About Me

Hello there!

My name is Diana and if you've clicked on this you're probably new to my blog. Welcome.

Current Status:
I'm 29 years old, married to a wonderful Korean man, Min Gi, who is 36. We like to go hiking, travel around Korea and other places cheaply, swing dance at our swing dance club, and generally engage in ridiculous silliness. We are in the process of moving back to the U.S. this August.

I teach English at the foreign language high school in Daegu, Korea where I have lived since August 2007. I've fully embraced life in Korea, most especially now that I'm wed to a great Korean guy and have such delightful Korean in-laws. However, they are by no means my first Korean "family"--I was adopted by my best Korean gal pal's family my first year here. I have a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do from 2008--entirely obtained in Korea under the tutelage of a wonderful Sa Beom Nim, whose wife still reads this blog sometimes. I studied Korean a lot my first year and a half living here, but have fallen out of good habits, although I speak in Korean a lot. I plan to become fluent so that we can raise bilingual children, and then I can understand what they say. I have had some recent health issues related to my ulcerative colitis, but I seem to be recovering from that pretty quickly.

We recently obtained Min Gi's visa for permanent residency in the U.S. (a green card) and will move to the DC metro area in August and September with both cats.

Hobbies, etc.:
I read a lot--usually novels or literary nonfiction, although I have a guilty weakness for financial literature, health articles, and dating/relationship self-help books. I think and write a lot about education and teaching because that matters to me. While living in Korea and married to a Korean, I've become fascinated with Korean culture and history, so I often write about that and reflect on my experiences.

I write often. It's what I want to do when I grow up. This blog is my staging ground (well... ok... at least it's fine practice in the craft).

In the U.S., I used to volunteer at a suicide/crisis hotline and participate in community theater. I look forward to resuming some of these activities when we move back to the states.

Obviously, I enjoy travel--both big and small.

Educational/Professional Background:
I grew up in a Maryland suburb outside of Washington, DC. My parents are both Ph.D.-holding scientists, and I was a nerdy little kid. I attended gifted programs in the public schools from third through twelfth grade. In school, I always participated in lots of club activities, usually related to theater.

I went to St. Mary's College of Maryland, a small, public, liberal arts school in southern Maryland. Right on the water, it is still the most beautiful place I have ever lived. I majored in English Literature and tried to major (and took several courses) in a number of other things along the way, including Philosophy, Theater, Physics, Chemistry, and Math. I ran the school's weekly paper for a year and it nearly killed me (gave me mono and the like). I also ran the comedy improv troupe, Take One!, for three years and was a Resident Assistant for my last year.

I became a teacher through a Resident Teacher program in Maryland (one of those programs that trains and certifies non-education majors). I taught high school English, including AP English and yearbook journalism for three years before becoming disillusioned with the U.S. education system and almost burnt out. I escaped to Korea to teach English as a second language. During the last five years, I've managed to obtain my Master of Arts in Writing from Northeastern University.

Hire Me!
I'm looking for a job when I return to the Washington, DC area in August 2010. If you like my writing, photography, design, or teaching and have some kind of opening you think I'd fit well with (teaching secondary or community college English or Drama, writing, public relations, or publishing), I'm happy to send you a resume.