Today is our last day in Colorado. Tomorrow morning we fly from Denver to San Francisco, and then from San Francisco to Seoul, South Korea. We will stay in Seoul for about one week while I attend orientation with the academy at their headquarters. After orientation, Katie and I will (likely) board a train to Busan, in southern Korea, and from Busan we will catch a bus to Changwon. Changwon will be our new home for the next 12 months, as I will teach English at the academy's local branch.
The past week has been bittersweet as Katie and I have thought a lot about all the "lasts" we have been experiencing -This is our last day in Colorado. We have been experiencing a lot of “lasts” for the past week or so -the “last” time we’ll see our parents, the “last” time we’ll go to a movie, the “last” time we’ll drive our cars, etc. But really, in just a matter of weeks, we’ll begin thinking of our life back home in terms of “nexts” --the “next” time we do this, or that. Thinking of “nexts” is not so sad as thinking of “lasts”. And of course, “last” only means “12 months” in our case. Everyone and everything will be waiting here for us when we return.
This train of thought usually leads us full circle, as it inevitably reminds us of why we’re going on this adventure in the first place: we desperately needed a break from our normal routine. We’re feeling an admixture of sadness and excitement, because though we are sad to be leaving family and friends, we are extremely excited about living and working in Korea. I can’t wait to try new food, experience a new culture, and (hopefully) learn a new language.
In any case, the adventure starts tomorrow. Stay tuned for more updates as soon as we are able...
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