There Was An Old Woman…

We all remember the nursery rhymes we learned when we were younger. On February 1, 2018 we arrived at Incheon International Airport in Seoul. While awaiting our bus, I looked around at all of the students gathered together with their luggage. Immediately, I was reminded of the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe. I know you all remember … “She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.” The reality of it all is that they are definitely not children — they are young adults. Even though they are not my young adults, they are the reason I am here and ultimately, the reason I do what I do. Since beginning my undergraduate studies in August of 2008, continued on to graduate school and now, as an employee, I have never known what direction Shenandoah University will take me. I can honestly say that I never dreamt that it would take me to South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics. To say I am a “novice” traveler would be a bit of an understatement. Prior to 2016, I had made on trip into Tijuana with my parents that I have no recollection of. In 2016, I traveled to the Bahamas and Grand Turk via cruise ship. To say this trip is a bit out of my comfort zone would be an immense understatement. Yet here I am. I am in South Korea with 3 other faculty, a university supporter and 28 students and the best part is I’m okay. I have wonderful travel companions that have made this journey so much fun. We’re just about halfway through and even though I do miss home, I’m not over anxious or home sick. I feel accomplished and more than that — I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude to work for an organization that is so dedicated to transformative learning — not only for our students but for all that are part of the Shenandoah family. Til the next time —

By Theresa Golding, Director, Academic Advising & Career Services for the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Posting from South Korea