korea

I spent the entire year of 2009 in Asia. Teaching English and traveling in South Korea for the majority of it, but able to spend about 2 months of it traveling around China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Tokyo. That being the first time I had ever done anything to that degree of “on my own”, it was certainly a learning experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. Before hopping on the plane to Korea with Mitch, my best friend and boyfriend, I was asked numerous times why I wanted to do such a thing. “There are plenty of jobs teaching English here!”, “Aren’t you scared?”, and “That’s too far away from home.” Were just a few of the responses I got from people daily. I remember in particular a woman saying “What if you don’t like it…What if you have culture shock!?”. I quickly responded with “maybe I will get culture shock (not really knowing what it was at the time), but I also know that I will love it. It’s all about my attitude, so if I’m determined to like it…I will!” And that’s the attitude that I took off with…ADVENTURE! J That’s what I expected, and that’s what I had. What I hadn’t really realized it that adventure isn’t always exciting and smiles. A big part of the adventure often left me confused, homesick, frustrated, and lonesome. As with many challenges that we face though, the first step was the hardest and taught me the most. Here are just a few of the things that my time in Korea taught me:
1) Always read up on what you will or won’t be able to eat in the foreign country. Have a list of those items written down in English and the foreign language.
2) People travel for all different reasons. They’re not all looking for color and culture. Some are hiding, some are partiers, and in a weird way, some don’t know what else to do.
3) I need a community to fit into for my sanity. I am very comfortable with myself, and I’ve always been able to keep my heart happy and full. I never realized how much I rely on my friends and family for support and encouragement. Having people around me who show interest in my life (even if it’s a phone call or a simple “what are you doing?”) gives me confidence that I’m making healthy choices in my life. I had never realized that until being away from everyone (except for Wonderful Mitch) and being stuck in a country that doesn’t speak my language on so many levels.
4) I love traveling with Mitch. We are completely compatible, and we share the same traveling goals—experiencing culture how the locals do and staying away from tourist traps. He’s confident, protective, and fun. Hearing about other people’s traveling experiences, I’ve learned the importance of having a perfect travel buddy. Mitch is my perfect travel buddy, and I’m lucky I got to (and get to) experience such an adventure with the one I love.
5) The world is a wonderful place. No matter how weird, smelly, loud, or populated some places are, they’re BEAUTIFUL. Before traveling to Asia, I hadn’t really thought or studied much about it, but I never imagined how different each place would be!
6) I am a pipsqueak. There are a lot of smart and thoughtful people out there, and even though I couldn’t communicate with many of them, they taught me a lot about life, people, God, and community.