The Countdown Begins

How is it that not too long ago I was saying,  "one month in Korea!!!" and now I'm saying, "only one month left". These last eight months have flown by and now I'm looking back at my year and reflecting on the things I have learned and experienced.  In many ways, I am ready to come home to my family and the things most familiar to me, but I also don't want to leave the things I have become accustomed to and started to really enjoy here.
 
Since my last post, I have switched host families and they are amazing. I have really enjoyed my time with them and I'm sad that I only have one more month with them. I also live closer to school now, which is nice, and saves me lots of money. A few weekends ago my host parents took me to Everland, which is a big amusement park with rides, flower shows and a zoo, sort of like Valley Fair with lots of little kids EVERYWHERE. We got to see a light show parade as well as a big fireworks show. It was quite beautiful. My host parents bought me a pink bow to wear on my head, so I could be like the other people there, so in some the pictures i will be sporting a nice, polka doted, pink bow. My host family also really enjoys going to movies, so in the few weeks that I have been here we have been to about 4 movies, including the new Iron Man movie.

Other than that, life is pretty simple. I go to school, sleep a lot, and hang out with the other exchange students. About ten of the exchange students have already left in the last few weeks, which is too bad and I miss them all so much!! I had the chance to try on a traditional Korean dress called a hanbok and learned how to serve tea properly. I have this week off of school because my classmates are taking their mid-terms so I will just be hanging around at home and enjoying the beautiful spring weather!

This free time is also a nice time to think about the things I still want to do here in Korea before I leave, and also think about all of the little things that I will miss. For one, I will miss the super easy and affordable transportation system, as well as things like the spicy ramen and the neon signs that fill almost every single street. I will miss the network of exchangers that know what I'm going through and are always there to talk and the amazingly nice people everywhere in Korea.

In some ways, it feels as though this year is already like a dream. Looking back at the beginning of the year, I have to remind myself of the things I did and what it felt like for everything to be so new. Now this feels like my life and it will be weird to go back to the things I do and see back in the US. Even two months ago, I'm not sure I would say I want to come back for a semester or long term, but now I really do think I could come back to study here.

It doesn't feel like my time should be almost over here, and these last 4 weeks are going to fly by. after this week I have ten days left of school, to say goodbye to my classmates and to wear a uniform. After that, I will only have a week and a half to get the rest of my goodbyes in and do the last minute things I wasn't yet able to do. I suppose to anyone else, a month would seem like a long time, but I think to any exchanger around the world, one month is short. We have spent 8 months together living in a foreign place in a stranger's home and now that it is almost over, 8 months doesn't even seem very long at all. Just trying to think about going home right now is making my mind blank, like it won't allow me to think about it yet. Which is a good thing, I really want to enjoy my last month here as much as possible.

I'm guessing I will fit in another post in the next few weeks with more reflections and also about my trip home, which involves flying to Tokyo and being at the airport at the same time as Evan, but not actually being able to see him until we are both back in good ol' NFLD.