So far, so good

My friend and former roommate, Nicole, got married on Saturday. She spent the summer counting down the dates until her wedding--the pinnacle of her summer excitement and one of the most important days in her life. My big upcoming event has been this trip to South Korea, but I couldn’t of told you how many days I had left if you’d asked me last week. Yet April 4th was the date. I knew it was coming. Here it is.

Saying goodbye has never been really hard for me. I never got homesick during summer camp. When my parents dropped me off at college, I was hungry for freedom and said so long with gladness. But I surprised myself this time. My moments of weepy goodbye came suddenly--not with the readiness of anticipation but unplanned, unscripted and unbridled. I cried as I left my office in Baker Hall, having finished my final CIEP activity. My tears surprised me during a closer-than-usual embrace with my mom. They brimmed after playfully joking with my fiance when I began to realize what the absence of his light-hearted banter would be like, and they flowed again during a slow dance to Ben Fold’s “The Luckiest” at Nicole’s wedding. Finally, my tears poured out during a goodbye kiss with my future husband. I waved goodbye more than once in between stifled sobs and boarded my first plane.

The first flight from Cedar Rapids to Chicago was fairly serene. A brown butterfly flew in the plane as the aircraft left the terminal and landed on the window by my seat. The dull beauty rested there for about 30 minutes without moving. I honestly wondered if God sent me the creature to help me feel a little less lonely for the first leg of the trip, to remind me He is there.

A friendly flight attendant commented on the view of Chicago with dot cars and toothpick airplanes. She asked me where I was headed after we landed and relieved me of wondering who I might approach for help in the business of O’Hare Airport. It turned out I needed to take a shuttle bus to a separate concourse. I was glad she asked. Thank you, God.

I reached the gate for my next flight to Narita Airport in Tokyo and confirmed the three hour delay. Sitting down to contemplate my next move, I soon noticed two Asians across from me and, having recognized Korean characters on a piece of clothing, asked if they were, by any chance, Korean. Carol and Brady (their English names) were actually Chinese teachers. They were returning to China after teaching Mandarin at KU for two years. I told them about my plans to teach in South Korea, and they lit up. I asked Carol about her impression of American students, and her answer didn’t surprise me: “Kind of lazy.” The conversation energized me and made me feel right at home. I realized I was one of the only Caucasian females in the waiting area.

A Korean girl named SooChung, who spoke a little English, asked to borrow my cell phone, so she could make follow up plans in response to the delay. I hope Koreans in Incheon Airport will lend me the same grace. If things keep going the way they are, then I’m sure someone will help me gladly. I’m actually happy about the delay and the single-serving friends I made at O’Hare Gate C16. Thank you, God.

By the way...I’m not sure why so many people complain about airline food. For dinner, I ate orange chicken with rice and vegetables, a side salad with sesame ginger dressing, a warm roll and an “oatmeal chewie.” Yum. So far, so good.

Things to Do During a Thirteen-hour Flight

1. Talk to the person next to you. The man next to me told me about his book “The World is Flat” and discussed the hardships of raising a nineteen-year-old daughter.
2. Put your hand next to the window for a while and watch it puff up due to the pressure. (I accidentally fell asleep this way and had to massage my hand back to normal size.)
3. Watch the movies. I actually didn’t find any interesting this time, but on the way to Singapore, each seat had an individual screen and a myriad of films from which to choose.
4. Eat the food. It seemed like we were always eating on that flight. See above for my opinion on airline food.
5. Read the United Airlines magazine and learn about upcoming services
6. Check out a variety of sleeping positions and discover which one works for you. This time I was blessed with a window on my left and an empty seat on my right, so sleeping wasn’t too bad.
7. Open the window cover every once in a while and remember that the low lighting is an attempt by the flight staff to create the illusion of night time for sleeping passengers. There is no night for those who chase the time zones.

This entry was written at several points during my journey, but I could only now pause to post it. I'm at my host family house, safe and sound. They're very nice, but that's a story for another time. Tomorrow will be my first day of work.

So far, so good.