It's hard for me to admit this, but you know those little Kleenex travel packs? I just about went through a whole one by the time I reached my final destination. It's hard to admit because I wanted so badly to be bold and brave--"come what may and love it," right? Unfortunately, a number of obstacles kept my adventurous spirit in check throughout the 24 hour journey. Here is a quick rundown of what happened:
- Arrive at airport with family circa 6 AM
- Check-in goes perfect--I think, "wow, this won't be so bad!"
- Exchange tearful hugs and goodbyes with family before going through security
- Find proper gate and wait...and wait...and wait...until I hear an announcement that our flight will be delayed so much, I know I cannot make my connecting flight to San Francisco from Arizona
- Trip gets rerouted and I switch airlines
- And wait at new gate...and wait...and wait...and wait...until this flight gets delayed too. Just my luck. Now I'm concerned I won't make it to San Francisco in time to make my connecting flight to South Korea. I calculate that I'll have about 20 minutes to get from one end of the San Francisco airport to, no joke, the very absolute furthest gate for my connecting flight
- Fly to San Francisco
- Run across the SF airport like my life depends on it
- Barely make the boarding time
- Fly to Korea
- Get off plane thinking, "Wow! I made it!! I'm in Korea!!! I could siiiiing!!"
- Go through immigration, etc
- Go to pick up my luggage.......and it's not there
- Spend an hour waiting in line to fill out some forms so my luggage can be delivered in a couple days, hoping the address I have on hand is correct
- Navigate the Incheon airport for a long timw until I eventually find the bus terminal, buy a ticket for Gwangju
- 4 hour bus ride to Gwangju with my few possession in tow
- Get picked up by some random Korean man in Gwangju who can only say two words to me: "hello" and my name
- Finally make it to my apartment around 2 AM
- Crash.
I don't know if I could ever fully express how stressful this journey was. A big part of it was the fact that I was not only away from home, but I was alone. For the first time in my life, I was leaving home for a long time and I was doing it on my own.
The best part of my trip was flying from San Francisco to Korea. It was 12 hours of mostly flying over the Pacific Ocean. I had a window seat in the very last row on the plane and marveled at the seemingly endless expanse of water. Witnessing its immensity was breathtaking and a beautiful experience for me.
Flying to Korea from San Francisco was profound for me because the San Francisco airport is the farthest West I have ever traveled from home, when my dad and I spent a weekend in SF four years ago. The farthest East is only Illinois. Stepping on that Singapore Airlines plane, watching through my window as my plane took off and flew away from the California coast, I thought of Samwise Gamgee and this scene from The Fellowship of the Ring:
Sam: This is it.
Frodo: This is what?
Sam: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.
Frodo: Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
As the plane gained altitude, my soul was lifted by this simple thought. Sam and Frodo's dialogue continue to linger in my heart like words of encouragement from an old friend.
I feel so much gratitude towards everyone who has supported my decision to have this experience. Thank you to my parents and friends for your encouragement. I've had good days here and not-so-good days but the whole journey is something I will treasure for eternity.
So here's to 11 more months of happiness, frustration, building friendships, heart breaks, simple joys, disappointments, personal growth, jubilation, and the experience of a lifetime.
"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." --2 Nephi 2:25
Bonus pictures of Hakdong, my neighborhood:
Flying to Korea from San Francisco was profound for me because the San Francisco airport is the farthest West I have ever traveled from home, when my dad and I spent a weekend in SF four years ago. The farthest East is only Illinois. Stepping on that Singapore Airlines plane, watching through my window as my plane took off and flew away from the California coast, I thought of Samwise Gamgee and this scene from The Fellowship of the Ring:
Sam: This is it.
Frodo: This is what?
Sam: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.
Frodo: Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
As the plane gained altitude, my soul was lifted by this simple thought. Sam and Frodo's dialogue continue to linger in my heart like words of encouragement from an old friend.
I feel so much gratitude towards everyone who has supported my decision to have this experience. Thank you to my parents and friends for your encouragement. I've had good days here and not-so-good days but the whole journey is something I will treasure for eternity.
So here's to 11 more months of happiness, frustration, building friendships, heart breaks, simple joys, disappointments, personal growth, jubilation, and the experience of a lifetime.
"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." --2 Nephi 2:25
Bonus pictures of Hakdong, my neighborhood:
Oh my gosh, Chloes! This post, and what's in it is a small reason why I love you so much! It is quite the journey and experience that you are having. It's gonna be awesome! DFTBA--even if you don't feel like it!
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