So here I am, writing from my plush teachers office way up on the fifth floor with a not too shabby view of the city. I'm just getting settled in but so far things have gone pretty well.

I have to apologize for the lack of posts since my arrival in Korea. Right now, I don't have the internet in my apartment and the only time that I can get online is either at an internet cafe or here at the school. My initial plan was to get to an internet cafe before school today but I went for a run that wound up getting me rather lost. While the run itself was interesting, it took considerably longer than expected. I only have a little bit of time before I have to get to observing a class and I want to tell everything that's happened so far since I got here so I'm just going to leave this post as a promise for further and more frequent posts in the future.

Expect a post soon that will be postdated from the time I spent in the San Francisco Airport. I thought it was important that I get one final post at the last second before leaving American soil so even though I was without the internet I made sure I wrote a little something for you crazy kids back in the states.

For now, Annyong haseyo.

The bright-eyed, green behind the ears American lad prepares for his transglobal endeavor

The Journey will FINALLY begin

It's been over a month since my anticipated date of departure came and went. The past month has been a long one of waiting. However, the unending toil that is the minutia of acquiring a visa is finally at its end and a flight has been booked for this upcoming Friday. For those of you who doubted I would ever leave, I can't say I blame you. That's exactly something that would happen to me.

My current state is equal parts eager exhilaration and anxious trepidation. I've never been out of the United States with the exception of a few weekend, and one week-long, excursions to our neighbors to north. While I enjoyed my time there, the sense of being an international traveler isn't entirely present when you can drive back home the same day if you so desired. This is a reality that has weighed on me for quite some time so it only made sense to go as far from home as possible for my first trip out of North America. Still, my concern sits largely with the knowledge that I will be away from friends and family for an entire year and less with my hesitation about being immersed in a country and culture wholly unlike my own. Though difficult I look forward to that being one of the most exciting aspects of the entire experience.

This last week in the country will mostly be spent getting ready and saying my good-byes to the few people I will see between then and now- most of which I have already said my "last farewells" to once or twice. Hopefully I can get a few more rounds of disc golf in and maybe share couple of more beers before I take off but I know those things and more will be waiting for me when I return in a year's time so I'll be playing it as it goes either way.

I just wanted to get this thing up and running and hopefully get it circulating before I head out so those of you who are interested can keep tabs on my progress.

More posts to come...


World Baseball Classic tonight! Japan vs. SOUTH KOREA!!! Go get em Choo Shin-Soo and company!