Seoul.
I have no words. I have been searching for a week now, as I have arrived, moved-in, settled-in, and begun school, a way to write this post. to find words to describe how I am feeling, or my life here. The simple truth is that so far it has been easy. Not jetlag, however, jet lag was hard the first two days. Luke and I would fall asleep at 4 PM Korean time, and wake up at midnight. We would watch movies and complain and sometimes go out and eat. In Seoul, everything is open 24 hrs. Well, almost. Apparently Koreans are not morning people; nothing is open before about 9 AM. This makes me laugh because one of Luke's roommates from back at Penn State is Korean, and he avoided mornings like the plague. As I said, the transition thus far has been easy. We ride the subway and navigate the partially-English city with somewhat of grace. Our memory provides us with routes, and the downloaded (non-cellular) maps on our phones confirm it. For the most part, Seoul is safe. Clean and safe. Most of the residents within Seoul are considered to be the upper class. Most of the women wear beautiful clothing. They push past you on the subway with their pale faces clad in Cushion Foundation or BB cream and their Red Lips without a word. Everything but their lips are neutral colored. I have not seen one beggar, yet. I want to adopt the fashion, the culture, the high-protein and low carb way of eating. The only thing I wish is that there was more of a choice for breakfast. I do not like the idea of rice for breakfast. Or eggs. Never eggs. We have gone a few places thus far, but I do not feel like delving into specifics. I keep a journal of places we go and things we see. I think the funniest and most down-to-earth thing I have done thus far is eat fried chicken by the Han River. With millions of young adults like myself, all drinking beer we bought at 7/11 and the fried chicken that can be ordered over text and delivered to your tarp on the dewey grass. I smile when I think about that. Sometimes I think of missing home, but then I think about the real reason why. Life is meant to be lived out of a comfort zone, but also to create new comfort zones. I have come to love my new grey fuzzy down comforter. I have started to hang things on my wall of places I have been and things I have seen. An identity does not need to rest on a physical place, but the ideas and memories you hold. Seoul has been dazzling. A bubble of something I do not consider to feel like real life. Right now I am in love with being here and spending my time here.
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Author: Allyson DitizioGeographer, yogi and occasionally creative writer. Archives
September 2016
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