Return To Korea - Part 1

I’m home. It’s so nice to have a place to call home, and so nice to know that we’re finally done traveling for a while. We’ve been homeless vagabonds for about a third of a year now. I’m so glad to be unpacking my suitcases knowing that I won’t have to pack them again for a long time.

Right now, I’m curled up on my yoga mat in my sleeping bag on our bedroom floor. I rest my head on some nice new fluffy pillows however they do not yet have pillowcases on them. Our belongings are in piles all around me. Our place is smaller than I was hoping for. But I am home.

Our heat comes up through the wood floors so it is quite warm and cozy even without a bed. Our apartment is small (about the same size as last year) but clean and new. We were extremely lucky to find a place that was partially furnished. The furniture is very functional. The apartment consists of one decent sized open room. It is meant to be a kitchen and living area. I really like how open it is. We have large windows in both our bedroom and living area, which lets a lot of light in. Our furnishings consist of a shoe shelf, desk, chair, bookshelf, TV and stand. The kitchen is small, smaller than last year if that’s even possible but it came with a gas range and refrigerator. I’d say the kitchen is the one down side to this place. However, since we have a big, open room to work with, we plan to buy some furnishings specifically to give us more food storage and counter space. I know how Dusty loves to cook and make big messes in the kitchen.

Our bathroom is larger than last year. The bedroom is smaller than last year. However, the landlady agreed to provide us with our own separate storage room at the end of the hall. It includes a washing machine. It is a fairly spacious room but very long and narrow, probably 4 feet wide and 15 feet long. Perfect for storage. It’s big enough to hang our clothes on laundry drying racks, store climbing and camping gear, suitcases, bikes, extra food, linens, and whatever else we don’t want to clutter up the living space in our apartment. We are so thankful for this space, as it will make our actual apartment feel cleaner and more open compared to last year. We still need to purchase a bed, couch, and organizing solutions. A few more finishing touches after that and this place will be cozy as can be.

It’s definitely not easy moving into a place on the other side of the world. Moving is stressful enough by itself. But imagine being in a foreign land, adjusting to a time change, apartment shopping the day after arriving before familiarizing yourself with the area, feeling pressured to find a place quick because you’re paying a Korean real estate guy who continues to speak to you in a language you don’t understand, and your co-worker has been gracious enough to set it all up and spend the entire day helping you look. It’s been a little bit overwhelming. There is always a sense of urgency with Korean people. It gives me anxiety and makes me feel a little on edge but it’s just a part of their culture. They must always be making progress. I have felt way out of control and totally out of my comfort zone for the majority of the past week since we’ve been here. But I know it’s good for me. I’m having to trust God to take care of us and once again, I’m completely amazed at how smoothly everything has worked out.

The rent is much lower than we were anticipating. We couldn’t have picked a better location. We are smack dab between work, downtown, and the beach. We are in a newer, more modern neighborhood that feels like a little city within the city. It is probably a 7x7 block radius or so. It is composed of mostly 2-4 story buildings. Most of the buildings have restaurants or small businesses on the street level. Typically, a family owns the building and resides on the top story while renting the apartments and commercial space on the lower levels. We live in a 3-story building with our apartment being on the second floor just above a Korean restaurant. I’m eager to test out the food. It smells delicious and they have a few western meal options on the menu as well.

We are about a mile from a small lake that has a lovely 4k running trail and bike path going around it. The closest beach is literally across the street from the opposite end of the lake. I would say the beach is at most, 4 miles from our front door. There is a nice long boardwalk along the beach. The water is a beautiful greenish-blue. I’m told it turns even more turquoise in the summer and the temperature like bath water. Sounds heavenly to me. The waves are good right now. The other morning we woke up early and decided to go the beach. We had it mostly to ourselves. We got some coffee, sat in a swing, and watched a lone surfer out braving the waves. Brrr!!! Dusty is so excited about the opportunity to surf. I plan to spend many of my days this spring and summer relaxing on the beach reading a good book and watching my husband play in the water. The air quality seems good. No pollution like in the big city last year. I love the ocean breeze. I think we are going to love living here.

There are fresh sushi restaurants everywhere. Our neighborhood is somewhat trendy compared to the rest of the town and supposedly has some amazing restaurants. I can’t wait to start trying them. I’m told there are many well-known Buddhist temples near us along with dozens of hiking trails to choose from. The mountains lie just west of us. There are ski areas very close to here and surely some great climbing. We just have to go exploring and find it. The city is large enough to have everything one needs but not so large to be overwhelming. The downtown area is very urban, much like Seoul. There is an outdoor market with as much fresh seafood, fruit, and veggies than one could ever imagine. It is also a great place for finding pretty much everything.

Okay, I’m done for now. I’m outta time and this thing has turned into a novel so I must go and finish this later.