The longest Sunday ever!!

What an incredibly long, long day! MK and I got up around 8. Her mom made us omurice (rice with vegetables covered by an omelet); it was so good! We left her house around 9 and dropped MK off because she had a TOEIC (English skills) test. Her dad and mom took me to the airport which was sooooo nice!! I found the counter to check-in and put my first suitcase on the scale. It was 28 kilos and the max is 23 kilos!!! So, I did some fast adjusting and stuffed as much as I could into my second suitcase, carry-on bag, and backpack. I finally got it to the right weight and then went through security. I didn't have long to wait before we started boarding. I found my seat and before I knew it we were off. I had mixed feelings leaving. I was very excited to come home and see everyone at home, but I was also sad leaving behind my new friends. I felt like the 10 days I had in Seoul were rushed and that I still had places to see and things to do! On the 12 hour ride, I ended up watching 5 movies and not sleeping at all. The time went rather quickly and before I knew it, we were approaching Chicago! I made it off the plane and then found a very long customs line. However, after standing in line for about 2 minutes, I noticed a huge mass of people join the back of the line! I just missed a big rush!! After getting through customs, I had to wait awhile for both of my suitcases to arrive; I was worried they both wouldn't show up. Joe was on the other side to greet me and take my heavy bags for me! :D (I think my bags weighed more than I do!) We went to Chipotle for lunch and then to HMart (Korean grocery store) to stock up on some of my most favorite Korean items. The HMart is quite large, but at the same time, I feel like their variety is lacking a little. There were some snacks I was hoping to find, but they did not have them. Then, we started home! I fell asleep in Indiana and woke up near our exit. When we got home, Toby barked his head off, but when I came inside he jumped all over me, wagging his tail. At the same time, he was a little distracted because he knew Joe was there and he was waiting for Joe to come in too. I organized and unpacked a little; then we started prepping for our cookout dinner. Joe grilled burgers for us. My mom had invited our family friend, Margret, over and Phil and Amy joined us as well. We had wonderful weather for eating outside. After everyone left, I was exhausted; after all I had traveled 'all day' AND had almost stayed awake for 26 1/2 hours straight. 

Omurice!

MK and me saying goodbye at her home

Just made it out of Korea before the Typhoon!!

On to Chicago!

Last Korean meal on the plane!

 Today: When I woke up in my own bed this morning, I felt as if I had never left...I wondered if my time at Inje had just been a really good dream. It's hard to believe I haven't been home since February! Anyway, adjusting to being back in the States so far hasn't been too difficult. I worked on unpacking, laundry, cleaning and organizing. I also was distracted many times by a cute, little brown dog...I just HAD to give him some loving and cuddling!! It was an amazing four month adventure and I know I will never forget the experiences, the memories or the friendships I made. I am so grateful to all of the people who welcomed me and showed me kindness while I was at Inje, in Seoul, and in Incheon. 

Thanks for reading and following along with me as I made this incredible journey!! :)

Last (full) Day in Korea

*I started this on Saturday morning, but didn't get back to it until I came home...
What a day...and it's only 7:45!!! I woke up early so I could say goodbye to the doorman. Mr. Lee. I also wanted to get a picture with him. I thought "hmm...I can get a picture and go back to sleep!" Well, he had other plans. He asked me to come back downstairs in an hour to have breakfast. So, at 7:00 we went out. In broken English he asked if I liked Korean food and took me to a restaurant very close to the guesthouse. I thought he was going to eat with me, but he said he was going to eat at the staff cafeteria. He ordered 삼게 당-samgyetang- (a whole little chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng) for me and left! A little later, he came back so that they would wrap up some of the meat for me. I returned to the guesthouse and got a phone call shortly after from Mr. Lee saying he was leaving for home. I went to say a final goodbye and then a few minutes later he called me on my cell to say hello. I decided even though it looked overcast I would venture out into Seoul. I went to the Namsangol Traditional Houses. I went to this folk village last summer, but we had only spent the time there in one or two buildings doing different activities. After I walked around there, I realized it was a pretty small place; however the traditional houses were pretty and there was a nice park around the area too. I also was able to see a giant time capsule at the park that will be opened in a little less than 600 years! Then, I walked to Cheongycheon. On the way I ordered a tuna kimbap and just as I was getting to the stream, it started pouring!! (I didn't have an umbrella) I found a Tous les Jours and got a pastry and a hot drink. I sat there for awhile watching the people in the rain, got a few phone calls from friends, and thought about my whole experience in Korea. Finally I figured I should return to the guesthouse to finish up any last minute packing. When it was time to meet Min Kyung at the subway station, I left the guesthouse and the daytime shift doorman wanted to help me with my bags to there. It was nice of him, but he didn't understand I was meeting her above ground, so he took me to the exit with the elevator and made sure I went down to the station. Min Kyung and I went back up and walked one subway station away to Gangnam to find the bus to take us to Incheon and her home. Unfortunately, this particular bus line was under strike, so we had to decide what we were going to do instead. We called a taxi service running from Seoul to Incheon and took that to a restaurant where her family was having dinner. I got a little car sick because we were driving during rush hour and...the taxi drivers are just plain nuts. I met MK's mom, dad, and little brother. We all ordered soups which was really nice because it was pretty cool outside from the rain. I ordered a mandu soup with hand-cut noodles. It was delicious, but not the same as the restaurant in Gimhae! After dinner, we went to MK's home, got ready for bed, talked a little and finally fell asleep!

The doorman and me!

My breakfast samgyetang

Namsangol Hanok Village and Namsan Tower in the background

At Namsangol Hanok Village

Cool door handle

Korean Grandpa's studying in the village

Myeongdong Cathedral

Last meal in Seoul! Kimbap and Tous les Jours

Dinner in Incheon: Mandu and hand-cut noodle soup

Final Full day in Seoul!

Thursday: In the morning I went to meet Hwa Sun in Itaewon. We went to a restaurant called Suji's. She really wanted to take me there for brunch; 4 years ago Erin, Hwa Sun, Jaebin and I went there! After our meal we went back to her home to hang out more. Jaebin came home from school and he did his homework. We played a little and then his friends came over for an art lesson-Hwa Sun teaches them twice a week I think. When their class was over, we took Jaebin to taekwondo and Hwa Sun drove me to a subway station so I could go meet Ji and his girlfriend for dinner. We went to Yeongdeungpo, which is the shopping area I went to at the beginning of my trip! (Crazy all of the things I'm repeating at the end...) We had a chicken stir-fry/soup dish. Then we went to a bar/restaurant to chat.

Hwa Sun and our brunches!

Hwa Sun Unni and me!

Jaebin and his friend!

Ji cooking

Today: Last full day in Seoul!! I can't believe it!! I finally got to talk to my mom! I had to go to an ATM to get money to pay for the guesthouse and I had some trouble at first so I was worried, but everything worked out okay. I had looked up a museum called "Sarangchae at Cheong wa dae" (translated means: living room at Cheong wa dae-which is the Presidents house). I started walking there, but when I got to a certain point, I noticed there were a lot of policemen and security personnel around, so I wasn't sure what to do or how to explain where I wanted to go. So I ended up walking to the tourist center that wasn't too far away. On the way I stopped to take some pictures of Gyeongbogung and the King Sejong Museum (I was there in April with Em). I got a brochure about the museum and thought I would try again, so I walked back and showed the brochure and they let me through! The museum was pretty nice; it was mostly about Seoul and a little bit about the presidents. After the museum, I walked along Cheongycheon, my favorite spot in Seoul. (The man-made fixed-up and cleaned-up river) I was possibly meeting up with Ji and his girlfriend again, so I just wandered the area and actually realized how close I was to Insadong, so I walked around there again. I heard back from Ji and he couldn't meet up with me, so I went to a restaurant for Japchae (noodle dish I love) that I had noticed earlier. After dinner I walked to Myeongdong because there was another possibility I could meet Ji there. I looked around there and ended up coming back to the guesthouse. On the way I stopped at the ABC New York Bakery again. I bought a piece of cake for the cute little old front desk man and a piece for myself. When I got back, I gave him the cake and he gave me a big hug. He ran downstairs and gave me a Be the Reds soccer shirt! :) The rest of the evening was spent attempting to pack!! 

Just to the right of the building in front you can see the roof of the Blue House

Finally made it to this museum!

Future President of Korea???

Down by Cheongyecheon!

People watching at dinner!

Japchae!

Cream cheese Strawberry cake!

Time is winding down...It's Wednesday!

Tuesday:
I had a nice relaxing morning. I went to meet Jenny around 1:30. She got settled here and then we walked to Gangnam area for lunch. We went to a Mexican restaurant called Julio's! It was pretty good. After lunch, we went to ABC New York Bakery and shared two pieces of cake. The cake was sooo delicious! Jenny and I debated whether to see Seoul from The 63 Building or Namsan Tower. We decided 63 Building because neither of us had been there in a long time. We got a packaged ticket and picked the sky art, IMAX and Wax Museum. First we went to the IMAX showing about surfing and waves in Tahiti. Jenny fell asleep (even though the program was in Korean!) and I felt sick/dizzy from the 3D/IMAX experience. After the IMAX, we went to the wax museum. At first I wasn't too excited about it, but Jenny and I had so much fun taking pictures with all of the wax celebrities! When we finished going through the museum, we met up to say goodbye to Milan, Megan, Kim, and Tim. Jenny and I then went up to the sky art to have a nice view of the city at night. Unfortunately my camera had to run out of battery at this point. The elevators in 63 Building go incredibly fast! It took us only a few minutes to get back down. It had really cooled off in the evening, so we took a little stroll along the Han River. Before coming back to the guesthouse we stopped at a kimbap shop to get raboki (ddeok boki + ramen) and kimbap to share for a late, late dinner. We skyped with Em and then had our 'dinner'. We stayed up a little bit longer talking and then went to bed.

Lunch at Juilo's: Mexican in Gangnam!

The two delicious cakes we finally decided on!

63 Building

Waiting for the IMAX to start

Mozart at the wax museum

Wax museum

Han River at night!!

Today: Jenny had to go to a hospital around Dongdaemun, but we planned to meet up at Insadong when she was done. I went to get us some bakery for breakfast/snack and headed to Insadong. While en route, Jenny called me to tell me that they were running late on appointments. I decided I would start walking around a little before she got there and found the rest of the gifts I needed for everyone! Jenny finally called me saying we just needed to meet up with her friends for lunch and that she wouldn't be able to make it to Insadong. It was really sad because Jenny was supposed to be able to stay until Friday, but unfortunately her Mom changed her mind and didn't want her staying that long. Jenny has never been to Insadong, so it was sad she didn't get a chance to go there. Anyway, I took the subway to Seoul Station to meet Jenny and her friend, but then we changed from eating near Seoul Station to Myeongdong so we traveled there together. We went to a Japanese restaurant for lunch; I ordered chicken cutlet. After lunch we found a shoe repair shop and I got my shoe fixed!! We went to a photobooth place to take pictures and then went to Coldstone. Jenny and I went to do a little shopping on our own...and then it was time to say goodbye! It was so sad to part with her! At the last minute she told me she had another little gift for me. She kind of collects shirts from a brand called Thursday Island (which is a brand I kind of liked when I went to Korea in 2000) and buys something for special occasions (because the clothes are kind of expensive) and she gave me one of her shirts. It was so sweet! I went back to Myeongdong to try and find a dress I saw on Friday, but with no luck I returned to the guesthouse. It's been nice to have a quiet evening here catching up on things. I will also need to start repacking soon too!  

Pottery shop in Insadong

Lunch with Jenny's friends

Saying goodbye! ㅠ.ㅠ

What a day...

Well, my day started out early, in confusion and missed meetings...Hwa Sun and I were going to go to a traditional folk village near Namsan, but she sent me a text early in the morning saying there was a heat advisory and it wouldn't be the best choice for us to go somewhere outside all day. She asked me to come to her house as early as possible...meanwhile, I was still trying to organize my stay at the guesthouse because apparently my social worker didn't realize that I had requested to stay there for a few more nights. Once I was well on my way to meet Hwa Sun, I received a phone call from my social worker asking me to come to her office to talk about the situation. Hwa Sun picked me up by her car, so we drove alllll the way back to Gangnam so I could talk to my social worker. We worked things through and I had to move my bags to the first floor during the day. Hwa Sun wanted to take me to a nice restaurant in Gangnam, but while she was waiting for me she called the restaurant only to find out they are closed on Mondays! We drove back to her area and went to an Italian place for pizza. It was sooo good!! After lunch we went to a famous "patbingsu" (shaved ice with red beans) place. We chatted a little back at her place and then went to go pick Jaebin up from his bus stop! He had a huuuge smile for me (unlike last time because he had gotten in trouble at school and was crabby)! We played a little and then had to take him to his reading class. (After his reading class, he went to taekwondo...he was busy from 3-6!) Meanwhile, Hwa Sun and I (but mostly Hwa Sun) prepared everything for kimbap! When Jaebin returned from all of his extra activities we had dinner-the kimbap was the best!! :D We went to a little playground for their apartment complex and played there for a little. We returned to their home to meet Hwa Sun's husband. Later his sister came over for a visit and then they drove me to a subway station to return to the guesthouse. We are hoping to get together on Thursday-one last visit before I come home! It's hard to believe I will be home in less than a week!!! 

Pizza lunch!

Hwa Sun and our Patbingsu

Making Kimbap!!

Kimbap Monsters!

What happened to my night?

This morning I went to the church just down the street from the guesthouse. I found they had an English speaking mass at 9:30, so it felt like being at home again! Speaking of that...while I was sitting in church, I realized that in exactly a week from then I would be close to boarding my plane and beginning my journey home! It was crazy to think about that...

After church I called my family to talk for a few minutes. I had a little bit of down time and then went to meet up with my friends at the Contemporary Art Museum. It was alright. After the museum, we went to Gangnam (the area near where I am staying) for dinner. We had dakgalbi which is chicken, vegetables and spicy sauce-we cook it in a big fry pan in front of us and add rice; it's one of my favorite dishes. Tim, Kim and Ben headed back to their area and I walked back to the guesthouse. I spent most of the evening looking up different restaurants and museums in the Seoul area. I found a really great website with soo much information-it makes me sad I can't visit all the places and eat at all the restaurants with the time I have left! Well, off to bed with me...I've got a busy day scheduled for tomorrow!

Contemporary Art Museum

Inside the museum

Kim and me with our food cooking

Clean plate!

Long day in Seoul!

What a day! I walked to the Express Bus Terminal (about 3 subway stops distance) because last summer Min Kyung and I did some good shopping there...I arrived only to discover that the shopping is also (Gangnam underground shopping area is under construction) under construction and there weren't many shops! :( So sad. I took the subway to the area to meet up with Tim and Kim. We went to see the Seodaemun Prison. It was a prison for Korean nationals who resisted the Japanese and tried to revolt/uprisings during Japanese occupation. It reminded me a lot of when I visited Dachau in Germany. It was pretty sad, but also an interesting part of Korean history to learn about. Independence Park was also surrounding the prison, so we kind of walked around there a little. Tim went back to his hostel to try and find his brother while Kim and I went to the Sinchon area early- we were meeting Megan and Milan for dinner shortly afterward. We went to a BBQ place for dinner and then walked to Hongik University area. I decided to come back a little bit earlier because I didn't want to go out and I was quite tired from all the walking I did during the day.   

Entrance to Seodaemun Prison

A memorial hall filled with the entry cards of 5,000 prisoners

Prison Hall

In one of the cells looking out