Leaving and Arriving: Part I

Ok, readers, now this blog can start for real.

There wasn't much to say about Korea when I hadn't gotten there yet, but here I am. For those of you that I haven't been able to send personal emails to, I apologize and now can give you the details you've been craving.

The first leg of my sojourn began with Amtrak and a few great friends to see me off. We raced the clock as Starlight Train #62 was the last to leave the station that Friday evening. Arriving just in time for the conductor to do a final boarding call, I dragged my Dad's old Army duffel bag full of my most prized possessions, favorite clothes, a few pounds of locally made soap, and 3 boxes of organic tampons to the door. The rush made my goodbye brief, and I regretted it until I learned that the wagon-train of friends who saw me off ran around the train station building to see my train pull out. Thanks Shaun, Andi and Michelle!

As I sat watching Portland disappear, it struck me that I wasn't coming back. For a while that is. When you're leaving behind everyone and everything you love, even to make your life better, it still hurts like hell. The guy sitting next to me smelled bad as he devoured his nachos and chewed his entire cup of ice, one cube at a time, but I didn't care. I was pretty distracted.

I arrived in Tacoma WA to my ever-patient Dad waiting. My Dad does a lot of waiting. Somewhere in the last month, the floodgates of emotion burst and no matter how hard I try, I just can't stop crying! So, when Dad asked me how it felt to leave Portland, the tears flowed. We went back to my parents house, where my mom lay ill in bed. My only worry about leaving was not what was ahead, but leaving her behind, sick and miserable, unknowing how her wracked body would recover.

I ate my "last meal" of Dad's fusion cooking, did some laundry and went to sleep. I kept waking every hour wondering if I had missed my plane, secretly hoping I did. No such luck.

The next day came, and I made it to the airport in plenty of time after bidding my family, friends, cat and home farewell. My Dad, who is often busy with work, took me and sat with me as I nervously watched the clock. We haven't done a lot of talking in our adult years, but we did that day. I think I learned more about my Dad in those hours than I have in a long time. I'm grateful for that time, it marks a precious place in our lives.

1pm, Saturday March 6th came, and I walked aboard Korean Air Flight #020, and sat in my cramped window seat in the VERY back of the plane. At first I wasn't so keen on sitting way back there, shoved into the wall, but I learned that it was the best place to be. As we took off, I said goodbye to the state I grew up in, and all the mixed emotions I had about that place. Seattle doesn't sit well with me.

The flight turned out to be the smoothest part of this journey thus far. It was beautiful! We flew the northern route which meant I got to see Mt. McKinley/Denali up close, then fly over the Arctic Sea and Russia. I couldn't help but laugh out loud after thinking of Sarah Palin's insistent remark "I can see Russia from my own backyard!" HA! I couldn't even see it after many minutes of flight at 37,000 feet!

I also couldn't help but think of the state of our earth as I flew over the giant ice flows, showing obvious signs of melting and movement. It is Spring, so there is something to be said for some of it, but were all those fissures and ice-filled rivers supposed to be there? Going off to Asia, a dense and overpopulated area of the world, is hard when you consider yourself an environmentalist.

The 10.5 hour flight seemed to go by in a blink. I didn't sleep, I didn't write, I just distracted myself with music and movies. "The Blind Side" was interesting, but really not Oscar worthy if you ask me. Before I knew it, we were flying into Incheon International, where I still had yet to
find out if anyone would be there to pick me up. After 2 hours clearing Customs, I found Dad's old yet trusty duffel bag and walked out of the gate. Among a sea of Korean faces, I found my name on a sign held by a small, smiling man. He didn't speak a word of English, but he grabbed my bags, pointed to the van and off we went to begin a whole new life......

Part II coming soon!

Its really happening...I'm going to Korea!

After last week's disappointing news that the jobs were filling quickly, I was pleasantly surprised when I checked my email on Monday.

The title of the email: We got for you a placement!

Ha, English teachers are still in demand.

Almost immediately, I sprung into crisis mode wondering if now that I had a job, would I take it? There were suddenly a million reasons why I wanted to stay home, comfortably miserable: Trouble, my super rad apartment, meeting new people and potential love interests, nothing has to change. Though there are a million reasons to stay, there are two million reasons to go.

I consulted friends, the Buddha and myself for answers. All resounded in the same answer: you have to experience life, not wonder about it. So, I signed my contracts, FedEx'd them today, and that's all she wrote. This train has left the station, and its plowing into Incheon City on Feb. 28th 2010.

Holy shit.

When I arrive, I have no idea what to expect. Will there be anyone at the airport to meet me? Will I immediately start teaching? What is safe to eat? NO IDEA.

I am beginning to look forward to inspiring the youth of Sinha Elementary in any way I can. Until now, I had never considered teaching elementary school kids, but I find myself thinking about language as a child again--and its fun! Remember all the word games we played as children, never quite realizing how much we gain from simple tasks?

It will be a grand adventure to be in Korea, almost alone. In a suburb of 2.5 million people, and a bus ride away from one of my closest friends, I don't think isolation will have an easy time creeping in. It will, but it doesn't have to stay long.

I now anxiously await my Visa number so the process can be complete. This involves the arduous drive to Seattle, which I am not pleased with. There, I will go to the Korean Consulate and become a real ex-pat.

Waiting for the phone to ring.....

Welcome to my life

Hey all!

As promised, I'm starting a blog to document my travels, and all the drama leading up to them!

I'm still waiting to hear back from Korea as to where and when I'll be placed, so check here for all the detailed news. I'll still be posting things on FaceBook and emailing you, but this will be my new go-to in keep you all informed.

Join me as West goes East, the roller coaster ride is just beginning!

Talk soon!
West