Final thoughts on my time solo traveling

After three weeks of traveling, I finally made it back to Korea around 5 AM.  I know I've said it before, but I truly never realize how much Korea feels like home until I return after being away for a bit.  After weeks of relying on maps and random wireless connections to get me from place to place, I finally knew where I was going again.  The cold air was a bit of a shock to the system, but I was happy to be home and I was lucky enough to have an absolutely beautiful sunrise to greet me.

When I came back to Korea it was Sunday and I returned to work the next morning.  It was a whirlwind, and it's only been with more time that I've been able to gain some more perspective on my time traveling.  I had so many experiences over this trip, but in general, here are some of the main takeaways from my time traveling to Laos, Cambodia, and Hong Kong.

1) Solo traveling isn't really scary at all.  This was my first time traveling by myself.  The decision to travel solo wasn't really one I was necessarily excited about at first, but it was in reality just made out of necessity.  

I spend a lot of my time these days reading travel blogs or travel articles and they all at some point or another talk about the benefits of solo traveling.  According to people who have done it, it's a great experience and  a unique way to travel, so in the back of my mind I always knew I wanted to give it a shot at some point.  However, I thought it would be something I did during a short trip--say maybe during a five day break.  I definitely never thought my first solo trip would be three weeks long.

When it came time to plan my winter vacation I knew just where I wanted to go.  Since this was the last long break I had while I was in Asia, I knew I had to go to the "big" places like the temples of Angkor while I had the chance.  However, most of my friends in Korea have been here much longer than I have and have already checked these things off of their lists.  Add in the different dates everyone gets for vacation, and I knew if I really wanted to go to these places I had to go by myself or else I was going to miss it.  Finally, one day after a particularly aggravating day at school and tedious teacher's dinner, I came home and decided to bite the bullet and book my tickets to Laos. 

Before I left I read just about everything about solo traveling, researched just about every step of the trip, bought travel insurance, and decided to put my faith in God for everything else.  When I arrived in Laos I was reassured that everything would be OK due to the fact that 1) there were TONS of solo travelers in the hostels and 2) even for a pretty reserved person like myself, it was immediately super easy to meet other people.  

The wonderful thing about traveling solo is that you can do exactly what you want to do--you don't have to do anything you don't want to or miss something that you want to see.  Traveling with a friend removes so much of the pressure and anxiety that comes with traveling, but there are also problems that can come along with it--you can get incredibly sick of the person, you sometimes want to do different things, and since you're together you sometimes don't spend the time to talk to the other travelers all around you.  When you're by yourself you can do exactly what you want to do, and you meet far more people from around the world.  If I hadn't been by myself I never would have spent my days in Laos with a girl from Germany, had dinner with two guys from the Netherlands, visited the temples of Angkor with a guy from Denmark, explored the countryside of Cambodia with girls from California and Canada, had dinner in a Burmese restaurant in Phnom Penh with two girls from Germany on my last night in Cambodia, or met many of my other roommates along the way from Australia, China, France, Canada, and Brazil.  I may never see many of these people again, but that's not the point.  The point is that because I did meet them I had some sort of unique experience and learned not only about the countries I was visiting at the time, but also about the lives of these people, their countries, and their experiences traveling.

When I got back to Korea, I couldn't help but think wow, I really did it. I often say that the hardest part of coming to Korea was just being brave enough to come here in the first place.  Everything else since then has been easy in comparison to just making the decision to get on the plane and come.  I feel solo traveling is pretty much the same--the thought of doing it is a lot scarier than actually doing it. Now that I know I can do it, I know I don't need to sit around and wait for someone else to come travel with me--I am fully capable of doing the things I want to do by myself.

2)  Materialism (I have a lot of stuff!)-- I finally got back to my place in Jeomchon around 9:30 AM, at which point I entered my apartment for the first time in three weeks.  When I walked inside my apartment felt SO BIG and immediately I felt like I had a crazy amount of stuff.  I guess after staying in hostels and living out of my backpack I forgot just how much stuff I actually own. 

This feeling was also probably impacted by the fact that I had spent time in countries where so many people have so little.  Cambodia especially left an impression on me due to the fact that no matter where you go around Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, there are kids running up to you asking you to buy things from them.  It's not just the kids either--it's the beggers who are missing limbs from landmines (which are still a big problem to this day despite the fact that wars have been over for decades), the children who walk such long distances to school, the kids you see running around without shoes or clothes, the small and broken down houses, and the stories of people who work from morning until night just to survive.  The culmination of these things really impacted the way I see all of my "stuff." Since this trip I've continued to think about the stuff I own, the things I spend my money on, and being more charitable.  

3) The difference between living abroad and traveling.  I'm pretty sure I mentioned this after traveling to Thailand last year, but this is something that just hit me even more this time around now that I've been living in Korea for a year and a half versus the six months I was at when I went to Thailand.  

When you travel in SE Asia you're essentially in backpacking territory.  Backpackers are EVERYWHERE and tourism is a huge industry in many of the SE Asian countries. Obviously there is a huge amount you can learn by traveling to these places, but what I've realized more than anything else is that by spending a short amount of time in a country you really only hit the surface.  Don't get me wrong, you can still learn a lot from the surface. You see new and interesting things, which without doubt provokes a great deal of thought or incites a new interest or passion.  You of course also learn basic things about culture and history and you eat lots of new foods that you've never had before.  You see and meet so many people who have been sharing this planet with you this whole time, yet you never knew existed.  These are amazing things, but living abroad is a totally different experience.

When you live in another country it becomes your home. You learn deeper things about the culture and history.  You learn how to do everyday tasks like banking and grocery shopping.  You build friendships with the locals that last more than a few days or weeks.  You learn all the modes of transportation and eventually you rarely need to ask for help anymore.  

Although I met so many travelers during my tip, I only met two other people who had been to East Asia.  One was also an English teacher in Korea and the other was studying in China.  When I met people and told them I live in Korea I was often given responses of "Wow, Korea?! Why are you living there?"  I guess I've been in Korea for so long that it seems strange to me now that so many people know so little about it (but then I remind myself that two years ago I didn't know much of anything either!)  

I found it interesting that so many people go to SE Asia to experience new cultures, but in reality so many of these places are now catered towards tourists.  There are so many people who speak English and there are tons of western options for foods.  Although most people would never think of coming to Korea, I can easily say that I experience more Asian culture in Korea, where few people speak English, I get stared at as I walk down the street, and western food is pretty much limited to the major cities, than I did in SE Asia. Of course, as I said there are so many reasons to travel to these places, even if they cater towards tourists because you can still learn so much from visiting them.  However, after living in Korea I can really say that I'll never feel like I really know a country until I've lived there, and even then it takes some time to see the depths of a country. During my trip I often wondered what I would learn about these places if I had more time to spend there or lived there for a bit--I was super aware of how much I still didn't know.  I'm not sure I would even think to wonder this if I didn't know how much I've learned by living in Korea.  

This is the last post I'm going to write about my time traveling in January.  It certainly took me some time to catch up, but thanks to everyone who read along.  I still have an entire trip to China to catch up on, but luckily that one will be much shorter because I was only there for a few days!

I'm immensely thankful for the opportunities I've had to travel, and even more thankful for the opportunity I've had to live in Korea for this year and a half.  Sometimes I still can't believe life has brought me here, but I'm certainly glad that it has.

A year in review.

Things have been so crazy lately that it's hard to believe my one year anniversary of being in Korea has already come and gone.  I wanted to do some sort of reflective post on it at the time, but things were just too insane with the farewells and new schools.  Better late than never though, and in this case I think late is actually better than if I had done it on time.  Things have changed a lot over the past month, and it's actually given me some perspective on everything I experienced last year.

I've decided to choose a significant photo (or two or three) from each month I've been in Korea.  There were hundreds to choose from, but I tried to pick the ones most meaningful to me. Enjoy!

August 2013

Ahhh, my first meal in Korea.  This probably seems like a strange photo choice, but I will never, ever forget how I felt eating this meal when I sat in the cafeteria at Jeonju University. After months of paperwork and questioning my decision to move abroad, I was actually in Korea, on the other side of the world from my friends and family. It was that time when so many things seemed strange, including this weird mix of "breakfast" foods.  Nonetheless, everything was new and exciting and even the simplest things were an adventure, even breakfast.

September 2013

 This photo was from when I was in Ulsan during Chuseok break.  This was the very first time I traveled after moving to Jeomchon.  It's funny to think about now, but navigating the buses felt like such a huge accomplishment at the time. I'll never forget the sense of relief I felt when I stepped off the bus and successfully met my friends in Ulsan.

My very first of many festivals in Korea was the Omija festival at the end of Chuseok break last year.  At the time I didn't know the other Jeomchoners I went to the festival with very well, which seems so strange to think of now.  This was one hell of a way to get to know each other, as the festivities continued on into the next morning and included classic moments such as eating grasshoppers and my first time at noraebang in Jeomchon. It definitely set the tone for the rest of the year, and looking at these festival pictures almost feels like looking at my baby photos now.

October 2013

The Color Run was my first time going to Seoul and staying with my friend Jackie, who I had only met a month beforehand.  It was the first of many legendary weekends that I still think of each time I go to Seoul. This photo reminds me of the beginning of my friendship with not only Jackie, but just about every other person in this photo. Again, I can't help but think "aw, we were such babies then!"

This trip to Chucheon during one of our long weekends in October was my first weekend trip with people from Jeomchon. It was the first of many adventures out of town, and provided some of the most classic moments that we continued to reminisce about throughout the rest of the year.

November 2013

 This is from an appreciation dinner that was held for all of the teachers in Mungyeong.  I'll never forget going to this event and realizing how special it was to be part of such an amazing community.  It's funny that I felt so close to everyone at the time, but looking back on it I was still so early into my time here. I think that just goes to show how much everyone welcomed me and made me feel a part of the community so quickly.

This picture was from the first snowfall, which funny enough was one of the only snowfalls we had during the winter.  The students all ran outside like little children bursting with excitement at the sight of the snow.  My supervisor insisted on taking this photo with me, and I'm glad she did because she is truly one of the kindest Koreans I've encountered during my time here (and I've met quite a few exceptionally kind Koreans).  As the seasons changed and the holiday seasons approached I experienced my first bouts of homesickness, and I'm glad I had wonderful people caring about me at school through those difficult times.

December 2013

My memories from December of course revolve around Christmas.  I was lucky to have a wonderful holiday season, even when I was far from home.  The trip to Seoul to see Nutcracker was one I'll never forget, especially since it ended with the best Christmas music noraebang session.  When Christmas Eve approached, we had a warm gathering here in Jeomchon--I don't think we could have had a more festive holiday evening.  Although I missed my family at home, I didn't feel alone while surrounded by so much love, which in my mind is another testament to the amazing community here in Jeomchon.

January 2014

January was the month of Thailand! I was so fortunate that my best friend from home could make the trip all the way to the other side of the world to travel with me.  We hung out with tigers, rode elephants, and saw tons of amazing temples in our short time.  Sometimes I can't believe that we were really there! This was my first time traveling in Asia outside of Korea, and was the first time I realized just how much I had become acclimated to Korea.

February 2014

February was my friend Jackie's last month in Korea.  I was lucky that my school made me do minimal deskwarming and gave me some extra time off, which I then used to take some trips with Jackie and her mom, who was visiting from Hong Kong.  Looking at these pictures, it seems strange that it's now been so long since Jackie left.  She is one of my best friends I made in Korea, even if we were only in the same country for six months, and I'm so glad that I got to take these last trips with her right before she left. 

This one is from a trip to Mungyeong Saejae.  This was one of my favorite weekends, during which lots of friends came down here before Jackie left.  We were lucky enough to be at Saejae for one of the few days it snowed this winter, and it certainly was beautiful.  

March 2014 

Oh, the Sea Parting Festival in Jindo....when the sea didn't actually part.  This weekend did not go even remotely as we had planned, but it is still a weekend full of hilarious memories, and the five hour bus ride down there was entertaining enough to make it worth it. In my mind, this weekend is just proof that sometimes trips don't go the way you expect them to, but that doesn't mean it's going to be any less memorable.

March was also the month the new school year began.  Although there aren't pictures to represent that, in my mind I will always remember this month because it's when I got a FANTASTIC new group of students.

April 2014

April was the month when the warm air made its way to Korea.  Spring was beautiful not only because of the cherry blossoms, but also the abundance of other flowers that were everywhere!  It didn't matter where I went, there were flowers all over the place, and it was absolutely beautiful.  It was perfect timing to take a trip to Juwangsan, where there were still cherry blossoms and all kinds of other flowers. I'm definitely looking forward to this season again this year.

May 2014

May began with a long weekend, during which we went to the absolutely beautiful Bijindo.  This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been and I will never forget this relaxing trip with fantastic people.

At the end of the month I was lucky enough to have two friends come to Korea.  What a gift to be able to have people from home experience my life here in Korea. I loved having my American and Korean lives collide for a short time!

June 2014

The farming festival in Namhae was definitely one of the highlights from the year.  Namahe is absolutely beautiful, and let's get real...when am I ever going to plant rice ever again?

In June I also welcomed my 25th birthday.  This was a birthday I'll never forget in large part because of the AWESOME students who kept surprising me all day long.  I don't think I've ever felt so much love on my birthday before.

July 2014

July was not only HOT, but it was also an extremely busy month.  While I'm used to taking it easy in the summer, things only got busier in July.  I put a lot of work into my English camp. While it was exhausting, I had a great group of kids to work with and I had a lot of fun teaching it. Have I mentioned how lucky I was to teach such phenomenal students???

July was also the beginning of the end for some people I love dearly. While I was slightly in denial, the countdowns were on, people began to give away their things, and farewell events began.  In many ways, it was the calm before the storm.

August 2014

Although I was home for half of August, when I got back to Korea things sure did change quickly.  Leaving my students was really difficult, but what was most difficult was saying goodbye to such important people in the Jeomchon community. As a recent friend here recently told me, you have to have a really open heart to be an expat. You not only have to be able to accept people and let them in, but you also have to be able to let them go and say goodbye. Well, accepting people wasn't the problem for me, but letting them go has proven to be a whole lot more difficult. 

I'm still not used to how empty it feels here in Jeomchon now, even nearly a month later.  I'm not sure when things will start to feel normal again, but these changes have taught me a lot. It's easy to get comfortable in Korea.  At times it feels like we will all be here forever, but that's not the case in the least. Our lives here are temporary, and eventually we won't have the privilege of living right next to each other anymore.  Eventually we're going to be scattered around the globe, separated by huge time differences and expensive plane tickets.  These changes have made me much more aware of everything as I head into this second year.  Seeing how quickly a year goes by makes me want to take advantage of everything this time around.  Although I experienced a lot last year, I don't want to let anything pass me by during my last year in Korea. When I get onto that plane to go back to America in August I don't want to have any "what ifs".  I want to know I pursued everything, whether it's something about my teaching, sightseeing, or a relationship. 

It's amazing how in one year Korea went from being a complete mystery to my home.  As I looked through my pictures, I was amazed at how much happened during every single month.  There was never a month without trips and FLOODS of memories.  I'm so thankful for all of the experiences I had during my first year in Korea.  I can't imagine not having these experiences, and in many ways hard to remember a time what I was like before Korea was a part of me.  A year isn't a long time, but my oh my, a whole lot sure can happen in that short time. 

6 months.

It's official--I've been in Korea for 6 whole months.  I'm officially halfway through my contract.

6 months ago at this time I was overcome with nerves, excitement, and nearly paralyzing uncertainty about what I was doing or why exactly I was even doing it.

I can still recall my feelings from my last day at home in such a complete, vivid way.

I remember feeling sick to my stomach the whole day before I left.  I remember the absolute lack of appetite I had, forcing myself to eat even the smallest bites at the Mahrajan.  I remember having to wear sunglasses outside at night as I tried to eat that said food because every time I looked around I started to cry.  I remember stressing over attempting to pack my life into two lonesome suitcases.  I remember crying as I hugged my parents goodbye and the long car ride to the airport with my sister that I wanted to go faster--just to get it over with, yet didn't want to end because I knew that then I would have to get out and everything would be real. I would really have to leave.

Hard to believe it's been  6 months since I said these hard goodbyes. Don't be fooled by our smiles--there were plenty of tears behind those sunglasses. 

I remember thinking I had to be crazy.  I remember thinking I had made a huge mistake for deciding to leave such a great life behind.

But still, I got on the plane and moved to a country I had never even been to, not knowing what town I would be living in or what exactly I would be doing for work.

I remember all my thoughts and feelings from that time so clearly, but I couldn't feel more distant from the girl I was at that time. Six months later, I wouldn't have done a single thing differently.  These have been the best six months of my life.

Over the past six months, I have met people who have welcomed me and made me feel comfortable in a country that is on the other side of the world from my homeland.  I've had the privilege of teaching the best behaved students I've ever met (not that EVERY class is well-behaved, but some are hands down the best I've ever worked with).  I've traveled around Korea and spent weekends exploring cities I had previously only ever heard of, and sometimes never heard of.  I traveled to Thailand, pet tigers, rode elephants, and saw some of the most impressive man-made sights I've ever seen.  I've made friends with people from around the world, experienced strange and sometimes uncomfortable cultural differences, expanded my worldview, and overall, had my life impacted in millions of ways that have changed me in ways I'm not even sure of yet.

Over the past few years I've struggled with my tendency of living in the past. I spent a lot of time (especially during college) thinking about things that could have been.  There were relationships I wish had gone differently, and decisions I wish I would have handled in other ways. My tendency of staying stuck in the past was a terrible habit, and ultimately destructive to my happiness.

However, these days I don't find myself living in the past at all.  Yes, I'm still a person that spends a lot of time reflecting, but now I am thankful for everything that has led me to this point--everything that has led me here.  If there had been anything that had been different, who knows if I would have ended up here, having this experience that for some reason or another, I think I was always meant to have.

I love my life in Korea.  In many ways, this job feels like a break from reality.  When people tell me they admire me for doing what I'm doing here, I can't help but laugh. Yes, it's not always easy being so far away from home and sometimes I get sick of having a language barrier or feeling like an outsider. However,  having taught in the US before coming here, I know that life here is easy (ok, maybe I'm a little impacted by the fact that right now is vacation.  I may feel differently once school starts up again).  But I have so much free time both at home and at school that I've experienced minimal work-related stress. Seriously, there are so many times when I'm deskwarming and I have to stop and think "They're really paying me to just SIT here?"  Even when it's mind-numbingly boring, I know that I'll never again get paid so well to do so little.

But perhaps what has really made my time here so great is the people. The community in Jeomchon is exactly what I was hoping for but never imagined I'd actually get when I decided to come to Korea. And it certainly doesn't hurt that my friends all live in my neighborhood and we get to hang out all the time.  It's kind of like college, just better because instead of having to study all the time while being continually broke, we finish work at 5:00 and get a paycheck every month.  Of course, perhaps best of all, I get to travel around, often with these great people, and I make enough money so that I haven't had to stress about making ends meet. If that isn't living the easy life, I don't know what is.

These are all things I know I won't experience when I leave this life behind. It's something I'm poignantly aware of.  As much as I have thrown myself into my life here, with every amazing experience I have I am simultaneously aware of the fact that my time here is fleeting. It's a bittersweet awareness that eventually I'm going to have to say goodbye, whether I'll want to or not.

So cheers, Korea.  I have learned so much about Korean culture, done things I never could have imagined, and cultivated relationships that I hope will last a lifetime.Thanks for the best 6 months of my life.  I'm still waiting for that whole culture shock thing to happen to me, but even so, I can only hope that the next 6 will be just as amazing.

Thailand: Final Thoughts

If you actually read all 6 parts of my Thailand posts, I truly applaud you.  I know a few of you appreciate the play-by-play, but for most people it's probably pretty tedious.  However, this blog is as much for you all at home as it is for me.  When this trip fades into the depths of my memories, I want to be able to remember all of the mundane details of every day.  So, sorry for the length, but I have a few final thoughts about the trip.

Although I didn't quite feel the impact of Thailand in full force while I was there, I find that the more I think about that time there, the more I am realizing how remarkable it was.  In a way, it seems that I was constantly surrounded by so much, and it's only been afterwards that I've been able to really process it all.

When I first got a glimpse of Thailand, I immediately knew I wasn't in Korea anymore. As soon as we left the airport and got in the taxi I started noticing how things were different.  And it all started with the driving. I thought driving in Korea was crazy, but Thailand brings it to a whole new level.  There are essentially no rules to the road, and there are motorbikes EVERYWHERE.  It's amazing, and really I'm just glad that we survived the roads.  Just about every time we got into a vehicle I felt like I was gambling my life.  It was kind of like being on a roller coaster. You really feel like you could die, but when you don't you feel triumphant-like you've just survived something great.

But that was only one of the reasons I instantly knew I was in a very different country.  I've become so accustomed to seeing signs in Korean, but obviously the writing in Thailand was in Thai (shocking, right?!)  In Korea I can at least read signs, but it was almost like being back at the days when I first got here and didn't understand anything. I was, once again, illiterate.  I was reminded how even the smallest things were different in the beginning of my time in Korea.  For example, the bathroom.  In Thailand we had to pay 3 baht to use the bathroom.  What?! You have to pay for the bathroom?!  And once you get inside....it's not pretty.  The squatters in Thailand are different from the ones in Korea, and let me just say not for the better.  There are also little spray-type things that people use instead of toilet paper.  Think of the little sprayers in kitchen sinks.  Yeah, those ones.  In the bathroom.  Ummmm what?!

Ok, that's a lot of information about the bathroom.  Sorry.

So, yes there were things that immediately struck me about Thailand.  Driving and toilets, but also the palm trees, street vendors, kids riding around on motorbikes with their parents (no helmets), the broken down houses, the smog in the air.  There are a million things that hit me at once.

But still, perhaps more poignant was how everything was incredibly catered to tourists.  I have not seen so many westerners my entire time in Korea. Even in Korea's cities where there are more westerners, it doesn't come close to Thailand. There were tourists EVERYWHERE.  I knew the places we were going to were touristy, but I never anticipated there would be THAT many.  And the really amazing thing to me was that there were people from ALL over.  In Korea, if I see a westerner, I almost know for certain that they are from an English speaking country.  In Thailand, there were people from all over--especially from China and the European countries.  I think we heard just about every language there is, and it made me realize once again how lucky we are to be born speaking English.  It truly is the international language--even people form other European or Asian countries had to use English to communicate. To have a brain that is programmed in English is a huge benefit when traveling, and it's definitely not something I take for granted.

Since Thailand's economy depends so desperately on tourism, we were always being asked to buy things.  You can buy little elephant or Buddha trinkets at just about every turn.  When the vendors see you, they see an opportunity to make money.  By the end of the trip this started to get to me.

Although, I get it.  Because another thing I'm taking away from this trip is a renewed awareness of how privileged I am.  I don't think of myself as rich, but in comparison to so many people in the world, I am rich.

On our ride back from the elephant park one of the ladies in our van was talking to the Thai man who was our guide.  She asked him if he's ever traveled to any other countries, and he replied by saying that no, he hasn't.  He told her that he's too busy worrying about day-to-day things to even think about traveling.  He has to worry about eating and paying for bills and taking care of his family. The option of going to another country just isn't there. Traveling in itself is such a privilege, one that the majority of the people can't enjoy.

When I look back on the experiences of my life, I really get overwhelmed when I think about the opportunities I've had.  The thing about traveling that amazes me is it makes me realize that I could have just as easily have been any of these people. None of us choose the circumstances we're born into, and I just happen to have been born into good ones. I've had  rich life in so many ways, and I guess sometimes I wonder why and what I can do with it.

One a different noet, another thing I took away from this trip was a sense of reassurance that living in Korea for a year was the right decision.  When I told people I was moving to Korea, many people asked why I didn't want to just keep teaching and travel during the summers.  My main response was that I thought living in another country would be a completely different experience from traveling, and I wanted the experience of living in another culture.

I don't think I could have been right about that.  I saw Thailand, but I feel like I only got the faintest sense of what that the country is really about.  I got a feel for it, but really everything is so catered to the tourists that at times I had to wonder if I was seeing the actual country or just taking advantage of cheap shopping opportunites.

Living in Korea has provided me with an opportunity to experience life in another culture.  There are many things I'm yet to learn about Korea, but I feel like I know this culture now.  I can understand it, and the country that used to be "some place over there" is now my home.  Korea has a piece of my heart now.  I have Korean friends.  I crave bibimbap, dakgalbi, and kimbap.  I can read Korean and say key phrases. I can navigate my way around the country's transportation system. I get Korea. And when there's something I don't get, I get how to deal with it.

I saw Thailand, but I know Korea.

Don't get me wrong, there's real value to seeing another country.  And if anything, this trip made me want to see more.  But there's also no replacement for really knowing a country.

With that said, if I ever travel to Thailand again, I'd love a chance to go to the less touristy areas so that I could really get to know the culture.

One final thing that really surprised me about the trip was how homesick it made me.  Don't get me wrong, I was happy the whole time I was there, but I haven't missed home in such a tangible way since I've been in Korea.  Maybe it was being twice removed from my home country.  But most likely, it was probably seeing Megan.  In Korea, I don't have any real connections to home in my everyday life.  Being with Megan was like having a part of my old life right there with me, and I could think of home so vividly that it really caught me off guard.

Of course, being in Thailand also made me realize how much I adore my life in Korea.  I was so happy to come back and see my friends here.  I didn't see my Jeomchon friends for two weeks and it felt like an eternity.

I had an awesome time in Thailand.  I did things I never could have even imagined.  It's a place that even three years ago I probably didn't even care about seeing.  But now that I have I'll never forget it. I'm truly thankful for that.

But perhaps traveling isn't only valuable for the experiences you gain and sights you see.  Perhaps it's valuable because when you come back home, you have a renewed sense of appreciation for home.

With that said...I'm home now.  I saw my friends and my clothes are clean.  I already feel the desire to travel again, and I'm already thinking about where I want to go next.  I'm a homebody, but I'm afraid I'm also a traveler at heart.  I have a feeling the battle between these two things is going to be a central conflict in my life for quite some time.