Goodbye Korea

I'm writing at a cafe next to my departure gate in Incheon Airport. Seemed like an appropriate time to take a few minutes and close out my blog in Korea. My last week has been a bit of a whirlwind, so I haven't found time to write.

Packing my bags, canceling my cell phone, training the new teacher, saying my goodbyes. These things take time. I suppose the string of goodbyes started last weekend with the bachelorette party, which was so much fun! I have to admit I was pretty nervous about it. Eli and Elise warned me that MingKi and I might be coerced into doing somewhat embarrassing tasks. Fortunately, we didn't do anything by ourselves, so it was less intimidating and more lighthearted fun. The details are better to be saved in my memory or more personal diary. What happens at Korean bachelorette parties stays in Korea!

Needless to say, I felt so loved by it all. I have my first stash of lingerie and an envelope of notes from my friends to show for it. On Sunday morning, Eli and Tharine got up in front of the church, described me with adjectives from each letter of my name and shared a list of memories. I teared up and shed a few as the congregation prayed over me.

On Monday, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching. I don't know why, but I just had a huge joy about doing it. I'm going to miss my students. On Tuesday, I was too busy with report cards, training Elina, and teaching to get emotional at all. Kind of strange, huh?

Monday evening, my host family gathered around the kitchen table for cake, chop che and goodbyes. JiHye and JiMin bought me small gifts--a pink Mickey Mouse sweatshirt, black purse the size of a human fist, a headband, and a facewash. (To be honest, gifts had started to become daunting at this point because my bag appeared to be bursting at the seems.) They both wrote me letters. Each apologized for not spending more time with me. While I sometimes wished we'd spent more time together, the apology seemed awkward and out of place to me. Afterall, JiMin gave up her bedroom for me, and JiHye got me out of several pickles during my stay. JiMin's letter included a great deal of browbeating. She cried a lot. I told her not to feel bad about our small friendship. I appreciated it anyway. I couldn't cry during the goodbye.

Then when everyone went to sleep I did cry. It was the only time I've really cried during this whole week. My manager said yesterday that I seemed happy to go. I cried as I was thinking about this:

JiMin really wants to come to the U.S. for high school, but she always says it's impossible because there's no money. I think about the way I felt in college as I started to meet so many international students. Particularly, the three close Japanese friends I had two years ago. Saying goodbye seemed so final. Sure, we'd say, "O maybe I'll see you again someday," but inside, we were saying goodbye for good.

As a senior in college, one of my professors really encouraged us to do the things in life that we really want to do. I knew instantly that my thing to do was to travel. So I did it! Somehow, by the grace of God, I flew across the globe to Korea and lived her for nearly 8 months. Today, I'm flying to Japan, and one of those very close Japanese friends is going to pick me up from the airport. How cool is that! I'm so thankful for my time in Korea.

And I have more hope that I'll see people again. It's not impossible. The world is only getting smaller and smaller.

Well, this is kind of ramshackled entry, but my plane is beginning to board, and I think I should get on. Maybe I'll write about Japan next.