being away

Being away is hard. I'm living in South Korea and all I've wanted to do all day is jump on the first plane available and fly home. This is the second time in a month that I've felt this way, and it's not something I'm particularly prone to. The reason is simple: my family has needed me and I can't be there for them. My last remaining grandparent died a few weeks ago and now my mama is sick and has been in the hospital for the past few days. What would YOU do in this situation? I am bound by a contract for the next eleven months to remain in Korea. I have lived away from my family before, even in another country and never felt so distant and helpless. I have mounting student debts I MUST pay off, and quickly, which is why I'm here in the first place. I love to travel, and due to my mama's health I figured this is the only time I would feel comfortable away from home.
I was wrong.
I'm not comfortable at all.
And although I want to go home,
I can't.
The most I can do is calculate the time change and call my parents when my mama comes home. This is life, and despite my sadness and frustrated helplessness, I am in Korea, possibly not to return for a long time. I'm not sure what the best course for me is. Hindsight is perfect and foresight unpredictable. Therefore I will cry, stay, appreciate Korea to the fullest I can, and call home. Maybe cry a bit more.
And then enjoy my short time in Korea with my friends.

Busan O Pusan

Oi yoi. It's been a bit of time since I blogged last. Chris and I are working in Pusan, South Korea now. We've moved into our respective apartments and started our respective jobs and slowly spending as much money as we make (ok, maybe that's just me). It's strange having such a small community of friends here. And I do mean SMALL. I have four other foreigners working at my school, plus about 10 Koreans (I only really know 4 of them). Then add Chris, Ashley and Dan and that's my circle of friends. In fact, that's the total count of people I know here (besides Adam and Leta who live in a different city). WEIRD. However, my situation warrants that I won't be travelling for a while after this stint in Korea. Not around the world anyway. Which means I am going to make the most of my stay here. I've gotten a few Christmas gifts for people back home and I must say, I'm an AWESOME gift finder! The cultural gifts here are beautiful, durable, and good quality. The Koreans buy it too, so you know it's generally good stuff. Chris lives near an AMAZING market, and there are more all around the city. One downer though, for any who are considering working over here, is being apart from family when they may need you. It's just not possible to drop everything and leave at the drop of a hat. My grandma died a few weeks ago in a car accident and there was nothing I could do for my family. There was also nothing they could do for me. In fact, I had to find out through email since I didn't have a proper phone yet. It sucked. It still sucks. I like it though. I live in a loft apartment and work at a great school. I make enough money that, if I scrimp and save and (maybe) work private lessons I MAY be able to pay off all of my student loans. The scenery is awesome, the city is really cool and big so there is lots of opportunity for going for a bike ride and just checking stuff out. It's an experience I will most likely never have again, and I'm going to enjoy and remember as much of it as I possibly can.