janelleslifeandstyle

[janelleslifeandstyle]

Got my Valentine's Day sweets all ready for my honey. ♡ #happyvalentinesday #valentine #valentines #holidays #holiday

[janelleslifeandstyle]

Houston!

My first full week in Houston has been a blur. So busy getting settled, job searching, and my part time job. I have been working as a virtual assistant for a music academy in Colorado for about a month now. It’s been pretty convenient since I can just work from home. I met with my mentor to discuss job options and it looks like this week we will be starting to kick things into full swing. I would love to work at a university again. *Fingers crossed!* I know I haven’t been updating as much because of my hectic life right now, but don’t hesitate to ask me any questions. I know the EPIK process will be gearing up for most of you. Remember that for August you should start your planning or if choose to you should apply for recruiters within this month. The process can get so competitive so give yourself some time to work through everything. Good luck everyone!

[janelleslifeandstyle]

It's a hot cocoa kind of morning. ☆ It's been cold and rainy here the last three days. Apparently we will be getting some snow tomorrow! #pennsylvania #hotcocoa #cocoa #drink #mug #holiday #holidayseason

[janelleslifeandstyle]

Borrowed this from my other blog. Here is what I did for Thanksgiving 2015! 

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend! Many of my friends in Seoul attended various foreigner Thanksgiving festivities last week. If you are a teach abroad hopeful and are curious then check out this (article). There were similar events while I was in Seoul too. Personally I took advantage of Craftwork’s Christmas extravaganza! The food was endless and it was delicious. Plus they gave you a pretty glass as you left. Being a foreigner away from your family during the holidays can be tough, but I encourage you to celebrate with your network of friends and participate in holiday gatherings.

This was my first time celebrating Thanksgiving with my family in 2 years! It was a lovely holiday and what made it even better was that my boyfriend Sangheon flew up from Houston. I prepared many goodies for us to snack on while he was here. I know how much he loves crunchy desserts so one dessert I made was Christmas Candy Crunch.

Well needless to say this dessert was a hit! If you would like to try this easy recipe then visit this (page.) Usually I stick to healthy recipes, but I’m guilty of making exceptions during the holidays. For Thanksgiving we all went to my brother’s house for a big meal with family and close friends. It was also Sangheon’s first time to meet my whole family. We all had a wonderful time and ate entirely too much food. My mom makes the best stuffing! She also made one of the turkeys. I’ve never been a big meat eater, but my mom’s food is always awesome.

Once our time at my brother’s house came to a close we went back to my house to rest. The following evening we decided it was time to officially kick off the Christmas season by decorating the Christmas tree. My family’s tree always has regular ornaments in addition to handmade ornaments from over the years. My mom calls it our ‘memory tree.’ Sangheon and I had a good time decorating it. It’s been so long since I have decorated a big tree like this. 

Overall we had a good weekend. I took Sangheon around to some of the local spots in my town. He was surprised at how rural my area truly is! His trip here was far too short, but wonderful nonetheless. On Sunday he returned to Houston to complete his finals, but before he went he gave my cat Tuni some adorable cuddles. 

As of today it is just one month until I will be moving to Houston! I can’t believe how the time is flying by, but I welcome change. Let me know how your holiday was! Also is anyone applying for EPIK or SMOE Winter 2016 intakes? I’d love to hear your experiences! 

[janelleslifeandstyle]

A Fresh Start

Welcome to my new blog! I want to tell you a bit about myself. I grew up in a very rural area, the closest city being Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A (2 hours east of Pittsburgh). Just imagine the middle of no where and then you will get the picture.

I studied theatre and international history in university and worked as a secretary. Once I graduated from university, I worked as an administrative assistant temp while I did acting work in my spare time. Eventually I found myself developing the desire to work with children and to travel. I did some research and came across the English Program in Korea recruiting service for the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education or S.M.O.E.. After doing some extensive research and some soul searching, I decided to apply and get TEFL certified. They accepted me and I spent two amazing years teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. I also started a popular blog and YouTube channel called Shimmering Seoul, documenting my process and experiences abroad.

This past September I returned to the United States after deciding not to renew my contract in Korea for a 3rd year. I loved living in Korea, but wanted to be closer to family and take on new challenges. My boyfriend also returned from South Korea and is a PHD student in Houston. I will be moving down to Houston, Texas on December 30th to pursue a career in higher education administration. I also want to continue my blogging endeavors since I truly enjoy it. This blog will be more open to my passions for baking, healthy recipes, thrift store finds, and other fun tidbits.

If you have similar interests then I encourage you to share your blog with me, and follow mine in return. I always like hearing how others are doing. Feel free to join me on my adventures in Houston. : )