I'm Here!

I got in safe and sound last night.  The flight was long, to say the least, and I was exhausted by the time I got to my apartment.  I didn't sleep at all on the plane, but luckily got to watch a couple movies, read a book, and played some sudoku on the tv.  The plane I was on was a double-decker, which is something I've always wanted to say I have ridden on.  That's my first check mark off list of things I want to do this year!  

A man named Pep picked a couple named Joy and James and me up from the airport.  I don't think he was expecting us to bring so much luggage because honestly we were crammed into the car.  I can't believe we managed to fit it all in.  I was honestly smushed up against the car door with my feet up to my chest, completely unable to move the entire ride.  It took about an hour to get to my apartment from the airport.  My boss, Mrs. Kim, was there waiting for me.  She is SO nice...I can't wait to get to know her better.  She cleaned my apartment for me and then went to TGI Fridays to get me dinner - fried chicken, a salad, and quesadillas which she said were for breakfast, haha).  She also bought me some cereal, milk, and fruit.  

My apartment is interesting, unlike anything else I've seen before.  It's not at all what I expected and it was a very humbling experience.  It makes me very appreciative of all the space I have at home.  I would even prefer my small college dorms over this place, but I'm grateful for what I have and that my boss is being so nice and helpful.  The shower is not separated by a door from the bathroom.  I literally shower right next to my toilet and sink.  The toilet paper got soaked as I was trying to figure out the best way to position the hand held shower head and the wooden door is completely warped from the moisture and water damage.  I have a queen sized bed, an enormous fridge, and a small desk that take up most of my room.  I have a wooden dresser/closet that I'm going to find very challenging to fit all my clothes in.  I only unpacked my carry-on and the closet is almost completely full...I still have two 50-pound bags left to unpack!  I'll post pictures soon so you can see what it looks like.  

By the time I got to bed last night it was after 6:30 a.m. in Denver.  I slept until about 5 a.m. in Korea, read a little, and then decided I didn't want to start unpacking yet, so I began walking around aimlessly trying to figure out where I could find a shop with internet.  I'm feeling a little like fish out of water but walking around this morning made me feel a little more comfortable. Trying to find internet was interesting considering most people don't understand what I'm saying.  I went into a french bakery called the French Baguette thinking someone might be able to speak a little English since the name of the restaurant wasn't in Korean.  Wrong!  The three girls in there didn't know how to tell me where to go, so I continued to meander around.  I finally found this really cool coffee shop called the Caffe Bene that I'm at right now.  The women were just opening up the store when I walked by asking them, "Internet?"  One of the ladies nodded, said yes, and then said "not open."  I said, "Ok, I can wait here or come back," and then she made an "x" with her hands and ushered me inside.  I'm not sure what the "x" was for, but I feel like this is going to be my form of communication for a while.  I will definitely be coming back here, though.  The shop is spacious with cool little wooden tables, leather and woven bamboo chairs, plus I can get a latte here!  I'm also getting a lot of long stares for my blonde hair.  I try to smile at people but I think they realize I notice they're looking at me and immediately look away.  Oh well.

It just hit me that I won't see anyone for a year and I'm feeling a little sad, but I know this is where I'm supposed to be and that I'll feel a lot better after I've been here for a couple days. Please stay in touch and send me lots of e-mails or comments.  I feel so disconnected from home already and I'm excited to make some friends and learn more about the town.