I have wanted to travel all my life. My dad was a military
man and a faithful subscriber to National Geographic. Between his stories of
traveling through Europe on standby with my mom, and the glossy pictures of
Tibet, or the Amazon, or Alaska, I have had an almost constant ache to go, ever since I can remember. I
narrowed my top choices down, and decided my goal is to see all the places I
haven’t been yet. Considering that I’m 35 this year and this is my first trip
off the continent, I’m a bit behind. But better late than never!
So this trip is a non-stop series of firsts for me. It was
the first time I officially needed my passport. (The Canada Incident doesn’t
count: I waylaid the poor official at the sleepy Alberta border above Eureka,
Montana, and made him stamp my passport because I was so excited to have it,
even though it wasn’t required to enter Canada at that time). It was my first
time flying internationally, flying on such a huge plane, and for such a long
time! I had to trade my window seat for a middle seat in an exit row, but I
ended up being very grateful for the extra leg room. I still managed to see
some mountains as we flew over Alaska, and some vast expanses of unbroken snow
as we flew over Siberia. It was a bit surreal to me, how far we flew, how big
the ocean is, and how white the snow from five miles above.
When we landed, everything was different. The sky is a different
color, signage is different, street markings, everything. It is complete, and disorienting. A wonderful young man
helped myself and another American girl through the hazards of the train to the main terminal,
customs, and baggage claim. Then suddenly, I was on my own, and I had no idea
what to do. I had booked a hotel near to the airport, so that I could walk off
the plane and into the shower and bed, but I underestimated the vastness of the
airport when it comes to locating the shuttle. I began to wander a little bit,
feeling like I might cry. An airport employee saw me and chased me down, asking me if he could help, and we worked it out. He allowed
me to use his phone to talk to my hotel, and when I gave it back I remembered
to use both hands, and to bow and say, “Kamsahamnida,” which is “thank you” in
Korean. A look of pure surprise and pleasure flashed over his face, and he took
the phone with both hands and bowed to me. I don’t know how to express this
well, but it was an exchange of such honor, somehow, while still being firmly
separate from each other, and was very powerful to me. I felt like I was going
to be ok, and I think the floodgates of my curiosity and adventurousness opened
fully.
I’m here! It’s so different and fascinating! I can’t stop
smiling! I am thrilled beyond expression to have so much time ahead of me to
explore and learn and experience.
In my fuzzy state, (I purposefully stayed awake on the
plane, in order to help myself accommodate the time change more quickly) it
took me about half an hour to figure out how to turn on the lights in my hotel
room last night. I discovered that my room key, which seemed like an old
fashioned, out-of-date piece of wood, is actually an electronic device, which
you must insert into a receptor, which then activates the light switches. These
are small, square buttons that do not respond without the key being in its
cradle. Very cool.
I slept well and solidly for about eight hours, and woke up
at three in the morning Korean time. Incidentally, we are seventeen hours ahead
of Pacific time. I tell my kids the best way for me to figure it out, from your
end, is to add five hours to your current time and then change the PM or AM to
its opposite. For example, if it is twelve noon there, add five hours, which
makes 5 PM, and then change the PM to AM. Twelve noon in California equals 5:00
AM here, the next day.
I did some repacking and organizing, and then read the
paperwork from the Department of Health, in order to make myself sleepy. When I
woke up again it was a more decent hour, and I started preparing to go out. It’s
hard to admit, since I don’t consider myself a ‘fraidy cat, but I was scared,
and I procrastinated. I was scared of getting lost and not being able to find
my way back, of committing some social wrong that I wouldn’t know how to fix,
and maybe of being more overwhelmed than I already was. At any rate, I got
myself out the door, and I’m so glad I did.
First of all, there was a water dispenser that I hadn’t
known about, with both cold and hot water. I had exhausted the supply of
drinking water in my room, and somehow remembered not to swallow shower or sink
water, so I was pretty thirsty. I also made myself a decent cup of coffee,
which does wonders for the soul, you know. Then I found a Dunkin’ Donuts right on the
corner, and while I didn’t go in, it made me smile and gave me a landmark. I
saw some birds and plants I recognized, which balanced the unfamiliarity of the
signs and billboards, the makes and models of the foreign cars, and the color
of the sky. Many of the buildings here have what must be gardens on their
roofs. I can see trees and bushes and some grasses from the street below.
I found a park with a path through it, and took some
pictures. While I was walking along, I think what I have done finally hit me. I
made it. I made it to today. I am here, with time, and resources, and help, both
from my new connections in Korea, and my family and friends back home. What a
crazy, crazy thing to be doing!
Now I’m preparing to go back to the airport to meet a
wonderful lady who is going to help me learn how to navigate the subways and
find my next hotel in Seoul. Thanks to Professor Keith Foust, at Shasta
College, and his hard work and energy on my behalf, I have a connection here to
speak English with! I’m planning to grill her on money, ordering food, and the
buses.
I miss my family terribly, but am not feeling the same levels of devastation that marked the first twenty-four hours. Being able to see them and talk with them through Windows Messenger helped tremendously, and was a highlight of my day!
Until next time,
Grace
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| The entrance to the park, with a foot bridge leading off to the right. |
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| I think this is some kind of chickadee. |
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| View from a foot bridge in the city of Incheon, near the Sky hotel. |
