Timing is Magic

Bonjour from Paris! In these tough times most people are afraid to talk about the good going on in their lives. It seems people want to hide it so that it doesn't stir up feelings of envy or jealousy. Yes, it isn't easy to feel like you are walking in a field of dreams, realizing it takes a lot of faith and great timing to make the life of an expatriate teacher/writer work. Sometimes family members don't understand, or you start second guessing about certain positions causing your belly to fill up with knots of stress because you are going against the first human need in Maslow's Hierarchy of needs - Security. That need to be secure , is challenged continuously and sometimes you just have to realize that the tangible things you see are less as you go along on your journey. Often the journey is about taking steps along the way to get you to the places you love, the people you long to see. The very heart of your hopes, dreams, desires, and yes, even at times to face your fears.

My simple need was a new laptop in South Korea. Not just any laptop, I had already visualized the one I had wanted, which was a MacBook Air. I was stuck with this problem, which really was an opportunity. I had an old laptop, the keys were worn down, the spacebar had my thumbs indentation and loads of files and images that I wanted to hold on to, but I decided to let go and send it off to my son. The tool was no longer serving the purpose I had in mind for it so I shipped it off. My son had already let me know that he could use it. I let it go. It was difficult because that one instrument had traveled around the world with me and gave me very few problems.
I had decided to search once again the pages of Korea to see if I could find my dream laptop...and I saw one lone post in Seoul. I fired off my query and the deal was made with a young man, an expatriate teacher, a former corporate guy, named Nick. I didn't think about the significance of his name. I was just amazed that it was available, getting completely serviced at an Apple store in Korea, and instead of trying to find my way around Seoul to meet Nick...we both happened to be departing Korea on Christmas Day.

I was going to be converted, after all of these years on PC systems, to a Mac...on Christmas...and I almost felt like saying, "Yes Virginia, There is a young Santa Claus, St. Nick, who is teaching English in Seoul."

Sometimes you have to let go of the old to make room for something new in your life. I could have looked at this as just another acquisition, or purchase, but I knew it was a little bit more than that. It was exactly what I needed at the right place and time.

The magic of Christmas as Nick went off to Thailand with his fiancee and friends and I began my journey to Paris.