It had been 4 years since my previous toxic relationship, and it was clear to me I was struggling to meet anyone. As a result, my 5th relationship happened to be with a co-worker at Rise Kohyang Middle School. You know the saying “Don’t shit where you eat”. Well, I guessed I learned this lesson the hard way. The relationship started off just fine at the beginning when we were both infatuated with one another. It went downhill quickly when she wanted me to be a super alpha male and started criticizing me for not being what she envisioned (a stereotypical Korean male). In the end the incompatability led to my final breakup, my heart destroyed once more in the process.
And yet, this was one of the great things that Katherine and I happened to have in common. Going through recent breakups, we were able to connect once again on a group hike at Skull Rock. Thank you to my friend Annie, who invited us both on that hike, causing this necessary reunion to happen. After that hike we quickly started facebook messaging and texting, which inevitably would lead to a greater friendship and eventual relationship.
Along the way, if any of these pieces didn’t happen I would not have gotten with my wife. Goes to show that fate does work in mysterious and unique ways.
My final year at RKMS was tragic in a lot of ways. I really loved working with this cohort of students, and was hopeful to finish out the year with them. Builder’s Club, student news, and hosting Scholar’s Assemblies continued bringing me fun in different ways.
The peak of the experience this year was when my school took 100+ middle schoolers to Phil’s BBQ, culminating in delicious experiences for all of them. The visit to UCSD was a necessary “free addition”, but spending $9,000 on Phil’s BBQ and then $15,000 on Embassy Suites for all the students was a truly life-changing incident.
This was the year of trip #150 to Phil’s BBQ, a culmination of the third AIRBNB weekend trip to San Diego with my teacher friends. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be my last year at RKMS.
Leaving RKMS was difficult, but in hindsight it was all for the best. I had grown the most I could at that school, and if my goal was to move back to Orange County it wasn’t working with the current strategy I had. I also constantly had difficulty getting letters of recommendation from the principal while there, seeing as she would obviously know my intent to leave. It would have created an awkward work environment to say the least. It was hard to not see my friends at work anymore, but I’m grateful that the ones that I truly connected with are still in my life to date. And I’m happy that all of them are slowly starting to depart and start new adventures at new schools.
Katherine and I remained friends till summer, engaged in fun activities like Phil’s BBQ, karaoke, painting, and roller skating. It would take a confession and a few more dates for her to finally like me back, culminating in a kiss at the OC Fair. Fate had intervened and given me my happily ever after. Though uncertain of where I would work at next, I was grateful to have Katherine in my life.
