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