When Memories Set In

So I have been in Seoul for a year and ten months. I haven't seen my mom in this long period of time, save for Skype--which is a poor excuse for actual face time. By this time next week, I be hugging, and quite probably crying when she arrives in Incheon Airport.

I have been looking for many things to do with her--she has been letting me know what she wants to do too. Originally she just wanted to go to Noryanjin, and to go to my Starbucks and chill.

Of course, I had planned on taking her to Namsan Tower, and taking a walk along the Han River to show her Banpo Bridge.

Now she wants to go on city tours. She wants to go on a night cruise on the Han. She has all sorts of ideas, which is awesome. I just have to pack it all in 6 days.

I get the chance to show her my life here, to show her what I have done here in a year and ten months. Pressure? Sure. But I really want her to understand what I love about this place, so that she will understand me when I tell her that I really don't want to move back home. Or anywhere else for that matter. I am home.

So when her memories of Seoul set in, just as my thoughts turn back to Chicago and Florida, she will look back on her time here fondly. To see why her daughter, whom she raised to conquer the world, may have gone and done something better. She conquered her fears.

This is the song (Good Luck)

It seems that everytime someone I care about leaves Korea, I have to listen to the Punch Brother's epic tale of sadness in the form of a song called "This is the song (Good Luck)." Haven't heard of it? Blasphemy. Go now.

Today I said goodbye to two amazing ladies. T and Patsy, formerly known as B. While the two of these women never met, they touched my life in ways that can never truly be expressed.

T--I had so much fun yapping about BigBang with you and faking going to their concert. I know that you will be back in Korea--it's only a matter of time. Good luck in MN and all that jazz. See you soon.

Patsy--Where does one even begin. I liked you from the moment we first met. You were doing your report cards and smiled at me and said, "I'm the most negative person ever." But you weren't. And you aren't. You have brought more joy to people than you could ever realize. I guess what makes it all so hard is that we really connected within the last few months and even more so over the summer. I am grateful for our wine/guacamole/beastie boy night. I am grateful for listening to Christian music on our way home from a club. I am even thankful for our goodbye this morning--as brief as it was. Good luck back home, Pats. I know this was a rough decision but we both know that God has bigger and brighter plans ahead of you. I love you to pieces and I know that this isn't a goodbye.

I wish you both the best of luck in everything--and I can't wait to hear all about it.

Safe travels.

xox

c

PS. I will try to take pictures of hot Korean men for both of you---especially those in cropped pants and great hair. ^^

xoxoxoxoxxo