Recollections En Route: Changing of the Seasons + Life Updates

Well, it’s Autumn here in South Korea. In fact, if temperature is any indication of the season, we are already on the edge of winter here in early November. Autumn is my absolute favorite season in the world. That is, with the exception of the holiday season in New York City. Regardless, as fate would have it, I’ve been stuck in bed, sick, for the past two weeks… And while admiring the leaves changing colors from the window in my small studio apartment is less than ideal, I’ll take what I can get. 

I had elaborate plans of being productive these last two weeks. They included filming at update video about life here in South Korea after eight months, writing multiple blog posts pertaining to Japan, and of course, simply enjoying Autumn in every way possible…. outside of my apartment walls. Instead, I’ve been eating ramen, drinking peppermint tea, collecting tissues next to my bed, and binge-watching Netflix.

Last year, I wrote a post titled, ‘Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice‘, from my Brooklyn apartment. It was the only blog post I published last November. I had lost my enthusiasm to write, and the city was getting the better of me. Ironically, I feel a slight tinge of familiarity at the moment. It’s mostly because I’ve been physically sick, but it’s also because I’ve been sick of the internet.

There are some days where I feel extremely inspired to sit down and spill every drop of my adventure in {insert any destination}. Other days, I don’t even bother with glancing at my blog or social media. And I’m absolutely fine with it. Remember the days when 11 likes on an Instagram picture was something to do an internal cartwheel over? That’s where I’m at. I don’t want to care about numbers, or portraying perfection, or any of that bullshit. I write when I want to write. And I post when I want to post.

I recently Skyped one of my dearest friends, Sarah, a regularly mentioned face on this blog. It was refreshing to speak with my fellow vagabond, though it looks like her roots are beginning to stay planted in New York City. We reiterated the importance of keeping passions, passions. And it inspired me to sit down and start typing.

As I mentioned in ‘Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice’, I couldn’t wait to meet the woman standing in the mirror a year from publication of that very post. Well for starters, she is still drinking Pumpkin Spice lattes, although they had to be shipped all the way to Korea from her generous mother in America. She also continues to listen to Christmas music the moment November arrives. And she also still believe that this year is the year she experienced the most change. She hit the nail on the head when she predicted that the woman standing in the mirror would in fact have “changed even more so, offering the world more of herself in a multitude of ways.” {Quoting myself, is that even allowed?}.

But it’s true! I have changed the most over the last eight, almost nine, months. More so than when I lived in New York for a year, where I was sure that was the most a girl could learn about herself in 12 months. The world around me has completely changed. The people, the language, the culture, my living arrangements, my job, to name a few.

Have I loved living in South Korea? Simply put, no.

Have I enjoyed it? Yes, of course. My life is nothing to complain about. I look forward to writing a few posts about life in Korea in the coming months. After all, I only have a few left until I’m off on the next grand adventure. It’s lacked a space here on the blog, mainly because it doesn’t spark inspiration in me like other destinations I’ve been to. But I do understand that living somewhere will never be the same as visiting.

In the beginning it was all new and shiny. The idea of living abroad again was a breath of fresh air. In my eyes, Korea could do no wrong when I first arrived. It provided me with the thing I’d been craving: change. And it provided in a big way. But, life is still life, no matter where your feet plant themselves, and eventually that reality began to kick in. And the reality of living in South Korea isn’t all kimchi and rainbows, my friends. At least for me.

But overall, any change is good change. We need change in our life to grow as individuals. I’ve been lucky to explore a part of the world I, admittedly, had no real desire to visit a couple years ago. It’s opened my eyes to completely new perspectives, and validated others I had already believed to be true.

Yesterday morning, I saw something online that I wish I hadn’t {again with the pesky internet}. Nothing earth shattering by any means, but enough to make my heart drop momentarily into my stomach. However, I Skyped my parents {and my cat, Winston} to talk about life back in California, which always brings a smile to my face. Then, later in the afternoon, I received a surprise package from my aunt in New York. It was a large box filled with enough bags of hot cheetos to last me the remainder of the year here in Korea. And finally as I was walking out of my office at the end of the day, I ran into my boss. She gave me the final approval I needed to book the trip I have been waiting for all year.

Guys, I’m going to INDIA and NEPAL!

That’s right, next February I am spending 15 days traveling from New Dehli, India to Kathmandu, Nepal. While technically arriving solo, I am traveling with a small group of strangers, hosted by G Adventures. The whole thing cost me an arm and a leg, but I already know it will be worth it. Our itinerary is what you would dream of when visiting a country like India. As you know, I’m always advocating for solo travel. However, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t ecstatic to not have to organize my accommodation, travel arrangements, or daily activities.

2018 has been a year of solitude. I’ve never traveled solo as many times as I have this year. It’s also the first time I’ve ever lived alone in my own place. I work with ESL children who, as you can imagine, lack the ability to hold a basic conversion. And finally, I live in a country in which the majority of its residents don’t speak English. In my town specifically, I’m the only one that can speak my own language. Therefore I find myself feeling very isolated even in the most social of situations.

2019 is about to be the complete opposite. Firstly, Gena and I will take our last adventure together to Hong Kong, in order to celebrate the Lunar New Year. A few days later, I’m off to India and Nepal to travel with a group of strangers. Upon leaving Korea, I am meeting up with different family members in Southeast Asia to spend a month gallivanting. And finally I arrive back in California, where I have a number of trips already in place {Vegas, Idaho, Mexico, New York ahhhhhhhhh} to spend time with loved ones around the country. Plus, three weddings to attend! The excitement level is real.

This year provided me with the change I needed. I knew it from the moment I stepped off the plane at Incheon Airport in Seoul. That girl arrived with an exhausted heart, an open mind, and zero expectations. Now I look in the mirror and see a more compassionate, empathetic, self-assured woman. New York did it’s part in preparing me for this year – I couldn’t have done it without the lessons I learned in the big apple.

I swear, this whole life of travel thing was the best decision I ever made. As always, I have big plans for 2020 and the years beyond, but we will keep that all under wraps until a later date. After all, it’s only November.

In the meantime, watch this space for Japan blog posts and Korea vlogs, including my upcoming trips to Seoul {so about that whole I’m not leaving my hermit den until 2019… sorry, this girl needs a visa for Nepal!}

* Also, shout out to my friend Zuri here in South Korea! She is a fellow American, also out in the boondocks of Daegu, and an excellent photographer. The two of us {and Kate!} did a quick Autumnal photo shoot the other day and the images turned out amazing {as you can see in some of the photos above}. I love her to death. If you are in the area and want to check out more of her stuff, you can reach her via Instagram here: zuri_photograhy_