Back to School...in Colorado

It's been almost a full month that I've been back from Korea, and about six months since I left.

View from my KU dorm room a few days before I left

In front of Jinri dorm in August

It took about two weeks to overcome the jetlag; it's worse coming back to the States than it was to go to Korea. The plane ride back from Korea was also much shorter than it was to get there, for which I am grateful. It was wonderful to see my family and Colorado friends again, but every day back has been a reminder of the fun times I had in Korea and all the new friends I made and how we are not geographically close anymore.


Luckily, New Mexico isn't unreasonably far away and a UNC friend from KU drove with me to New Mexico a week ago to go visit those friends.

Sarah, my friend from UNC...that I met for the first time in Korea

Boy, did it feel weird to hang out with friends from Korea NOT in Korea! We had a great time, ate some delicious food, and after a few days, sadly made our way back to Colorado.

It's difficult to say what I miss most about Korea or what the best part was; the whole semester seems like a dream, not wholly forgotten, but almost too good to be true. I never thought I could make such good friends or, rather, a whole new family in an entirely different country, but I did and I am thankful that my school sent so many students (and, of course, that we all became fast friends).

All the Colorado family: *from left to right* Tyler, Patrick, me, Hawaii Lindsey, and Sarah (Not pictured: the ever-elusive Grant)

I can only imagine how lonely it would be, to return to your homeschool without any of the friends from Korea to hang out with and chat with face to face. No one to laugh with about your experiences and Korean's misunderstandings of the English language.

Not exactly a "face to face" chat, but google+ does a great job of keeping us connected

But I know that we will all find a way to meet again someday, even though we may not all meet together at once, every meeting will be another special memory together to add to our collection. I am so grateful and appreciative to every friend I made on this trip and could not think of a better way to have spent a semester, taking the good with the not-so-great.


It's going to be a busy semester, and like most college students, I have a bad habit of procrastinating (if you couldn't have guessed by now...sorry for the lack of posting). While avoiding homework, readings, and projects, perhaps I will find the right words to share some more of my amazing experiences with you all.

A rainy night in Japan

"Family" dinner time in Jeju-do