The big office move

Well, the day has finally arrived. It's moving day for our Adult Textbook Office, as well as for the other two textbook offices on campus. We first hear about a possible move back around the end of January. A man came into our office one afternoon and talked to my Korean coworkers. When he left they told me that we might have to move because Kinderest (the preschool/kindergarten program in the building next door to ours) was needing more space and wanted to expand into our building. At that time the man said that either our office or the one below us, the Junior Textbook Office, might be moving to give Kinderest more space. A week or two later it was confirmed that one of the two offices would indeed be moving. And another week or two down the road it was decided that both our office and the junior office would be moving out of our building and into a new one together. Finally we heard that all three textbook offices, Adult, Junior and WinPlan (for high school students getting ready for school tests and entrance exams), would be moving and merging into one conglomerate office. Needless to say, none of us in the ATO liked this news. We all love our small third-floor office with it's floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors facing the southwest. We love the closeness we feel when we're all working together in the same room. We love the view. We love our worship times where we feel safe to share our thoughts, concerns and problems with each other. We love the quiet and solitude of working in a four-person office.

The Adult Textbook Office 

My cozy little cubicle, inherited from my friend Renee

The view from our office looking toward the hospital

The view from our office looking toward the Academic Office/church and the Language Institute

But, no matter how much we love our little office, the final say was made by someone who didn't ask our opinions in the matter. So on Monday and Tuesday we began packing up our many textbooks, deciding which ones to keep and move with us and which ones to recycle. Honestly, the past two days were the worst ones I've experienced in that office, mostly because of the numerous people popping in and out, all talking as loudly as they wanted and not realizing that some people (me) need a nice quiet atmosphere in which to work. Yesterday morning I was the first person in the office and snapped a few pictures of the mess so far. I was also the last person to leave at night and I took a few more, the final pictures I'll ever take in that office.

Packed boxes everywhere

Stacks of things to be recycled or thrown out

Empty bookshelves

My poor cleaned-out cubicle and desk

Our office has a very major deadline for a project that was initially supposed to be completed at the end of December, then got pushed back to the end of February and now is staring us in the face at mid-March. My two other coworkers (the third one finished working at our office at the end of February) helped to move the office today, but I'm working at home, desperately trying to finish the Teacher's Manual for the Elementary Level of the Jeju Project. I heard the moving trucks start up this morning, but didn't make it outside in time to snap any pictures, but I did take a break around 2 p.m. and walked up behind the Korean church to find our new office. What a shock! It's bigger than our old office, but not by very much. I have no idea how three offices and 20 workers will ever fit in there! I'm sure it'll work somehow, but it sure wasn't in working order this afternoon.

Our new building (we occupy the top floor, while there are guest rooms beneath us)

Our tiny new office

The ATO area of our new office (front three desks)

MJ, the head of the ATO, in good spirits despite a hectic move

So there you have it, our move as documented as I could achieve. I'm really sad to leave our old office, not only because of the coziness and comfort, but because of the memories and the wonderful worship time we had there. I'm wary about trying to work in an overcrowded and potentially noisy office like the one we've moved in to, but I'll make the best of it. Maybe I'll even make new good memories there! Even so, I'll miss you, old third-floor office. Thanks for all the good times you gave me during these past two months!