An excerpt from an email that I just sent to my mother

"There are so many things that I miss about America... the big and little things. Taco Bell, Kujo, TV commercials, sports, driving, family, calling people on the telephone, the rest of my clothes, dryers, cheap pizza, good beer, good cheese, music, concerts...but that's not to say I'm not happy here. We have friends, we do trivia every Thursday night, I like my job, my students are generally adorable, I eat pretty well, and I'm saving money.

I DO think that living in Seoul is bad for my health. People constantly tell me that I look tired here. I've always had circles under my eyes, but now I have to actively wear make-up to conceal them. I'm tired and sleepy a lot. I think part of it is the weather, part living in the city, part the incredible amount of air pollution, the yellow dust from China, pollen, living in a small space with a lack of sunlight, walking everywhere...

I miss trees. They have trees here, but not many. I miss green and grass and animals and backyards. I can't even buy a plant because I don't get enough sunlight in my apartment. "

This sounds pretty complainy doesn't it?

Right now, we are trying to decide whether or not we will be staying in Korea another year. It's been on my mind a lot lately because no matter what the decision is, we have to get the ball rolling on it soon. While there is nothing wrong with living here. There is something ...not quite right.

Someone wrote on a Korean English teacher's message board this statement and it expresses how I feel:
"There are dozens of pros and cons to living in Korea...all of which are routinely used as valid arguments for why Korea is or isn't a great place to live. For us, it all comes down to one thing. Korean is draining our soul. The money's good, the job's good, friends are good, and life in general is comfortable and fun enough....but there is just something about this place that sucks away your life essence. It's like the polar opposite of what happens to your soul when you're in places like Spain or Brazil. "

Is that depressing?