I started to learn taekwondo when I was about 18. Classes were held from 5 to 6.30 in the evening on the university campus where my father taught, and my family lived. I was going to college at that time, commuting for a couple of hours in the morning and evening by bus. I didn't have time to go home before class, so I would go straight from college. My parents didn't like this idea at all, and pretty much gave me an ultimatum: either I would make time to come home and eat lunch before going to taekwondo, or I could not go. I myself felt the strain of commuting for long hours and then going to class, and I gave up fairly soon after I started.
Taekwondo has always been at the back of my mind since then, I 'm not sure why (or maybe there are many reasons why, and I still have to clear out in my mind why I am so emotional about taekwondo). I graduated from college, and moved to the US to do graduate work, working for my PhD. The first couple of years were rough academically, and it took me a while to get used to the rhythm of things until I was satisfied with the academic part of my life. It was three years into my PhD before I signed up for taekwondo. But I was not destined at this point to start learning again.
The next two years I battled with chronic pain in my foot, back, neck and shoulders. I won't go into the miracle that I saved myelf by. It was a time during which I became completely involved with my health, and thought of not much else.
I'm almost 27 now, and I have a year left to get my degree. My health problems resolved themselves over the summer (or I resolved them), and I signed up for taekwondo during fall semester! I feel such a sense of fulfilment just having signed up after waiting so long for it.
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