Finishing up the Seoul Chapter

What in the world is it about flying that makes me want to write so much?! I suppose, and maybe I’ve said this before, that actually having time where I can’t surf the internet, I can’t really GO anywhere, means that I have time to actually spend with my thoughts. And it’s just my personality that I want to write when I think… Anyway, I’m on my way home from Korea now. What a wonderful trip.

Honestly, I knew I’d enjoy being back in Korea but you know how sometimes you hype something up and then it just doesn’t live up to expectations? You tell everyone its great because you can’t admit you spent that much time/money on an experience and it’s actually kind of a let down. And its worse because you yourself had such high expectations for it. I was a bit nervous that this would be one of those… 

But, it wasn’t! The whole trip was exactly perfect. For one thing, I love Jessica. She was the perfect hostess and travel companion. I never got sick of her (which is amazing for me, spending two weeks with ANYONE can get old… I need Chelsea time!), and we have a really great balance of personality. She is laid back, go with the flow (but not too much!), and I’m the crazy type-A that needs to plan every day. I was able to allow myself time to recharge and relax because she didn’t mind doing the same. 

It was also nice that I’d been there before and knew exactly what I wanted to do. I never felt like I wasted time, because I had the things on my list that I wanted to do/see, and I was able to do those while also actually relaxing. Relaxation can be hard for me sometimes! This is true in all aspects of my life: if I’m not accomplishing something, somehow, I am wasting time. But that’s not true. This trip was a great time for me to get away from work, get away from real life, and not only enjoy one of my favorite places, but also to simply RELAX.

Being back in Seoul itself was great. I generally try to not go back to places I’ve been before. After all, if I’m going to spend thousands of dollars to go somewhere, I feel like I should go somewhere new! Add to my ever-growing list of countries I’ve been to. And I felt a little like that for this trip. The side-trip to Japan actually was perfect for that reason. I was able to go somewhere new, while also enjoying a city that I love. 

I have a lot of memories in Seoul, obviously. Since I’ve been back in the states, I’ve missed being in Seoul. There are so many things that are amazing about living there! Being back was a strange kind of closure, a year and a half after leaving it. I was able to come back and enjoy what I missed, but also realize that I’m actually exactly where I need to be in life, both physically as well as professionally. Being back in Korea (to live), while fun, wouldn’t be the right move for me. I love Austin, and I love my job. I know I’m in the right place.

Spending a little more time in Seoul was great also, because it gave me a chance to reflect on my time living there, the myriad of experiences and memories I’d made, and realize that no matter where I am in life, I’ll always have those, and Seoul will always have a part of my heart. I hadn’t realized it, but I don’t think I ever got “closure” when I left. In a way, I did. In a way that I was able to cope with leaving, but this trip kind of cemented it. So many complex emotions going on!

Anyway, this is a short entry, I just wanted to jot down how great I’m feeling, despite leaving. I feel like I got everything I wanted to out of the trip, and I’m very much looking forward to going home, being in my own space, and having a bit of Chelsea time!

Don’t worry, though. I’ll be back soon. I’ve got a business trip to the UK and Ireland coming up in two short weeks! I’ll be working for most of it, but as always when I travel, I’ll be blogging :) Plus, I’m going to get to spend my birthday in London with one of my favorite people!! 

Cheers,

Chelsea