I'm here

I have made it to South Korea. We got in last night after 23 hours of travel. The day went really smooth, no delays or missed flights or lost luggage so that was a positive. And it was nice to arrive at night so I could just crash and not force myself to stay awake to get on their time.

Last night was tough. The director of the school met us at the hotel ( I arrived with two other girls from the states.) He showed us to our rooms, gave us our cell phones, our week's pay and said good night. Once we got all that taken care of us and the three of us said goodnight to each other it all started sinking in. I was alone in my room and looking at the three huge bags that held my life for the next year and didn't know what I had gotten myself into. Before I really did anything I got on line and went on facebook, bad idea! I saw the posts from friends and family about me leaving and the homesickness was too much to handle. Then I found a card my brother had put in my suitcase before I left and that was hard to read. I was trying so hard to not cry because I know it's going to be hard but it's so worth it. I wrote an e-mail to my parents to let them know I was okay. It's so hard to think right now, my first day here, that I have an entire year here without seeing them. But I know I got the courage ad strength to embark on a journey like this from them. They know this will be tough for me but they are so encouraging and have been nothing but supportive in my decision to move.

As I laid down to go to sleep, I had to fight back tears thinking about everyone and everything I will miss in the next year. I was already missing home when I laid down on my bed, which felt like I was sleeping on concrete and realized I won't have my own bed for a whole year! I fell asleep for about 30 mins and I woke up and thought I was at home, once I realized where I was I was sad again. But I evenually fell asleep. It wasnt' the greatest nights sleep but it was just nice not be on a plane! When I got up this morning it was about 7 am and I couldn't sleep anymore. So what did I do, well if you know me at all you can probably guess, I went for a run! I brought my cell phone, some Korean cash, and the address to my hotel in case I got lost. Thankfully I found a nice running sidewalk and was able to run for about an hour. It felt great! When I got back to the hotel I showered had some oatmeal, yes I brought my own food! By then the other two girls were up and we started talking about this crazy adventure we were about to start. As we were talking we all started to tear up a little bit just thinking of this year without family and friends but then Lindsey put a twist on the situation. She said one of her friends had just finished a year teaching in South Korea and described the year as "an extension of undergrad." And that is very true. The 8 American teachers I will be working with will become my best friends over the next year and the experiences we will share will be unforgettable!

Although I know I will be homesick for the next couple of weeks, I am so glad I decided to take this risk. I still can't believe I'm in South Korea! And now I can say I have ran on another continent!!