Korea

Well, I've successfully made my first venture into the "real" Asia.  I've been told India doesn't count, as it's a subcontinent.  The jet lag this time was MUCH more manageable than that coming to and from India and I attribute that to the fact that I was well-rested at the start of the trip and was able to relax once I got there and get on the right sleep schedule.  Our travel time was three days but it was really not that bad.  We left Chicago around four or five, right after James sprained his ankle trying to catch a spare frisbee.  We started out with him driving, but switched before we even left Cincy.  I drove the whole way, but I didn't mind- it's better than being bored.  We actually had a pretty good time talking, laughing, and playing catch phrase.  I usually enjoy time spent with my siblings although we don't hang out unless we're forced to by circumstances or our parents.  Anyway, we arrived in Chicago around midnight their time after stopping at BW3's because it's the only place Heather will eat.  The other two went to bed and I did too after watching a Mad About You marathon on Lifetime.

Our flight to Korea left at noon, so we made it to the airport in plenty of time.  Unfortunately, it was one of those where you have to eat before you pass through security, so I had to gulp down my coffee, but we really didn't have to wait much.  We boarded the plane and to my siblings' dismay, discovered that this 14 hour flight didn't have personal TV screens on the back of the seats!  I wasn't really too disappointed because I brought all the Harry Potter books, which served me well and I really wasn't all that bored.  It was also nice to sit next to James so I could lay on him.  As a sidenote, we saw Jumper on the plane: DON'T see it!  It was horrible!  We actually arrived in Korea 12 and a half hours later.  After a fiasco with the shuttle to the hotel, we finally arrived and decided to go out to eat before we slept.  We got a chance to tour Incheon while we looked for a restaurant my mom would approve of.  We settled upon a barbecue place where they brought out raw meat and grilled it on the table for us.  You put it in a leaf and wrapped it up with rice, somewhat like a burrito.  I thought it was pretty good, minus the rice, but Heather and Mom decided they don't like Korean food.  They had tons of side dishes, most of which where too hot, but I like the milder ones.  

We returned to the hotel and crashed.  Heather and I woke up around 5 am and watched the British Office on TV.  Way more awkward than its American counterpart!  James joined us around 7 and we hung out till breakfast at 9:30.  Our "American" breakfast that cost us $13 American per person consisted of two eggs over easy, two pieces of toast, room temperature yogurt, fatty bacon, lunchmeat ham, and a hot dog cut in half.  However, I was starving so I ate most of it.  Somewhere in between waking up and breakfast I also got a bath.  The bathroom had a clear door, marble floor and a huge jacuzzi bathtub with removable shower head thingie.  It also had a fixed shower with a clear partition covering only part of it- the water just flowed on the marble floor to the drain nearby.  I don't know how to explain it, but I'll post pictures later.  In a separate closet-sized room was the extremely high-tech toilet with buttons for a bidet or wash.  

After breakfast, we still had about an hour so we walked around Incheon.  The Seoul airport is actually on the island of Incheon.  There were a lot of skyscrapers and big signs that made it seem like a big city, but it was quiet and clean, which made it seem like a small town.  We passed a ton of restaurants with aquariums outside where we spotted fresh seafood, including squid, octopus, and eels.  I really enjoyed looking around and have identified a new hopeful travel destination!

We got back to the hotel in time to take the shuttle to the airport.  We spent our four hours there browsing stores and eating our last American meal- Burger King.  I saw Caribou Coffee, but unfortunately I'd already had coffee at Dunkin Donuts during our stroll through Incheon.

Next stop: Singapore!

Ooops, I forgot!

Yesterday I left my new place to head to Cincinnati and spend a few days with the fam before heading on vacation to Singapore and Bali.  I planned on leaving mid-morning, but the time kept slipping back as I thought of new things to do.  I had to clean up, do some decorating, hit Walmart one more time, etc.  I FINALLY left the house around 5:30 and made it out of Morristown by 6:15 after multiple calls to my sister and Dustin.  Three hours later I was almost to Lexington when I realized my passport (an essential part of international travel) was back in TN!  I turned around and started freaking out immediately.  I finally made it home a little before 1 am and left this morning for the Nati.  I made it to my parent's house by 4 this afternoon and was super tired and mad at myself for adding so many miles and hours to my trip.  But the point of all this is how much I appreciate my friends.  I was freaking about how I forgot and how stupid I was, and there were so many willing to comfort me and talk me down.  I'm grateful that they can ignore my stupidity and occasional self-centeredness.  Thanks guys!

Changes...

This week has been a whirlwind of emotions.  It's flown by so fast, yet I can't believe a week ago was Denise's birthday when we were lunching at Moe's and photo shooting in Old City.  Although I knew then that the end was near, I don't think I really understood what it meant.  I still don't.  It feels like we're on summer break and next month we'll all come together again. But I know that some of the people who have been a daily part of my life for five years I will never see again.  Although that sounds depressing written down like that, it's also encouraging to think about how great God is and how we are all part of his family.  Even though I know there are people I'll never see again, I get excited when I think about how I'll hear of them.  I can imagine all the great things they'll do and how their news will reach me across the country or maybe even across the world.  Reading Dustin's blog both encouraged me and (of course) made me cry because it's so true!  We were brought together for a purpose and now that our training is finished, we must go out and reach the world!  It's exciting to think about the impact we'll make and how we're all still connecting because we're working in the name of Christ.  And although it's cheesy, and I'm excited that this is not good-bye.  Even the classmates I'll never see again on earth I will be reunited with in heaven.  I can't wait to catch up!

In other news, I am now officially a resident of Morristown, Tennessee.  My feelings about this are mixed.  I have faith that once I start school things will get much better.  At first I was very depressed about living alone in my somewhat large townhouse, but it is slowly filling up with all my crap and I'm really enjoying decorating it my OWN way!  It's weird living alone, a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.  It's way too easy to go through a whole day without talking to another person, which leaves me feeling inhuman.  It's worse because my cell doesn't work and I don't have internet, so I feel completely disconnected from the world.  

I think it will be difficult to meet people, but once I get connected with church and have a job to go to everyday, I think it will be MUCH better!

The End of an Era

As I reflect on the changes coming up this year, I just find it difficult to believe.  The past five years have flown by impossibly fast and it's hard to remember how I felt as a freshman coming to JBC- so naive!  I can't even imagine my life without this safe community and this amazing group of friends.  We've grown close through the years and really come together as a group.  I remember leaving home for college and thinking how scary it was to go somewhere new and how I would never make new friends.  Now as I prepare to leave I'm thinking the same thing.  I feel so close to my friends here in Knoxville- I'm worried that with the distance and with our busy lives we'll lose touch.  I know I'll make new friends in my new home, but I don't want to lose touch with old friends and our close community.  It makes me grateful for the small familial feel of Johnson and how I have been accepted into the community.  

Although I know I will eventually build close relationships in Morristown, I also know that they take hard work.  I remember feeling distant from everyone here at JBC and yearning for my friends back home in Cincy.  Now those feelings are alien to me, but I know it will be difficult to build relationships with the people I meet in my new home; even more so because everyone at JBC was looking for new friends.

Although all the changes are scary and overwhelming, I can't help but be truly grateful for so many things.  Unlike many people, I didn't have to wait in limbo for a job- it was practically handed to me.  At times I feel guilty that it was so easy, but I know I worked hard at my internship and sacrificed to drive to Morristown everyday, which enabled me to get the job there.  I really have a dream job and am so excited to start working!  I'm also grateful to have found such an amazing place to live next year.  I love my new home and it will be great to come home to a nice place everyday.  Preparing to leave JBC has made me grateful for my education here.  In addition to the relationships I've made with people here, I'm also grateful for my education.  We have some really great professors here.  Of course I am super grateful for my roommates.  Our home has been a refuge during the storm of this past year.  As I prepare to leave them, I realize how much they did for me and how much we did for one another.  They are always there when I need them- to talk, cuddle, brainstorm, goof off, help me pick out matching clothes, or take my car to the shop.  

Even though I'm leaving a lot behind, I'm looking forward to this fresh start and being able to spread my wings.

Almost Done!

In 5 Minutes we'll be done with class!