Kimchi, not for me

Well, we are at less than 12 hours until my first plane takes off. Thanks to my most amazing roommate, my bags are basically packed. There are still a few things to stick in there just before I leave in the morning, but I'm pretty much ready to go. I know that there will be some odds and ends left behind that poor Lis will have to clean up and for that I apologize in advance.

Except for Adam and Lis, who are taking me to the airport, all goodbyes have been said. I didn't cry nearly as much as I thought I would overall, but I think I'll probably end up crying like a baby at the airport tomorrow.

I'm actually not very anxious, considering that there's a pretty fair possibility a few major things could go wrong (all Daive-related things). She could be over the weight limit for carry-on pets, and the airline demand that she go in the cargo hold, which is SO not going to happen (hopefully). In Japan, it's possible they could freak out and try to take her for their severe quarrantine. So while those two possibilities are rolling around in my mind, I'm WAY more calm than I thought I would be.

So yeah. That's about all I got for now. I'll blog again once I'm safe and sound in Pensacola. Until then...

Plate o' tentacles....that's what this would be. The dark one would be octopus, and the smaller white-ish ones are squid and/or kettlefish. I took this picture last weekend when I was in Insadong, a really amazing place in Seoul, where you can find all kinds of traditional Korean artwork and souveniers. I saw this snack tray thing, and they're really all over the place around here - in popular places (think hot dog or pretzel stands in big US cities). Couldn't resist taking a few pictures.

I'm really not so vain as it may seem, to post all these pictures. It's just that I generally see and think of myself as being so talent-less, that knitting these has given me the most wonderful sense of accomplishment. Anyway, here are the two scarves I have finished, and the one that seems to be a perpetual work in progress. The one below, I'm rather proud of it. From the picture, the zig-zags look all uneven, but they really aren't. I'm not sure at this point if I'm ever actually going to finish it, but am fairly determined to see it through to the end (whenever that may be).

I am stressed out.

The ticker on this page is, again, not right. Subtract one day. In a little over an hour, my day of departure will be a short 7 days away! There exists no e-lingo exclamation which could properly express how I am feeling right now. In some ways I am SUPER stressed out. I have a lot to get done before next Tuesday rolls around, but it is all stuff that must be done in its own time. It's not stuff I've put off, or stuff I can tackle all at once and get done in a day. I'm quite overwhelmed. I feel like there's some girl I know, and it's her that's leaving Korea, and not me. Every now and then, reality comes a-knockin', and I have this brief realization "Holy cow! It's ME! I'm the one that's leaving!" But then that realization fades, and I go back to the state of delusion/denial.

It's so strange. Because like this afternoon when I was at Costco, I could not WAIT to get out of Korea. But then there's the stuff about Korea I like, and that stuff is making it really hard to leave. Make no mistake about it, I AM leaving. But it's going to be a lot harder than I ever realized.

I've decided to rent a car and drive back to Pensacola rather than flying. I'm sick to death of airplanes and flying, and I haven't even started the trip yet. I'm spending the night of Feb. 27 in Atlanta as well, just to be able to sleep, rest, and relax before being thrust back into the world of my family (and for those of you who read this blog and are related to me, you know it's not you I'm talking about). I plan on utilizing the Chik-Fil-A gift card my Dad sent me for Christmas (he knew there weren't any of them here, it was a motivator for me to come back). I plan on letting my poor dog stretch out on the passenger seat of the car (she'll have earned the right, after being cooped up in her kennel for as long as she'll have to be), and taking it easy. I'm getting a car with GPS as well, so if I get lost, it won't be my fault. :)

Tomorrow begins my last week of work. This past weekend was a holiday here - the new year as based on the lunar calendar. I'll be working Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There's no teaching right now - both the kindergarten and elementary students are on vacation right now. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do...but I'll be there. Actually, I plan on spending tomorrow cleaning out my desk and my computer (Lis will be taking over my place), posting some pictures taken over the last few weeks, and burning some music from my iTunes in preparation for my road trip. I wish I knew someone with nothing better to do than to somehow make it to Atlanta on the 28th only to ride back to Florida with me. But at the same time, it might be good for me to have the time alone. I'm trying to prepare myself...because I didn't have any reverse culture shock to speak of when I went back for vacation. (Except the constant surprise at how everyone spoke English, and the persistent bowing to authority figures.) But that was vacation. Knowing I'm going to be staying...I get the impression it will be rather overwhelming.

On a lighter note...here's a few things I'm not devastated to be leaving behind:

1. Korean commercials...commercials overall are irritating, but Korean commercials, with the irrepressible need for "cutsey" is just beyond grating.
2. Pickled/fermented food being present at every (Korean) meal
3. The staring....ohhhhhhhhhhh the staring - seriously, I could go on about how much this bothers me and how often it happens, but everyone who could possibly read this (save for Lis, Beth, and Adam) would probably think I sounded schizophrenic. But really...blessed anonymity, here I come.

That's enough for now. I think I'll try to post a few of these everytime I blog for the next few days (until I leave) to keep myself psyched up about going back.

Hit a bit of a speed bump. Called Delta to make sure Daive was good to go on all three of my flights. My flight from Seoul to Tokyo is a Korean Air/Delta shared flight. This next part gets a bit confusing. The travel agent sold it to me as a Korean Air flight, but somehow at the same time it's a Delta ticket, so the rules/regulations for both airlines must be met/complied. I had called Korean Air a few days ago, and they said that since it was a Delta ticket, I would have to talk to Delta...which I had already done about the last two flights (Tokyo-Atlanta, Atlanta-Pensacola). So I called back today, and was on hold (I have almost committed to memory the music Delta plays on hold) for awhile. Then the lady came back on the line and said that for a pet to go to/through Japan, there were forms that had to be filed, and a quarantine.

Well, near-panic starts to set in at this point. So I'm thinking, "Okay, I'll just change the ticket." I go to check my e-ticket to make sure the ticket is non-refundable, as I'm pretty sure it is, and... of course it is non-refundable. Well, then I happen to look at the fare...1,839,000 won (roughly $1839 US dollars), and it is supposed to be 966,000. Umm...what the...?! So then I start frantically looking for the receipt we got from the travel agent on Friday and can't find it. At this point near-panic has definitely turned to panic. Eventually I found the receipt, which was indeed for 966,000 won...but we put it on Lis' credit card, so I have no idea what they actually charged to her card.

So...I called the Japanese embassy in DC...twice. Automated menus, with no options besides 1) visa questions 2) police testing (or something strange like that) or "press zero for emergencies." Then I called two Japanese consulates in the States (as it's late and they're open)...all to no avail. Couldn't get to a real person there either. So THEN I finally get ahold of someone, who is very kind, but unfortunately not very helpful. He isn't sure who to ask, but does ask someone. Whoever he asked, said they thought it would be fine. (For all I know, he could have asked the janitor.) Long story short (and I do mean L-O-N-G story...ask my sister Jen, she and I were chatting throughout most of this), I accomplished basically nothing. But this funny did come up as Jen and I were chatting. We were talking about how it might work if we pinned some sort of ribbon or sign to Daive stating that, not only was she rabies free, but that her anal glands had even been expressed. Then I said that maybe I *wouldn't* have her anal glands expressed... I could possibly use that as a weapon. Then my sister said this, "Okay ma'am, put the dog's butt down and step away slowly..." (Though she didn't type "butt," and I thought leaving the profanity in made it funnier, but thought someone might get on to me about it, so I censored it.) Seriously yall, I was in such a foul mood because of all that was going on, and just wasn't expecting anything to strike me as funny as that comment did, I almost hurt myself when I laughed. It was one of those laughs that is so sudden and forceful that your body isn't entirely prepared for it...so I scared myself and hurt myself a little bit all at the same time. I'm so weird.

Anyway, I now have a whole different ticket, arriving in Atlanta on February 27. I'll have to buy another ticket myself to get from Atlanta to Pensacola - and I could explain all the reasons why but it would take FAR too long and the details are both painfully boring and confusing. I'm in the process of finding a ticket to Pensacola, but am quite determined that I will not fly AirTran... I think they are ghetto and crappy. Besides, I can get a Delta ticket for the exact same price, and Delta is way better.

Okay...so there you have it. Two weeks and three days. ACK!!!!!!!!!! I *DID* mail off four boxes to myself on Wednesday, and think I am doing quite well at this whole deciding what to throw away, mail, and take in my suitcases process. In fact, one suitcase (the small one) is already packed. I still feel like I have way too much to do, but I think that's a delayed panic reaction to my to-do list from a week ago.

So long as the dog carrier I got off of ebay gets to my sister's soon, and then can get on its way here soon, all will be well. That's the biggest piece that has yet to fall into place.

Seriously...I can't believe I'm actually going. I've thought about going back so much, and talked about going back (for a vacation) so much, and it's always fallen through. It really just hit me yesterday that, "Wow. I'm ACTUALLY leaving Korea!" I compared it to the experience of getting your eyebrows waxed. It's shocking - when they rip the cloth thingy off. It's traumatic, at least slightly. And it's painful. So I feel like it's an accurate statement to say that my life is being waxed right now. It's like a full-life wax. I feel like Korea is the place where I actually became an adult, and had lots of meaningful friendships, relationships, and experiences. It's just really strange to be leaving.

Anyway, it's quite late, and I need to sleep. Still have LOTS to do!

Today, by the grace of God and generosity of three of my friends here, my plane ticket was purchased. To the above ticker, counting down the days until I arrive, you should add 1. I'll be arriving March 1 instead of February 28, as previously planned. At around 5:30 PM, for all of you who care. In Pensacola. I'll be dirty and tired, but relieved at the same time.

The last few days have been...well, to be honest, they've been a bit tortuous. There's lots going on, and even more to do, and it all adds up to make me pretty stressed out. Some of it's my fault, some of it isn't, but it's all (and by "all" I mean all the bad stuff) unpleasant.

Yeah...so that's about it. I have to pack - both stuff to send back now and stuff to take in suitcases. I have to figure out what clothes to keep out and what to send in boxes - as there is a considerable difference in the weather here in Seoul and in Florida. I have to get rid of the junk car I've never been able to drive. Fill out and submit the pension forms so I can get back some money in the next few months. Try and work out some job-related problems before I leave. There's more...much more. But it would bore you. If I weren't so stressed out by it, I'd be bored to tears. Instead I'm stressed and frustrated to tears. :) Ha.