Homecomings 1 & 2

So, I've been back in the States now for three weeks and change, and it is incredible to me now that I ever left. It's almost like I have been in an 8-month haze, just getting by. That sounds a bit harsh I think, as I review that sentence, but that is just my perspective 6000 miles away from that experience.

Not that I'm disconnected from SK! I have been making a concerted effort to integrate all that went on there into my present life. The hard thing about that is that my present life - with all its social excitement, its professional busy-ness, and its noisy English everywhere - can be very distracting. I walk around still feeling overstimulated, and I have no idea when I'll feel comfortable with my calendar or my general pace of life again. Believe me, I had no idea how much I was always moving. :)

There is also lingering work stuff. I am sorry to say that my Army boss can't seem to let me go, and is apparently defaming me and my professional work to people there whenever he gets the chance. That's something I will have to take care of. I also committed to regularly “see” (Skype is a wonderful thing, isn't it?!) people, and managing those connections makes me happy. And the connections I made to my friends in SK are still very strong. I quite frequently find myself saying something that only Cadena or Jessica would think is funny, and I miss commiserating over silly military or Korean stuff.

What I have had time to do in the last three weeks is see family and friends:) My first welcome home occurred in New York, and it was so wonderful to be with happy and healthy colleagues again! My second homecoming was a big family food fest (or “just a small party” as we call it:) ), where I was able to hug everyone I'd been missing for so long. And the week I spent with my parents was pure bliss; I cannot thank them enough for the relaxed everything they gave me during my vacation. My first week back in Chicago met me with much craziness: I started teaching right away (the first of my three classes was 9a on Monday, what?!?), and my Wellspring work began on September 1. In between, I was out a lot, and I think I found here all the wine I was searching for in Daegu:)

And my traveling days are not done, I have decided...I just can't see other countries as easily (my Passport needs a rest anyway...actually, a replacement:) ). But I did hit New York City over Labor Day, to see my cousin, to watch some tennis, and to fall in love with that city all over again. I'm learning I can still have adventures, relatively easily, even being home. That flight credit is also motivating me to see my own country!

I move into my new place at the end of this week, and my stuff arrives on/about the 17^th (I'm hoping for earlier...fingers crossed for me, please!), and maybe then I can fall into a regular routine and get back to “normal” life. Will it ever be truly “normal” again for me? I don't know. SK has changed me, but I guess that's true for all my experiences – not only of the past 2 years, but everything that comes along seems to fill me with awe and provide an opportunity for change in some way. It will be an interesting life from here on I think. I'm just so very glad I had SK and everything that came before it to open my eyes to all of that.

I have one more homecoming, this Saturday, thrown by my BFF, officially welcoming me back to Chicago. I cannot wait to see everyone – either for the first time since arriving back in the States or since last week:). I plan to post some pics here and maybe a funny story or two from it, but then I think this blog will come to a close. Obviously, I'm no longer “in Korea”, but I also feel that it's time for this chapter of my life to end. Several people have suggested I keep blogging, and I find that flattering and also intriguing:) If I decide to, I'll link this to that, so that people can understand better how I view the world and my place in it.

For now, thanks for reading. Thanks for being interested in this little part of my life. Thanks for your comments and your support and your laughs at my expense:)

Here's to adventure, no matter how you find it! (Please picture me toasting you with a huge glass of wine!)

Kristina

A perspective on my last misadventures in Korea...

Hey everyone (and by "everyone" I'm pretty sure I mean "mom and dad")!

My friend/roomie/travel buddy, Cadena, also blogs her time in SK. She just posted some fun pics and observations on my last days, so if you'd like to check them out, go take a look at My So Called Life. She has done a ton of stuff on the peninsula, too, so check out her other posts as well. She's a photographer so her pics are awesome! And she's the only person I'll ever willingly let take pics of me with food...mostly bc I didn't have a choice. :)

PS. Apparently, in my last week, I wore that dress OUT!:)

More later on my ever-interesting transition back to A-murr-ica! 

Trying to get it together (PS #1)

Ultimately, this post - and really, these days, my entire life - is full of gratitude. Forgive what snarkiness may come out, as I adjust to jetlag and dive straight into work:)

So, we made it! Furgie and I survived an I-don't-know-how-many-hour-bc-my-mind-can't-wrap-around-the-dateline-issue trip, and arrived into the welcoming arms of Homecoming #1: WNY! Namely, the lovely Kim Atwater...thank you for not only picking us up at the airport, but putting up with my slight slurring of words pre-Starbucks infusion, and my worry over getting my cat out of her carrier. Furgie did beautifully overall, and only cried once during the L-O-N-G descent into ATL.

Speaking of ATL...seriously, folks, I believe this is where flights go to die. EVERY flight appeared delayed to me as I wandered the crowded terminals. Also, there is no Starbucks in Terminal C - beware!!! There IS, however, a spa, and since my layover looked delayed from 3.5 to 5 hours (gah!), I decided to treat myself. A facial and a pedicure later, with added head, neck and arm and shoulders massage, I was pretty happy for the delay! And for this, I thank ATL for forward thinking, know they are the busiest and most delayed airport in the nation. I also thank Cadena, because really, if we hadn't spent that layover in Shanghai, I wouldn't have even thought about doing anything other than sitting at my gate:)

So, now that I'm firmly ensconced on American soil and happily already working at Wellspring, I cannot think of a better place to be "immersed" back into culture - a small community in which the scenery and the people are familiar, the work is enjoyable, the people are all happy to be here and also motivated to do well. Being here, it almost feels like I never left.

I AM seeing/sensing things differently already, even within all the familiar. It's like I'm on high alert, hearing everything, all conversations, all background noise, because my ears have been trained to search it out for the last 8 months. I have the urge to say "thank you" and "hello" in Hangul, and I have found myself pre-sentence stopping and correcting. I have also been automatically trying to convert dollars to dollars, and time zones, and laughing at myself because that makes no sense, in the end. Its really incredible how habits form so quickly, and are sometimes unbreakable even when you change contexts. Another example: I have no idea when I'll stop handing things to people with two hands, or with one hand on my elbow, the other holding the object such as a credit card. That one may be the toughest to break!

And of course I'm missing friends! It's funny, but I didn't realize how many I'd made until I made the effort to get together with each of them my last week! But that's always the way it goes, for me and for anyone. So I am determined to make the effort to spend as much time as possible with friends now that I'm home, to make up for lost time and to not regret missing out in the future:)

More later on adjusting:)

Until then, I miss you, friends from Daegu:)

Farewell, Korea

I started this blog just 8 months ago, and it seems strange to end it now. I've loved having the outlet for thoughts, feelings, internal and external struggles, and the connection with people - even if it was ever only my family and some friends:) I'll miss it as well as having regular adventures in this crazy country (and I mean that in the best possible way!).

I know I've already waxed thankful for being here (see Okinawa blog), but over the last two weeks I have felt a tremendous amount of gratitude for the people I've met here and as well as this place. Korea allowed me perspective, not only on myself but on the world. It gave me opportunity to explore the literal "other side" of the globe and taste, see, smell (and what a smell!) different things. It introduced me to some exceptional people who dedicate their lives to their country, or to adventure. And I couldn't be happier that I took advantage of this opportunity at this point in my life.

I think transitioning will be a bit difficult or even odd at times. I've been thinking about how my mind is going to handle constant stimulation - just think, it's been free to focus on other things because there isn't the constant hum of a language I can understand in the background, or the ticker of words to read on signs or buildings as I pass. I also think my new perspective on the world might change how I interact with people - not only will I speak slower at first, I think, just to sort out the constant din in my head, I'll talk about the world differently because I've seen it from the other side - and I wonder how that's going to affect me in my everyday. It should be interesting, to say the least, and I hope you all won't mind a few last entries here to tell how my move-back is going!

For now, again, I'm too busy saying goodbye to friends to worry too much about what all is going to happen once I'm back on American soil. And I thank Korea for such an adventure. If I can make it through all of this, I  feel like I can really enjoy my new life back home now, without reserve or (too much) worry.

I am going to miss this...

Because everyone needs a daily laugh...I just happen to get mine in my Inbox every day!

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Things to do in Daegu

So, the DMZ tours are fully booked the entire month of august, which means, sadly, that that trip will not be my last hoorah in Korea. I will have to settle for Daegu. A daunting a task as that seems, I am not willing to simply sit around my last full weekend on the peninsula! That means Daegu city tour!

A view of downtown Daegu

Not a lot of things to see in this city that seems, increasingly, like the same neighborhood over and over again. But there IS color...

Seoman Market wares: Traditional Korean formal dress. I'm sorry, Katie (my cousin) and other members of my family that requested one after her brilliant (at the time) idea...I can't bring them back! They are custom made, very dainty, and relatively expensive. I will bring you all make-up gifts!

Pretty pillows

...and everyone is getting excited about the upcoming track and field world championships that begin (sadly) shortly after I leave, August 27. The city is peppered with international flags and brightly colored signage like this one:

I have a special place in my heart for this mascot, because he is simply so cute...and who doesn't love runners that are blind? :) 

Finally, I did get to take some pictures of my daily walk to work on base. It still surprises me, after 8 months, to walk along barbed wire fencing and Restricted signs, even as overgrown and relatively pretty as they are.

It was another scorcher of a day, hitting an amazing 95% with 75% humidity. Bleck. I can complain only because, in watching the news, I see that most of my own country is suffering a similar heat wave. It's hard to believe it's slated to get even hotter this coming week, my last living here. Wish me luck! I only have about 5 outfits left that weren't carted off by the movers, so here's hoping I left out the coolest ones:)

All packed up and ready to go!

Stuff Korean People Like

Large mega-apartment complexes that appear to be cities unto themselves 
Seen from the ground or the air, these mega-opolises are ubiquitous and impressive; I once updated my status in astonishment, "helipads atop apartment complexes?" The answer was yes. My only question is, with the amenities posh and rent high, are all of them full??

His & Hers matching underwear sets
Apparently, these are all the rage as wedding gifts!