Finding Your Inner Gandalf

OK.  For those of you who asked for a travel blog, here goes.  For those of you who did not, no need to read any further.  SPOILER ALERT!  The posts contained herein may seem mundane and uninteresting at times, but be assured, dear reader (if you do in fact exist), I tend to draw misadventures, strange characters, and the like to me like a moth to a flame.  Eventually, something will happen; I will embarrass myself or others, strange cultural phenomenons will reveal themselves, and general awkward situations may be enjoyed by all.  Until then, please endure (or skip ahead).  With that in mind, we begin.

P.S.  I will try to include pictures when possible.

P.P.S.  I wrote this first entry a few days ago.  But it is always better to begin at the beginning.  Most of the time.

I know.

22 August 2012

And so the journey begins.  This morning, I awoke at 3:00 a.m. after getting only one hour of sleep.  For some reason, I was hoping that staying awake as long as possible would help with the jet lag, considering we will arrive in Seoul at 6:35 pm, but it will feel like 4:35 am on the previous day to us.  (I know. It's confusing.) My aunt, mom, and dad drove us to the airport.  Well, really my aunt drove, which was an adventure in and of itself.  Not because my aunt is a bad driver, but rather because early morning Dallas traffic can sometimes resemble a monster truck rally.  The roads were much more crowded than expected, and it is rather nerve-wracking  to look in your rearview mirror only to find the grill of an eighteen-wheeler barreling down on your backside.  Anyway, we made it to the airport intact, and said goodbye to my family in the passenger drop-off area.   I was trying my best to fight back the tears, which inevitably prickle behind my eyes at the thought of not seeing my parents for such a long time.  I am very close to my family, and goodbyes are not my strength where they are concerned.  I had a good cry yesterday and again today in the elevator on the way to the ticketing counter, so maybe that'll be sufficient.

We checked our bags, got on the plane, and suddenly, we were off - to the other side of the world.  I did get a little sleep, off and on, like you do on airplanes, especially airplanes with vociferous children whose ears are popping like mad, but whose parents are unable to find a solution to the problem, so they just pretend like it's not happening.  (not judging, just observing) (kind of) When we reached San Francisco, it became more real to me the magnitude of what we are about to do.  Every day brings a little more realization, a little more clarity, a little more of a sense of sheer terror.  We are about to live on the other side of the globe for a minimum of one full year!  I know it, but I don't think I have fully grasped it yet.  Right now, I am sitting in a chair in the International Terminal of the San Francisco Airport, watching planes taxi in and out of sight, waiting for the time when I leave behind what is familiar for what is unknown.  I am trying to embrace more of the excitement of our forthcoming adventure; and I'd really prefer to leave my bundle of nerves and huge ball of worry instead of my heart in San Francisco.