I love Korea!

Hello All!

This will have to be brief because it's 4pm Friday, I'm at the school, and we're supposed to be leaving.

I arrived (much later than planned) and all's well! Great huge apartment, warm, safe, just met my Korean counterparts today (wonderful people!), eating lots of delicous food, and much to do!

More soon if I can find an internet cafe. No internet at my place until I get my Alien Registration card two weeks from now.

Count down: 1 day left (until I'm *in* Korea!)

Tonight's the night. Tomorrow (Colorado's tomorrow) I'll be *in* Korea- yay!

I just had my last yummy Nepalese meal. I just had my last happy carousel ride.

Thank you to my friends and family for your sage advice!

Whatever I forget to pack, I can get there or have mailed to me. So long as I have my passport, and a few other crucial items, I'm good to go.

Next time I write, it will be from Korea!

Thanks again to all of you for your endless support!

Count down: 2 days left

I'm not sure about my counting on this count down but whatever...

I know this.

I fly out of Colorado tomorrow (Friday) evening.

I will arrive in Seoul Sunday morning (Korea time) which is Saturday afternoon Colorado time.

I am pretty much ready.

I weighed my bags with this very handy handheld scale by balanzza.

Side note:  Thank you friends and family for all your wonderful gifts and supportive words!

Count down: 3 days left

Whew- I have tickets now!

Orange Travel, a travel agency in Ontario, Canada, that has a business relationship with HandS Korea, emailed me today a flight itinerary. I then called them and paid over the phone for the tickets they suggested.

I leave Denver this Friday evening (Colorado time). I'll have a 1.5 hr layover in Los Angeles. Then I fly to Seoul where I'll arrive in the morning this Sunday (Korea time).

Apparently other teachers are arriving at the same time so we'll travel together to Daejeon!

Work/Orientation starts 9am Monday morning (Korea time)!

How am I feeling? Super excited! And a little nervous but not too much...

Kimchi and K-pop, here I come!

Count down: 4 days left

Just now I called the Korean Consulate in San Francisco and they said they will mail me my work visa today, Tuesday, 4pm (California time) so I should have my visa and passport tomorrow, or the latest Thursday morning (my time)! I could be leaving earlier than I originally thought!

Now I'm on the lookout for flight info from the recruiters. Once I get my visa & passport, it is my responsibility to book my flight. (They will reimburse me.)

Time to finish packing!

Count down: 5 days left

Today I called the Korean Consulate in San Francisco to confirm they'd received my passport and visa application - they had (just today) - yay! It will take 2-3 business days to process. Then they'll mail it back to me.

I also had an email from HandS Korea (an AWESOME job recruiting company) in which they gave me a few options of when to travel depending on when I receive my visa.

I may be leaving as early as this Friday...

This evening I danced the last dance with my parents and others at International Folk Dance class...

Count down: 6 days left

Counting today, I have 6 days left (today, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday). I will most likely be leaving for Korea on Saturday, 18 Feb 2012.

This morning was my last tea/coffee with my dad and the "Group W Bench" at the trains.

Funny how time is more like an accordion now than normally. It's as if one moment it's frozen, like the lovely lacy jack frost on the grocery store windows. Other times, time seems to crash down out of the blue, making a lot of noise, like the icicles on the roof just did- I heard them!

Funny how it seems I'm similar to a pregnant-for-the-first-time mother, or a child right before their very first day of school. All I can think or talk about is one thing. In my case, it's not a baby, or my first day of school, but rather:  Korea!

Now to pack! (Yikes!)