The Replacements

Ok…so here goes nothing. Now I must preface that no, I was not a creative writing major in college, in fact I was a biology major- yes the kind of major where you write boring facts and only the professor wants to read what you wrote, and even then it’s just because he’s forced to give you a grade, so I can’t promise anything mystical. But here I am, T-minus 1 day until I leave for South Korea (and 3 days until I arrive). You almost calculated that right- 20 hours of traveling, but I also lose 13 hours on the trip there, so needless to say, August 26th just doesn’t exist this year (sorry Scurran- happy early birthday). It has taken me awhile to actually collect myself and realize that I am moving halfway across the world to teach a language that I could teach back home, but what’s the fun in that? I am ____. There are a million words you could fit into that blank- excited, sad, ready, independent, apprehensive, the list goes on.


But really I’m just apprehensive about leaving my friends and family for a full year. By the time I come back, the “littlest man in the entire world” will be speaking! SPEAKING! I love his “ohs” and “ahs” now, but as long as he learns how to say “Auntie Alex” by the time I come home, then we’re ok. As for my friends, they’re all over the place- LA is getting blown away in Chicago, MK is still in the boonies, PI and KQ are learning how to save the world one Band-Aid at a time, and Twin, well you’re still living at home, so I’m really not missing much, right? So maybe my anxiety just subsided a little.


And those million and one words could explain my feelings for change. Now as most of you know, I like things to be orderly, but I’m sure that for at least the first month my world is going to feel like a flipped ship. But I’m ok with that. As Gloria Gaynor once said, “I will survive!” I’ve come to the realization that things are going to be different, things are going to change. Instead of my cozy 6 bedroom home in Baltimore, I’ll be living in a studio-sized apartment; the gamut of beers on tap in the U.S. will be consumed by some other beer-loving chick, while I am force fed soju (a Korean rice liquor) as I try to keep up with a culture that thrives on social drinking; Monti will be swapped with metros and buses; I don’t believe the Korean government will accept “yall” so I guess I’ll have to teach the kids “you all” (sounds so boring); and my wardrobe will be cut down to 2 suitcases. Yes, I’ll say it again- 2 suitcases. Now in most cases, 2 suitcases aren’t too bad, but when you combine that with a full year and 4 seasons, it’s a struggle to say the least.


Although my world is becoming full of replacements, there’s one thing that’s for sure- nothing will ever replace my friends or family- whether at home, in NC, or scattered throughout the U.S., I will miss yall and I can’t wait to see you in a year!