Someone on waygook.org asked...

"How much will you/have you saved per year in Korea"

My response:
At the end of this year, I will have paid 4000 in credit cards, 1200 car loan, had surgery, paid for tickets to Italy and the US, and bought an ipad. I will still have about 8k when I leave. A good chunk will be spent in Europe on a 3 week tour but that will still leave me with a several thousand as start up back in the States.

I will have accomplished a lot in a year. Yay! My budget is totally worth it.

Work it out.

I hate exercising. I loathe it.

However, after finally getting a good look at myself in a full length mirror, I realized I must work out. I am really out of shape. Like "Britney Spears, post-second marriage, eating cheetos and red bull" out of shape. For the past 3 days, I have excercised. I've gone on at least a 30 minute brisk walk, done 50 lunges per session, 20 squats, jumped rope, and 10 minute "fat blaster" video that I downloaded off the internet. Oh, and full body stretches. I was sore yesterday but feel good today. My neighborhood is full of hills so I am going to do a 30 minute power walk on them every day if I have time. I may even start jogging, knees permitted, in a few weeks once I build up some indurance.

I just need to keep this up and I know I'll start feeling better. I need to make better food choices when I can. Less rice for lunch and less carbs and fried food for dinner.

Now I just need some descent ear plugs so I can get a good nights rest.

What's in a name?

It is no secret that I don't like my first and last name.

I tried Ella instead of Angela, no dice. Too similar to Elliott. I thought about going by Marie but I don't think that really fits me at all. So I'm considering going by "Ana," dropping the "gel" part. I think it suits me. However, trying to convince my friends to call me that isn't going to be easy. Most call me Ang anyway, which I like. So I think that when I get back to the States and start my new job and life, I'll go by Ana. People that know me as "Angela" can still call me that.

I really want to change my last name because my last name right now is associated with so many douchebags. However do I really want to go through the trouble of changing my last name before I get married? I mean, I hope to be married some day and I don't want to have to change my name multiple times. I heard it is a bitch. It is hard enough getting my address changed.

So I guess Ana for now, last name later.

I fail at blogging.

I had such high hopes for this blog. I told myself that it was going to be easy. It isn't. I'd honestly rather write in my journal about my feelings and talk about them to my friends instead of posting them online.

I've been severely depressed this past month because of my mother. She stole my identity. I found this out right after I sent her an email telling her that she needs to be a better person in my life.

It has been hard. I've just felt so sad. On top of that, I had surgery and got a cold that lasted for 3 weeks. Not to mention a toothache. Man, when it rains, it pours.

Things are looking up though. The weather is getting nicer and work is becoming easier.

I've been feeling overwhelmed with certain aspects of my life so I've taken to cleaning recently. I have been obsessive about my bathroom. I think it is better than shopping and eating..although I did eat a pizza by myself last night. Not good. Not good at all. All my meals lately have been fried and bad for me.

After 7 months, I've resorted back to my hermit ways. I think to protect myself and my friends from the misery that I was feeling. I think the warm weather will help me break out of my shell again. I don't want to end up like my last 6 months in Bellingham with no one to hang out with besides Elliott.

Only 5 months left! 6 until I am home. This year is going by fast. I can make it.

Elliott-
Thanks for agreeing to spend the weekend with me! I'm really excited!