 72 days of actual work left, and each day passes slower than the one before. "I'm not a number! I'm a free man!"

This is the third time I've been in a contract job where there's a reward at the end to keep me going like a carrot on a stick. Never again! When will I learn? Never, never again. Avoid contracts, Adam! Even with the contract and money/plane ticket home at the end, I considered leaving. I'm done teaching ESL. I'm done teaching classrooms. I'm done working jobs!!!!!!!!!

But the sheer disgrace and stain I'd leave, the disappointment in the kids' faces when they learned I had bailed, has kept me going. But god, sometimes I feel there's nowhere to go to escape now that the school is so crowded with new teachers and students. And I used to go for walks but it's still cold outside sometimes. Will Spring never arrive?!

I made a list of things I NEVER intend to do again. Some of them I'm already enforcing, but some will have to wait till I finish with Korea in June:

1. Have roommates (bleh, been there done that - I'm almost 30 [I'm already 31 in the Korean age system!] and refuse to go backwards on this - I choose to only live with people I want to from now on).
   
2. Get in a job contract (yuck, see above).
   
3. Own a car (hassle, stress).
   
4. Wear uncomfortable clothes (especially shoes).
5. Work/live under fluorescent lighting (depressing).
6. Work on somebody else's time schedule (9-5, M-F, etc - I want to go freelance all the way).
7. Clean house (I want a cleaning service).

I encourage you all to make a NEVER AGAIN list.

I finished reading David Copperfield today. It was hella long and filled with characters and rambling prose. I'd probably give it a B or 7/10.