Day 3

I wake up right at 5:00AM to my alarm clock blasting music. I am wide awake! I have already gotten accustomed to the NSLI-Y PDO (PreDeparture Orientation) and it was already time to leave! As my roommate’s alarm clock music droned on, I started to pack up all of my things and get ready to leave for the airport. Last night, I had found the name tag that I had lost and so I was feeling pretty confident and ready to leave today. I step out of my room with my bags packed, ready to leave and…

Suddenly my eyes feel tired enough to allow me to collapse on the floor, but I have to push on!

Our group walks past the dorm of UW and heads toward the bus stop. It’s a super long journey, but eventually we make it and take a final picture in front of the engineering building. After a few college-packed buses pass, our bus arrives and we begin the journey to Seattle’s airport.

Check in took a while, but our group left an hour earlier than scheduled to ensure that everything happened in a timely manner. Some people outside of the group got very salty that we were all checking out and causing them to have to wait for us to finish, but our group got there first and earlier than them. If we were not all in one group, then there would be no fuss. We wait for an eternity to get through TSA, but it eventually happens and we are waiting at gate 14 for our flight to board at 11:30AM.

I get a chicken panini and no drink, but I figure that I can use the water fountain for water. Beside the water fountains are vending machines that sell drinks. Perfect! I can buy some water here! I look at the cost of a Sobe drink and

It’s $4.00 for one bottle. Um… well I go to check the price of a water bottle and

It’s $3.00 for one bottle. Well.

Huh.

At least I have the water fountains, right?

In no time, we board the airplane and I already can’t wait for the cart to come to me to bring me water. We take off and my eyes feel too heavy to continue, so I end up falling asleep for about two hours before takeoff. Oops.

I woke up with my lips feeling super dry, begging for moisture, and with two forms held neatly between my thumb and index fingers. Apparently, I had accepted these forums while still asleep and managed to hold them in such a way for however long without dropping them! I watch all of the episodes of Portlandia that the airplane allows us to watch and I watch a Korean movie about a reporter that does an exclusive about a corrupt director that fabricates a story about sexual abuse in order to control people.

Throughout the flight, the attendants give us many opportunities to recieve drinks and snacks, even giving us ice cream at one point. For my dinner, I had chicken with bread and a salad. Served with this meal was mashed potatoes that had the flavor of pickles, causing me to push it away to avoid gagging. The other choice was bibimbap, but it was very lacking from what I saw. The attendants gave us many services and I didn’t have to worry about being dehydrated from the massive amount of water being served.

I do some knitting with the end of my crochet hooks and make sweat bands to catch water that runs down my arms when I wash my face. However, most bathrooms in Korea have a shower handle next to the sink and the whole room functions as a kind of shower itself, so water falling on the ground will definitely not be an issue. Before I know it, five hours turned into four hours turned into one hour and suddenly, I could see Korea through the window from my middle seat in the middle aisle. My mouth could’t help but break into a huge smile as I see the beautiful land and prepare to arrive.

We go through the airport and I notice how nice everything looks. Also, the signs are in Korean! Wow!!! I read every single sign that I see to get as much practice as I can get and we pass through the Korean Security. I get my new passport’s first stamp and walk with the group to claim our baggage. After that, we take pictures and go on a bus to drive to Seoul. The bus had a fancy purple interior that made me believe that we would get our palms read and our fortunes told.

Passing through the streets of Korea, I felt like I was at a familiar place. The island vibe I got was something I had known from my time in the Philippines and in Hawaii, so it didn’t feel at all foreign, rather, more like America mixed with island feels. We eventually arrived at our motel, the International Seoul Youth Hostel and we receive some gifts at our rooms. We have five people to a room, but it is very nice and clean. However, our bathroom sink appears to be broken, causing only the shower head to operate rather that the sink as well.

After eating a large, delicious Korean dinner of chicken, soup, kimchi, and salad, we went to the garden on the rooftop. I captured a very beautiful view of Seoul. Standing on the roof, looking over the city felt very wonderful! I felt like I was at home. The island vibe reminded me my days in Hawaii and the city reminded me of the Philippines. In addition, I felt like I was in America because of the roads and agriculture. Needless to say, I felt very comfortable and couldn’t wait to begin my experience.

As I bonded more with some NSLI-Y kids, a group of Koreans also made their way to the rooftop and we had some fun playing 가의 바의 보 and doing yoga on top of wood blocks. Time passed on and I ended up returning to my room feeling no ounce of tiredness. While my roommates wanted to sleep, I felt like I could run a marathon! Tomorrow, we do orientation and although I can’t wait to meet my host family, I am patient and know that it is best to prepare for the immersion that is about to take place. My life as of right now is filled with excitement and although I now feel tired, I look forward to tomorrow with eager anticipation! Our RDs had brought us some chips and a drink, but everyone is sleeping, so that will have to wait for another time.

It is currently 10:10PM in Korea and I will head off to bed. Yves signing out. 안녕히 주무세요~!

Day 2

I wake up to light. My phone reads 5:00AM.
...
At home, it would be 7:00AM.
...
Why is it so bright? I need to sleep. This bed feels super rigid.

My alarm goes off. 7:00AM.
My eyes moan, so I play my music and close my eyes for a few more minutes.
I hear my roommate shuffle. Time to wake up!

My name card broke off during breakfast, but I didn't notice until it was too late. a small piece of the flimsy plastic is trapped by the clip on my lanyard, so I release it. Oh well.

Today, we spent a long time talking about preparations for Korea through orientation.
My eyes wanted to slam shut, but I forced them open.
My head is hurting.



Lunch. Lunch passes.
We finish orientation, but I struggle to stay awake. Did I fall asleep?

Free time!
I walk with Jessica on a mission to find ice cream.
We walk to the hub, attempting to speak Korean. There are so many Japanese people here today!
We arrive at the hub. Everything is closed.

I meet up with a group and we look for Starbucks. It was very nice to see some of the campus and the local restaurants-- there are many options here! A Korean restaurant neighbors the Starbucks and I look to my right to find some Gyros. Nice! Time to head back.



It's 9:36PM. The sun STILL hasn't set!



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I take a shower. Things don’t feel strange or different to me. I only feel excitement for what waits! At 5:00AM, I will wake up. At 6:00AM, I will be headed downstairs to join the other NSLI-Yians (a term created by our very own Resident Director, JT aka JYT ㅋ). As I type these words, laying on my stiff bed with a pale light shining behind me, I feel as if these days are natural. By focusing on the positive and allowing myself to let go of my home, I have already created a new home that I will already leave!

However, no bittersweet touch of homesickness nor any sadness resides in my head. Only positivity and a strong will to make the most of this amazing opportunity follows. As I listen to Beyonce and 홍단아, I am prepared to have the time of my life and to embrace a culture that is nothing from what I know- a language completely alien to me and the growth that is sure to follow. Korea, I’m ready for you!

Day 1

I lay asleep in my bed, trying to enjoy the last pieces of comfort that I will know for two months. I feel a calm fall over me as I think; in not even one more hour, I will have to go. I cherish the moment and feel as if I could sleep for an eternity.

I open my eyes. It’s time. With things moving quicker than I realize, i’m already napping in the car next to my sister. My city disappears behind me and a smile grows upon me. I’m ready to start.

Airport. 4:00AM. 4:45AM. 5:00AM. 6:00AM. I’m in the plane, feeling strange after waving to my mother and telling her I love her. Luckily, I sit in a spacious seat, next to a kind man who works with the airline. We talk for what seems to be hours, but is actually about one hour. We land, I depart and look for my next gate with determination. I call my parents-- the airplane is already loading up.

This time, hundreds of people crammed into tiny spaces, I am smoshed between two strangers and barely have enough space to fit my knees into the seat. I speak with the guy next to me. He is going to Seattle for governmental duties, as the toy chicken squeaks at me. Phew, not so bad! I turn on my music and try to fake sing to a song, but my eyes carry me into a two hour nap. I wake up forgetting that I am in an airplane, my legs hurt, my arms are screaming at me to find a more comfortable, my body protesting the cramped quarters.

Slowly, time passes and the plane rudely lands onto the ground. I’m… in Seattle.

Wow.

I try to find my luggage, but mistake 12 for 16. Luckily, another NSLI-Y student Abbey helps me out and we find our way into a larger group. 12 students attempt to squeeze into a van, but it does not work out, so I decide to wait for the next van. Conversely, the next van carries three of us to the University of Washington. We arrive and rejoin our larger group. We made it!

Wow!

The building reeks of age, smelling of the R.L.Stein books that I used to read religiously. A small dorm that I share with my roommate, Sebastian. I am faced with another long wait, but time still seems to have a quicker pace. Ten minutes ago, three hours flew past my eyes!

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We tour the campus of U Dubs and I start to feel a connection with my peers. Talking with them is an easy task and I’ve already found some friends that I trust will motivate me to better my skill in Korean as well as provide support. With a smile that can’t be wiped from my face, I walk down the hot, humid road to a library straight from Hogwarts, and by the lake we dipped our feet in the cold water and played Mafia. I am truly enjoying myself. Time starts to slow down as I find myself enjoying my journey, I check the clock and what felt like three days had actually been one hour! We return to our dorms, finding more and more new people appearing as they arrive from their flights.

Lunch time. I find my friend and hear her in a Korean conversation with some people I had not met prior. Without feeling intimidation or anxiety, I join them and listen into what they are saying. Their skill is legions above mine, but I find motivation in that-- the yearning of wanting to participate in a conversation that I am able to mostly follow through my ears. We switch into Spanish and my mind rejoices! A platform of which I am comfortable, a conversation I can participate in! Then and there, I know I had found a strong group to appreciate, one which I hope will push me further and further past the goals I had never set for myself. To expect myself to reach a certain level is to place myself at a constant ‘loading bar,’ constantly being defined and never reaching full capacity. However, by appreciating the progress I HAVE made and by forcing myself to be placed with people of a higher level, I am being exposed to new concepts and words. I am challenging myself and so far, it is driving my desire to fully experience this program as fully as I possibly can.

I now lay on my bed, feeling slightly homesick, but I rewind to review the fantastic time that I had today and I remember that the next day is another day filled with precious, new memories. Finally, I am doing something! Finally, my mind does not linger on the past, nor does it fear the future. For once again, I am enjoying the moments and living in the now. Yes, I am happy. Yes, I long for the comforts of my bed. But I can’t wait for what the next day brings and I am ready to push on forward to accept the challenges and opportunities that will be presented to me.

Day -1

I wake up. One last day. One day before I leave everything I know, before I step out of my comfort zone and plunge into something totally foreign. As the day progresses and I begin to prepare for my journey, I start to feel a sickness in the core of my being. No matter where I look, what I think, what I do, it all is a reminder of what will very soon be gone. The thing that I wished for so dearly and worked so hard for is ready for me, but am I ready for it?

I fold here, put a shirt there, bind here, zip there. "What do I routinely do?" I wonder as my mind bolts. Twitching anxiously, I am lazily restless as a storm lingers above. Rain. The smell comforts and stabs into me: a unique aroma that I had loved and looked forward to ever since my first day in that motel...

I know that I am headed to an exciting and amazing part of my life, but right now-- I am dealing with the worst heart break imaginable. Finding a role and place where you once swore to never speak; achieving belonging and building your mental home in a location taken for granted by most; leaving the hell that became your sacred place///
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The volume is drowned out by silence. The happiness is infested with longing. You must go. You must grow. Enjoy your days -- look at how far we have come! I approach my daunting reality. There is nothing to hold onto, no pillow to squeeze or jacket to recede into. No beanie to tug, no arm that comforts;

Yes. I am happy. Yes, I am excited. Yes I want to continue, but right now I am at a rough and life-altering transition. As the sun sets and the beauty of the city shines through the dark sky, I feel the sands grow heavier. I look up and see it running scarce, those tiny, precious moments casually falling through, the moisture on my face casually dripping blue

Waiting is killer. Let's leave already. Let's have the time of our lives, Yves. Let's make our future self proud.