Almost There

I'm spending a few days in Atlanta with my grandparents (who, in their infinite love for their grandchildren, have informed me that they'll be giving me funds for the summer) before I head out. I can't say that being with them is thrilling, but I love them dearly and it's nice to be able to slouch around a quiet house and get caught up on some of my summer reading.

Hoping my grandmother has a suitcase I can use, but a recent hip surgery has her mobility pretty restricted, and it means I may have to go down into the storage room and find the thing myself.... along with the 50 pounds of clothes still in it from their not-so-recent trip to Hawaii. I don't mind dragging it up the stairs... I'm more worried about finding it among the mountains of old shoe boxes and Coca-Cola memorabilia. It will be an adventure requiring grappling hooks and a treasure map.

I'm starting to feel the excitement of the upcoming trip bubbling up. I'm worried about all the things that can go wrong, knowing those things won't matter next to all the things that go right.

I've learned a few tidbits about Korean culture just from talking to the girls I'll be staying with. For instance, at a meal, it's considered extremely rude to begin eating before the eldest person at the table. Which means I will be watching the girls like a hawk, waiting for them to begin eating before I do. I'll post more "rules of etiquette" as I learn them! I'm pretty excited to begin learning some of the language. I want to learn as much as possible while I'm enjoying the culture of So Ko.

-B

On your mark!

So, I set out for South Korea in two weeks! This blog is primarily for my friends, so that they can keep track of my adventures without me having to tell the same stories multiple times.

I'm flying out of Atlanta on the 13th, stopping over in Chicago, then again in Tokyo, and finally, Seoul. It will probably take about 24 hours for me to make it there, but I'm looking forward to it!

Still trying to get all the small things I'll need-- getting a large enough suitcase is proving to be a challenge. For the record, suitcases are expensive. And since this luggage will be thrown from one plane to another, I don't really want to buy a new one. But no one has a suitcase that meets my needs. Not giving up yet! I shall find the perfect suitcase!

I'm still probably not as nervous as I should be, but I know that the next two weeks will be a little crazy.

Anyway, I hope my friends read this; I promised them a blog, so I hope to actually have followers. They might learn something new about South Korea ("So Ko" for now) and about me!

-B