5 Ways My Dog and I Are Alike

Posing for a picture in the park. Such a good girl!

My friend told me once (or more) that a dog reflects their owner's personality. I think it's partially true since the dog will act the way it's been trained to act (or react in some cases). But I certainly don't chew my nails or lick my hoo-ha like Pepper does, or at all for that matter! Haha. The other day I thought it'd be fun to write about ways Pepper and I are alike, so here's what I thought of:

We both love food.
Seeing how food sustains life, this may be a given. But, what you may not understand is, my world revolves around food. As the first of my four alarms goes off in the morning, my stomach starts growling and I'm running through my mind what's still good in my refrigerator. "Leftovers? No, too soon. Eggs? Eh, only if there's bacon. *gasp* Do I have bacon? Do I have time to go to the store and get bacon if I don't have any? I need to go to Costco and get bacon so I don't have this problem. Mmm, bacon."
Even if my alarm hasn't sounded and I've moved a centimeter, Pepper's all up IN my grill: "FOOD? FOOD TIME? MOM? FOOD?! IS IT TIME FOR FOODZ YET?! IM HUNGRRYYYYY MOOOOMMMMYYYYY! *paws at my face* FEEDMEOMGI'MDYINGFEEDME!" I actually had to get her a special eating ball to eat slowly so she wouldn't choke on her kibble. Maybe, juuuuust maybe, she's more passionate about food than me, as I don't literally inhale my food...

Getting pats on the head is fantastic.
Now hear me out.
We all know most dogs like to get pets on the head, and Pepper's no exception. That's one of her favorite places to be touched. She does this super cute thing where she snuggles her nose under your hand and flicks your hand onto her head if you're not paying attention to her when she wants pets.
I don't do anything that cute, but I do enjoy people playing with my hair or massaging my head. That $40 I spent to get my hair cut the other day was worth it if nothing but for the head massage I got during the shampooing part. You can't tell me you don't find it nice. Stimulating even!

Staring into the abyss is our favorite past time.
Relaxing. Thinking about nothing. Imagining where that smell that smells so smelly is coming from. Those are the things Pepper and I do in our spare time, just snuggled up somewhere. She looks at me and I look at her and then we look at nothing. Sometimes I wonder what she's thinking about while I'm thinking about the future or the past or what I could be doing at that moment, but am too lazy to do. Who knows.... Hey, where's that smell coming from?

Must touch/sniff ALL THE THINGS!
I should admit: I have a problem. My friends can confirm this. Whenever I go anywhere, I have to touch everything. My favorite place is the bedding department. So. Many. Textures. The last time I was home, my mom actually yelled at me for touching things in the store. I was 23 years old. Commence shaking your head.
Also, Pepper... sweet, little Pepper must sniff every little piece of everything we pass by. I know that it's a dog thing, but you'd think after sniffing the same rock, like 5 minutes ago, you wouldn't need to spend an additional 7 minutes sniffing and licking it... or rubbing your face on it... I don't mind because I can totally relate.

We need our own space.
As much as we depend on each other for company, comfort and fun- we both need our alone time. Even though it's late at night and I'm snuggled in bed, Pepper went to her kennel to curl up and have some time in her own space. We are both independent beings who cherish togetherness and aloneness, or at least don't mind aloneness when it's available.

I'm so glad that Pepper stole my heart from behind those bars at the animal shelter in Asan, South Korea. We are so alike in that we enjoy a lot of the same things, and yet we're so different with her being a dog and me being a woman. She brings so much joy, responsibility, sunshine, and laughter to my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ready for my close up!

Letting Go

I've always been sentimental. (Maybe more mental than anything...) I like to keep cards, doodles, little things my students have given me. I love pictures (though I'm terrible about keeping them in albums or frames). I still have stuffed animals from when I was young and little knickknacks I've received throughout the years. If you look through all of my stuff back in the States, you'll find things even from my elementary and middle school days. You must admit that it is really nice to look through boxes and drawers and reminisce about the days of old (or cringe- I can't believe I dated that guy!).

This may or may not be a good representation of the population of my exes.

I'm already packing to move back to the good ol' USofA. It is amazing, incredible even, how much CRAP you can accumulate in three years. When deciding what would go back with me and what I should toss/give away/sell, I found myself putting more in the take back pile than was really necessary. Do I really need these birthday cards? No, I don't. Is it important to bring that, probably expired, sunscreen with me? Absolutely not. But these are my things. These have been my things ever since I  bought them or they were given to me. And we all know that how many thing we have define us, right? Right?

You can't handle all this definition!

This past weekend, I attended a clothing swap. I was picking clothes from my closet to give away, trying them on, and then putting them back in the closet even though they were way too big. I knew I'll never wear those things again. Yet I just couldn't seem to put it in the donation bag. "I have so many memories in that cute black dress. And it's still in such good condition. I just can't give it up," thought I. Then it dawned on me: Give and you shall receive. If I were to give up all of the things I'll never wear or use again, I would open myself (and my closet) to new and exciting things. The weight of the old would be off my shoulders. (Get it?!) I will always have those memories, but I don't necessarily need things to remind me of them. At that moment I started pulling things off hangers left and right. By the time I finished, I had a huge back pack and suitcase filled with clothes and accessories that had to go. I needed them gone because I needed the freedom that comes with letting go. Since then, I've let go of a lot of things. I've let go of bad feelings. I've let go of frustration. I've let go of worries. I've let go of judgements. I've let go of friendships that weren't going where I'm headed. And once more, I've let go of eating things that make me feel good right then but make me suffer later. I even let go of some hair.

ohai

All this letting go has been really hard~ ya know, going against all that has been engrained in me for the past 25 years, but it has also been SO liberating. The best thing is I have three years of stuff paired down into two boxes and two suitcases. Now to get rid of all the STUFF that's cluttering my spare room and use that money for my future precious. (Next on my "letting go" TO-DO list is going paperless- even books!)

Oriental Medicine Diet

The History

I’ve been overweight for 18 years. I always thought I could just make the decision and change my eating and activity habits with the snap of my fingers and that would be the end of my unhealthy lifestyle. Every time I tried, something would happen and I would get discouraged, gaining the little weight I had lost back, plus more. It got to the point that I was almost 300 pounds

Spring 2007

Fall 2007

Summer 2010

Summer 2010 

And Then

I moved to South Korea in the summer of 2010. After two years, my weight had yo-yoed like nobody’s business from all the changes in my lifestyle there. I had HAD it! I started looking for ways to PERMANENTLY change my life. Enter Sunny Smart Shopping on Facebook. Sunny always posts the most interesting and helpful things on her page and helps foreigners, like me, with pretty much anything! One day in the fall of 2012, she posted an ad for an oriental medical clinic that would offer a free 3-month weight loss program (valued over 2 million won, or about $2,000) to a hand selected individual. I sent my information in thinking, this probably won’t work (I mean, why was modern medicine created if the ancient stuff works?), but what could it hurt?

Summer 2010

Winter 2011

Spring 2011

Summer 2011

Winter 2012

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

The Doctor

Dr. Kim, a kind and sincere doctor from DoDream Oriental Medical Clinic, greeted me when I got to the clinic. He asked me about my goals and told me his expectations for me during the diet program he would tailor specifically to my body and my health needs. He paid close attention to all of my health issues while I was under his care. I have never had a doctor who seemed so invested in my health and wellness as Dr. Kim has been. Between weekly visits to the clinic, he would email me to check and make sure I was doing well. What kind of doctor does that?! An awesome one, that’s what kind.

First meeting with Dr. Kim

The Medicine

I took two types of medicines. One was a “juice” that I drank with every meal. With dinner, I took herbal BB pellets. Dr. Kim made me new medicine (both the juice and pellets) every two weeks, tailored to how my body was changing and how I felt. To be honest, the first two weeks were the hardest. I had to get used to the medicine, which my body took to quickly, but my taste buds took a little longer to adjust. After that, I almost craved the medicine, and felt that a meal wasn’t complete without it.

The Diet

What has had the greatest impact on me is the change in diet. I was restricted to eating lean meat (basically chicken breast and steak with little to no fat) and vegetables (except for potatoes). I couldn’t have any grain-based food (rice, pasta, bread, etc.) or fruits (except tomatoes, thankfully- they're my fave). I couldn’t drink any juices or alcohol. If I had tea, there could be no sugar or honey in it. I could have dairy products, but the lightest of the light and just a little bit, preferably not at all.

I was so fed up with how I felt and looked that I didn’t care about all the restrictions. I would do almost anything to become healthier. And that’s what happened. I found different ways to make food I loved but couldn’t have because they were on the “no-no” list. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be, probably because I had made the decision, for myself, that something had to work. I think I have enjoyed my food more now than I ever have. Do you know that guilty and gross feeling you get after you eat a really delicious meal? I have not experienced that since changing to a paleo diet.

The Side Effects?

There were a few side effects for the first one or two weeks. I was dizzy, had insomnia, felt shaky, a perpetual stomach ache… it felt like a hangover that wouldn’t go away. My muscles felt like there was a lot of lactic acid build-up in the second week. The great thing is the side effects went away after my body got used to the medicine and Dr. Kim made me feel so much better with acupuncture in the meantime. It was more annoying than disabling, if anything.

The Treatment

I am deathly afraid of needles. Only in the past year have I been able to go into a doctors office without shaking from fear of getting a shot. Needless to say, the thought of MANY needles being jammed into my body, LEAVING them there and then attaching electrodes to those needles… I wasn’t sure if I could go through with it. Dr. Kim calmly told me he’s good at acupuncture as I exposed my belly and winced as he took aim and… nothing. Acupuncture feels like a whole bunch of nothing as the needle goes in and just sits there. When he attached and turned on the electrodes it felt like a tingling jiggling feeling around where I had been pierced. I felt like I had a bunch of tiny lightening rods in me and I was being transformed through electric pulses. Yeah… that’s a fun way to explain it! At my last diet appointment, I was told that would be my last electric acupuncture session, and I was so sad! I love acupuncture. I have been relieved of muscle tension, stomachaches, and even a twisted ankle with it. It seems almost like magic when I get up and walk out of the office feeling as good as new after a session. Every two weeks I would have my “InBody” measurements taken. Inbody measures your height and body composition, calculates your weight and your BMI, and then finally determines what changes you should make. At first, those clinic visits were the ones I dreaded, and then they became days I looked forward to.

First acupuncture session~

The Weight

The first two weeks I didn’t feel like I had lost much weight, but I dropped about 5kg (11lb.). I was so surprised and excited when I found out the results. At that point I started to really “believe” that oriental medicine really did work! Week after week, I waved good-bye to kilogram after kilogram. The weeks turned into months and the several kilograms turned into dozens of kilograms. People started commenting on my appearance at work and on facebook. I stopped breathing so heavily climbing to my 4^th floor apartment. I could run a descent distance without feeling like I was going to die. My clothes were getting looser and looser. I thought, so this is what it feels like to succeed in health. I’m hooked!

This shirt used to be so tight!

One year apart...

The Aftermath

By the doctor’s record, I’ve lost 25kg (55lb.). I have officially gone down TWO sizes in every clothing aspect. Even my shoes are looser! My official “fat(ter) girl” clothes literally fall off of me. My belt is going to need more holes soon. My work clothes need some SERIOUS alterations. If I don’t get them soon, I might get in trouble for indecent exposure from them falling off because they’re too big! It’s kind of an awesome problem to have.

I can't wear these jeans without a belt... they'll fall right off!

Don't get too excited now...

I couldn't button this shirt when I first got it.

I guess I can't button it now either...hehehe

The Maintenance

Because I’ve lost so much weight so quickly, I had to go on a maintenance program per the doctor’s request. Now I take BB tablets with every meal. I need to spend two months taking these tablets before my weight can be considered “stable.” Dr. Kim said I could eat like I used to, but I don’t want to! Obviously my body doesn’t need or like all that yucky stuff I was putting in it, so I’ve continued to eat lean meats, vegetables, and I’ve added a fruit or two in the mix.

The Future

I will go beyond “maintenance” and will progress! My future is so bright and fit. I now have the jumpstart, knowledge and tools I need to live a full, healthy and prosperous life. I want to share this knowledge with everyone I know, especially those I care about. I can’t imagine my life going back to the way it was. Now that I’ve “seen the light”… My candle has been lit and I’m looking to light others’ while moving up my path of success. 

Need a light?

Seven Months Later...

I want to blog. I really do! I love writing and sharing my thoughts, but DANG! Seven months and no posts?! Let me tell YOU that things have been happening. BIG THINGS!

1. I left my old job and got a new one. Some might even say a better one.
2. I didn't start my masters degree because I have no money to do so, and- let's face it- though having a masters in TESOL is probably a good investment that will get me a good job- it's not my dream right now.
3. I was selected to be given free weight loss medical treatment at Seoul Kunghee Dodream Oriental Medical Clinic here in Korea. I have lost quite a bit of weight, gone down a size in all my clothes and feel GREAT! I have to take herbal medicine before every meal, have a meal supplement (not protein, but vitamins) for dinner instead of eating, and take herbal tablets once a day. I can only eat lean meat and vegetables + tomatoes. Some might call this a "paleo" diet. I also visit the doctor once a week for acupuncture and other physical treatments to assist in my weight loss. I'll be continuing with the paleo diet after my treatment is finished in January to keep my body in tip-top shape. This is a HUGE life change and I couldn't be happier about it!

Maybe you can't see a difference, but I can!

4. I adopted a dog. She's amazing. Her name is Pepper. Many people speculate why I named her thusly. Let me explain: While I do LOVE pepper of every kind: freshly ground pepper, not-so-freshly-ground pepper, red pepper flakes, bell peppers, adobe peppers (I think you get the point), that's not why I named her Pepper. I named her Pepper because she's spunky. And by spunky, I mean hyper. And by hyper, I mean has separation anxiety. We're working on it, but still. She's spicy in the personality sense. It's funny, because when I tell Koreans her name, they look taken-aback and ask me "like the spice?" and I say yes and then they say something about eating her and then I'm like "you're gross and mean."

Everyone needs a little more Pepper in their life.

5. I've started reading "Finding Your Own North Star" by Martha Beck. This book has changed my life and I'm not even half way through it. I was feeling empty and emotionless. I felt like my life had no purpose or goal. I wanted to do many things and had no feasible way of accomplishing them. I knew that nobody took me seriously, that I was a nobody, that people treated me second rate, and that maybe I deserved to be in the place I was in because I wasn't worth it. Despite the positive and encouraging posts I wrote earlier this year, I didn't really believe in myself or have a shred of confidence. But, things are changing. I am. I'm ridding my life of nonsense. I'm using my control issues for good not evil! All negativity and people who affect me negatively BE GONE! And THAT, my friends, is just the beginning.


So, I'm sure you can see that I've been quite busy. It's a goal of mine to update this blog more often, let's see if I can stick to it. ^_^

Anything Is Possible

Listen to those who are where you want to be, but always do it your way.  Go to college.  Go to the one that you want to go to, with the exact major you want.  But make sure it's a cheap state school.  The company you get your loans through are much less forgiving than your least favorite teacher.  Go out as much as you can and make as many connections as possible.  Work those connections, but don't ask too much!  Let go of material possessions, because they'll be gone some day anyways.  Purchase cautiously and wisely so not to waste a single euro, penny, peso, pound, won, or yen.  Travel, see whatever you've always wanted to see, or taste whatever you've always wanted to taste.  Search for that perfect someone, and when you find them, don't smother them or spend every waking moment with them or thinking about them, because bad things happen when not taken in moderation.  Live your life just like you dreamed.  You might not think it's possible now, but go ahead and give it a try.  I bet if you work hard enough, it can be done!

Determined.

"The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses.  No one to lean on, rely on, or blame.  The gift is yours- it is an amazing journey- and you alone are responsible for the quality of it.  This is the day your life really begins."

Oh, how time changes things.  Wrinkled skin and sunken eyes.  New unions and shriveled relationships.  Fading memories and new goals for the future.  A few posts ago I spoke of planning to go back to the States.  I planned on opening my own business after a year or so of working to save money.  After a little research, reality has set in.  There are so few opportunities at home.  So little that someone with my educational background and work history could actually thrive doing.  My goal was to open my own business so I can travel wherever I want, whenever I wanted, because I'm my own boss.  Or, I could get a job where I travel everywhere.  But guess what... I have a job where I can travel anywhere.  Just not at the frequency of which I'd like to travel, haha!  I teach at an English academy in South Korea... literally just a few hundred dollars away from most other Asian countries.  Also, I really like my job, except that I don't feel like I'm actually teaching.  The younger kids just say naughty things in Korean and have very little attention spans and absolutely no desire to learn English.  But, my older middle school and high school aged kids are AWESOME!  I don't feel like my work day really starts until the very end, when my middle school kids come in.  They are full of questions and hilarious comments.  I get along with them so well.  And the older they are, the more fun I  have in class- at work.  Fun?  Work?  Same sentence?  Yes.  This is only one of many reasons why I've decided to go back to school to earn my Masters of Education degree in TESOL.  My goal is to work while I earn my degree.  I hope that with this new addition to my resume, I can get a job at a University here in Korea.  This will be a dream come true!  I could actually teach.  I could travel a lot.  I could enrich my life, and hopefully others', by being a professor at a University. This degree could also ensure me job security.  English is the global business language.  Everyone is learning English not only for business but to enrich their resumes, and their lives.  I could probably get a job anywhere in the world.  I wanted to go home because I miss my family.  I'm missing my little sisters growing up and achieving their goals and living their lives.  I'm missing my parents growing older and doing new exciting things with their lives.  I want to be a part of that, but pictures, videos and stories will have to do.  They will just have to come visit me here.  :3  I need to live my life for me. This is my life.  I can fulfill all my dreams.  I can do anything I put my mind to.  I will do everything I've dreamed of and be all I've ever wanted to be. The only person who can say I can't do it is me.

LUSH in Seoul

I'm a LUSHie...  I can't help myself.  I love good smelling things, and those stores are full of them!  If I had majored in Chemistry, I might try for a job at their probably lovely smelling creation factory.  There is a LUSH store here in Seoul, which I spent a pretty won at during the holiday weekend.  It all started with a huge Christmas package in the mail from my family who gifted a large box full of LUSHy goodness inside.  After getting a whiff of those tempting scents, I followed my nose to the nearest store for a look around.  The store is quite small but they have the walls and tables covered with soaps and creams and bars and sprays.  The staff have been trained VERY well and know their LUSH!  My favorite staff member is "Chick"  That's his English name at least, haha.  I visited the store more times than I want to admit during my 6 day holiday and spent more than I should have.

I made a new friend on the metro here who told me there are at least 2 other LUSH stores she knows of at various metro stops around Seoul.  What luck that I could make such a knowledgeable friend!  I hope to meet up with her again soon and discover these delightfully scented hidden treasure stores.  Maybe they have different products on their shelves than the one in Hongdae?

During my various trips to LUSH, I picked up a few things.  I'll review those here, as well as the gifts my family sent!

This, my dear readers, is the sandstone.  It is citrusy fresh and has serious sand scrubbing powers!  I have very sensitive skin and this doesn't irritate it one bit (like other exfoliating soaps).  I use it when I'm feeling rough around the edges and it leaves me feeling slick and smooth.

This is Karma <3  Karma is a signature scent of LUSH and for a very good reason too!  It brings out the tree hugging sun shiny hippy in me.  I feel like going outside and running bare foot through the grass (if Korea had grass, that is!).  It has a wonderful lather too!

Glogg is a holiday limited edition liquid soap.  I picked it up and gave it a try.  It smells like sugar and spice and everything nice.  Seriously!  I don't know how else to describe it.  It's like a drink you'd have on a warm winters night to warm your very soul.

The Olive Branch is a very inviting and soothing liquid soap that is warm and wraps you in its silky scents.

A massage bar tin full of...

Something.  What this is, I do not know.  It looks like a shampoo bar, but it busted up in the mail like this. I rubbed a bit on my arm in the shower.  It was super rough at first but left my skin feeling like an oiled wrestler ready to shine in the spotlight, but without looking or feeling greasy.  Anybody have any ideas as to what this is?

Ultra Bland is a make up remover that ROCKS!  On nights when I wear extra thick and heavy eye make up, this does the trick and whisks it right off my face.  It makes your skin feel really really surprisingly soft after using it.

This Two's a Pair  bar smells divine!  It's super citrusy!

Sea Vegetable soap!

Up You Gets smells like sunshine and lemons!

Karma Komba shampoo bar smells just like Karma soap.  And it's specially formulated for fine tangly hair like mine!  Whoopee! 

Breath of God was given to me by Chick as a free gift because I had spent so much time and money there.  When I sniffed it at the store, I thought it was REPULSIVE.  Then I got home and thought, well, I'll just try a little spritz and see how it smells on me.  Dear baby Jesus-- (pun totally intended) it smells GOOD.  It smells like wood and camping and ... home.  I don't want to smell like a tree, and honestly I've never been camping, but it just makes me feel warm and comfortable.  Don't sniff it-- try it!  And it definitely stays with you allllll day.

I purchased the Karma perfume because I love the scent so much!

Pow Wow is another limited edition product I picked up.  It's a lip scrub that has...wait for it....POP ROCKS as the scrubby part!  Seriously!  Pop rocks!  It tastes sweet like candy and the pop rocks pop in your mouth!  It is a little messy-- but totally worth it.

I will be making another trip back to LUSH this month to buy things they didn't have in stock or I didn't have the money for at that time, so look out for more reviews!