The View Up Here

not an ad for Delta Today is my first full day in Ulsan, my new home. And by "new" I mean the 2nd time around. I lived here from 2002-2003 and visited twice more. Then in 2024, I made a pilgrimage to the sites of the Korean Catholic martyrs  which included a week in Ulsan. It was then that I realized I could easily call this place home. (You can read about my Korea Dreambus film screening here!) The process of getting ready to apply for a visa began months before I even had a job offer. The job search was also months long, and the position I accepted came out of the blue. I'd applied for several teaching positions at a variety of institutions and programs, and even interviewed for two university jobs. None of that worked. But the job I took was exactly where I want to be, and although it's teaching in a hagwan (private after-school academy), the conditions are exemplary and the couple that owns the academy are solid. So here's a bit of a rundown on the last 48 h...

Walkway in Fairport, NY I know I haven't been writing here as much.. mostly I'm working on my Korea Dreambus site and my new Patreon page .  I have to admit that the Patreon is new for me, so I'm still trying to figure out how to best utilize it. But the good news is that I have a lot more of my itinerary nailed down, I've made a good connection to help me on the ground in Korea, and I've raised $1,300 to help me with this pilgrimage and film project. Head over to the website to catch up with my updates and musings, and then to my Patreon for a membership to see videos and other content! If you have prayer intentions you'd like me to bring with me to Korea, please contact me with those or leave in the comments. Half way through summer... please, God, let the second half of summer feel as gloriously long as the first half has done!

 There is a lot to report on, friends. Let's run down the list! My short film has been renamed "Souled," which fits the theme and style of the film much better than the long-standing working title Dream House. "Souled" is moving right along in postproduction. I'm in the process of hiring a composer, and I've secured a fantastic sound mix man and a color correction guy. The edit is allllmost picture lock... We're very close! Also the poster is well on its way. That will appear here and everywhere else I can post it as soon as it is ready. Another dream is about to become a reality! I'm headed back to Korea this September to make a pilgrimage to my former town of residence and to the holy sites of the Catholic Korean martyrs. And yes, I'm going to make a film about the experience. The project formerly known as "Korea Dreambus" is being resurrected...appropriately as a Catholic pilgrimage film. Much more on that in the coming weeks! Le...

I am waiting in the silence for Messiah, the One who saves, the One who is Love, to come into my heart. Ah! He is already here, yet He seeks even more of my heart.  This Advent I was wracked with mono (since October) as well as stomach flu (last weekend). At first I was angry: how unfair, why did this happen to me, why now? I was planning to go "home" to be with family on the South Shore of Boston for Christmas as usual, and as usual, the hype and stress of getting everything done before I hit the road for a 7 hour drive to stay at other people's houses (even people I love) was starting to ramp up. To give you an idea of how this feels: One night in the midst of stomach flu ickiness earlier this week, I was awake, sweating, feeling so horrible I almost felt out of my body. And that's where I met Jesus. "Accept everything." That's what my spiritual director had said in his voice mail message that morning. "Jesus I trust in You." It...

Life in a new city, a new job, a new home - all of this and more have kept me occupied and not blogging. The third week of Advent is well under way, and in a week's time, I'll be on a plane headed to the Land Where I Was Birthed for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Not only will I be visiting my dear family and friends, I will also be continuing my discernment by staying overnight at the Carmel in Concord, NH , and visiting with the Poor Clares of Boston , located in Jamaica Plain. (Incidentally, Jamaica Plain is where my parents first settled when they moved from Elmira, NY to Boston back in the early '50s.) A few words on the full-time job I've held since August - I'm the Office Manager for Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Salt Lake City, UT, working for the Catholic Diocese of SLC. Certainly not rocket science, but definitely a ministry - in more ways than I would've thought. I've come to see and know a deeper vein of human experience and suffering...

This gem came across my email today in one of the many listservs I'm on. I've got the first two down pat, but still working on that last bit. The last couple of weeks have been whirl-windy. I finished my newest script last Monday (what a rush that was - 3 weeks flat!), cleaned my house on Tuesday, had an overnight guest on Wednesday (Rachel from Back East), then she left Thursday morning and that very same night I drove to LAX to pick up the husband. He spent a week here, and we had a glorious time at Disneyland, driving around all my new haunts (Crazy Russian Grocery Store, Starbucks down the street, and of course, St. Jude's church on Sunday). I also took him to the Griffith Park Observatory, and while it was closed, it was a clear enough day for him to get the full effect of the view in every direction (including the Hollywood sign). Monday we took care of our taxes (ugh...don't even... ugh) and Tuesday we took a train up to Ventura for the day. I've decided w...

Thanks for reading and saving my latest entries on Trazzler.com: http://www.trazzler.com/trips/americas-stonehenge-in-salem-nh http://www.trazzler.com/trips/splash-lagoon-water-park-rsrt-in-erie-pa Unfortunately, I was not selected for the contest to write in the Bershires, but with the new piece on America's Stonehenge, I'm entering another travel writing contest to get a free lance gig in Vermont. Please save my entry, as it proves I understand the basics of social networking, which is important to the job. Cheers!

I'm trying for a traveling and writing gig in the Berkshires. Please read and save my entry on Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA: http://www.trazzler.com/trips/nantasket-beach-in-ma Thank you for your support.

Read my blurb on the Ithaca Farmers' Market at Trazzler.com. If you feel so inclined, please "save" this Smart Travel Contest entry.

I just entered one of Trazzler.com 's travel writing contests. Please check out my entry here: Jogyesa Temple . I enjoy the challenge of writing a travel piece in 65-120 words, so I'm going to do a few more of them and build that part of my portfolio. Meantime, my fingers are crossed for a win.

Thank you for reading my article about life and work in S. Korea: Transitions Abroad - "English Fever." It's meant as a companion piece to the film I'm working on ( www.koreadreambus.com ). Thanks for your support!