...and away we go!

I made it! I'm currently sitting in a hotel room watching Korean TV, which at the current moment seems to be a reality show about a bunch of urban looking guys in plaid who try to make the most disgusting things possible for each other to eat in the wilderness...kind of like Iron Chef in the woods, but the goal is to be an awful chef.

The trip was surprisingly smooth.  I had a late night last night...mostly spent packing, but I had some time to enjoy my last night in the US as well, and say a really difficult goodbye. And after packing and repacking probably 3 times I managed to pack two suitcases at 48.4 lbs each! Perfect! 

I even ate it all!

Minus another difficult goodbye to my parents at the airport, once I was on the plane, I felt good! The movie selection was killer (favorite: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel...and not even just because Maggie Smith is in it), I was seated next to two awesome Indian brothers who were hilarious and fun to talk to without being annoyingly obtrusive, and even the plane food bore a close resemblance to it's namesake! There were a few screaming children...but after a 13 hour flight, I don't blame them. And I was greeted with a delightful surprise at the airport:

This will be my comfort food. 

Cupertino? 

When I look out the window...it feels remarkably like home. Besides all the hangul script all over the buildings/signs--the cars look the same, the streets look the same, I've seen two Dunkin Donuts already. Nothing seems strange yet! Except when I remind myself that I won't be home for a year...but someone that I love dearly told me once (well, many times) that I need to take life day by day more and worry less about the future. I am a worrier, by nature...for example, I have been stressing nonstop the past few days about how I would get from the airport to the hotel, store my luggage, get back to the airport, etc etc...but now, sitting in my hotel room safely with my luggage stored at the airport and a shuttle reserved back for the morning it's hard to remember why I was ever worried! Inch by inch, mile by mile...day by day by year.

Ooh, got to go...now there's a show on that I'd guess is called "Parrot Karaoke". 

Tomorrow the adventure begins as my week long EPIK orientation begins in Seoul.  

Bumpkin is also a world traveler.