Of course this doesn’t cancel out North Korea’s constant threats to demolish half the world in a matter of seconds. Fingers crossed that day should never come.
Yet, more and more of those days are coming. We pray for everything to get better and days later, another tragedy occurs on our own land. How can people be so cruel? It hurts your heart to know that we no longer have to worry about the basic toxins of the world…we now have to worry about every person around us.
I am impressed we don’t live in a world functioning on paranoia alone.
My last day in Korea, we walked through the South Korean War Museum, tearing our hearts from limb to limb.
So much passion and so much love for one’s nation was fought on the Korean soil. Children who had never held a gun all of a sudden were volunteering to run through their country, defending their newly aggravated land by, now, North Korea.
Seventy years. That’s an entire generation raised on the hate and loathing of the world around them. It’s astonishing. Sad. Disheartening.
My time in South Korea, as short as it may have been, showed me the incredible comfort life can have with those around you.
Korea is calm. Despite everything that is going on, everything is very calm.
There is collective but organized chaos on the roads, yet, not one accident was seen. Cab drivers dart in and out of traffic with honking as their number one language of choice. Which, none speak English, and excitedly, it didn’t matter. Somehow we always ended up in the correct place.
Actually, I enjoyed the language barrier.
I know aa lot of people say that being a minority is challenging and brings about all these issues.
I felt liberated by it.
For the first time, I had to make it on body language, pointing and the hope that my credit card would swipe correctly. If not, my limited knowledge would clumsily count out the somewhat correct billing needed for the item of purchase.
What I will say is that the food is beyond phenomenal. Not only did we eat, but we never stopped. Every meal was big, every meal was good and every meal had mystery. We usually just pointed at pictures and somehow it was successful. Some of the best meals were point and bow in thanks.
Now this is where the country really stole my heart…the desert is phenomenal. True, the food was exceptional no matter where we went, but, DANG, their deserts.
So mochi is this fantastic rice and bean paste ball of heaven. I’m pretty sure I ate at least fifteen or twenty of them in the past week, That’s not counting the mochi with ice cream in the center served at Baskin Robins.
Baskin Robins, coffee shops, bakeries…South Korea doesn’t mess around. There are at least three on every block. My sweet tooth never ceased, and yet most of it wasn’t even chocolate.
The fun part may have been the new menus in places you have been accustomed to. For instance, Starbucks offers green tea and strawberry cake in their case. They also offer more tea flavors in both hot and cold options…creme based, orange, green…goodness it is heaven.
Korean styled dining is also greatly impressive. You cook your own meat. They bring you meat of your choice and you cook it on the grill built into your table. Of course the sides are some of the best parts. Kimchi is fantastic, bean paste sauce, pickled everything and grape leaves. It’s a country of small portions and plenty of them, all to create some of the best flavors I have ever tasted, and would have never thought to put together.
The cities are clean. Well, Seoul is a little dirtier because of the bigger city, yet, the rest was stunningly clean. With, a giant surprise, NO TRASHCANS ANYWHERE. I would walk miles, holding an empty coffee cup, for a couple of blocks before dashing into a coffee shop to get ride of the garbage in the one found trash can in miles.
Busan, probably my favorite area we visited, was doused in personality. There was a more “beach” vibe and art factor to the city. Statues of comic book characters lined the down town square, an EDM concert blared welcomingly to the town and mopeds raced through the city streets…well, on the sidewalks as well, but ya know.
Busan just had this charm to it. The ally ways had a traditional feel to them, where there were space holders for dried out fish, octopus, swimming eels and so much more. I’m pretty sure we bought socks, a few hats and gift trinkets to bring back home for family.
The hotel my sister got, well all of them, were fantastic. Each had a view better than the last. That one had a view straight into the ocean, overlooking ships passing through the sea between Korea and Japan.
The trains in Korea are phenomenal. Probably the best way to see the country, by far. The rolling hills from station to station were beautiful. Each town has its own charm to it. The trees were also changing so the colors around us were constantly grabbing our attention.
Trains were the “pick up on life” place on the trip. The train maxes over 200 miles an hour. With the full rush of the train, it was when life slowed down. I got hours of studying for ground school done, catched up on snack eating and read chapters filled of exciting stories…stories of adventure, travel and excitement. Stories I was in incredibly excited to see in my newer future. Well, that’s the hope.
Seoul was another beautiful places filled with long walks, changing trees and incredible food. The views from Seoul tower itself was enough to make you fall for the entire country over and over again. The would feels so big and so small all at the same time.
Which, by the way, if you go to the Seoul tower, go to the bathroom. It is one of the best views you will ever see. It takes a moment to actually realize what you went in the stall to do. You walk in to a toilet, obviously, right infront of a ceiling to floor mirror. On your right side, when sitting down, a ceiling to floor window overlooking the ENTIRE country of South Korea. And there you are…for all to see yet no one to see you at all.
Gah, the number of things we did. From aquarium visits to food choices to miles of walking…I did headstands on the beach in Busan (I still can’t press into a handstand…not for a lack of trying) and another one at the Souel tower. I did m first ninja course at the AFB gym that left me wrecked in the happiest of ways. We stayed in five star hotels (my sister only books in style) where the shower was a waterfall from the ceiling in a glass room also housing the bathtub.
I found out that life is 100% ok without cell service. Actually, it’s exciting. I could only be on my phone when wifi permitted so my time was spent watching the world around me, studying about flying and catching up on sleep.
Jet lag is a thing. A mean, mean thing. And trying to fall asleep on an airplane, an even crueler thing.
This round back actually is shorter, so that is great. There are more movies, which, since I never watch movies anymore, has become a slight vacation in itself…12 hours with nothing to do but write and watch Academy Award Winning films.
Basically, Korea was fantastic. Beautiful place filled with such an incredible spirit by the people who call it their home. I definitely can’t say that I won’t miss it. I wish I got to walk around and explore a little more of the nature aspects of the country and visit a few of the climbing gyms before I left but circumstances caused much of that to go out the window.
Yet, adventures aren’t over. I get off the plane and 72 hours later, drive directly to Florida for a early, much needed, Thanksgiving feast with my two favorite human beings and four fluffy fur children. (With work giving such a limited time based on the drive, we figured this was the best way to get the most time with each other.) Two days after that, I jump on a flight to LA to visit one of my best friends from college, as well as prep for our next show. Work starts 12 hours after I get off the plane…then Wednesday, I am driving up to NC with one of my favorite families to join them for their Thanksgiving. A southern Thanksgiving with (I only know two of them…but I know this statement will be true for the entire family) people who have some of the biggest and most loving hearts. A few months after that, I’ll be spending a month working in Colombia. Life and I won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Successfully killed five hours…seven hours to go until I’m back in the small town I have grown to call home.
Thank you Kayla for always lodging to the 9’s and knowing the best places to eat. The country is beautiful and I now have a new respect, empathy and longing for the well being of South Korea as the tension continuously rises due to communist rivalries. I pray we never see that amount of hatred poured out into this world we live in.
Here's to the next adventure…but first, I cannot wait to see my lil’ fur girl! Mama misses her greatly!!!
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