Hello! I intended to write a message once I returned home, but as expected, the past few weeks have been busy. Rather, the weekends have been extremely busy with a wedding shower, trip to New York City, visit to see college friends in middle Georgia area, and March will conclude this weekend with the wedding.
The novelty of being home is slowly wearing off - starting to find myself bored at home looking for excuses to drive around town. Suppose it's safe to say I'm over my fears of driving again. Last weekend was the big push when I had to drive to an area of Georgia I'd never been to before.
Last night I began a few grad school applications to get the ball rolling. I want to pursue a master's in Instructional Technology with a focus in school library media, and fortunately it seems the GRE may not be required for some of the schools I'm looking at. Quite excited by that piece of news, though looks like I might have to return the study guide I just bought. Oh darn, less studying.
People have asked what things I'm missing about Korea, if I've experience reverse culture shock, etc. so let me answer a few of the questions.
1. What do you miss most about Korea?
This could be answered in a couple of ways. My first answer would be the food. About a week after returning home I had an intense dream about ssamjang sauce - the most amazing sauce used for Korean BBQ, my favorite dish. Even now, my mouth is watering at just the thought of the cooked meat with rice wrapped in a piece of lettuce.
My second answer is that I miss the independence. I'm back living at home, which is wonderful to spend time with my family and save on some bills, but obviously living on one's own provides independence, even small things, you can't find living at home. That's probably been the biggest adjustment.
2. Have you experienced reverse culture shock?
I thought I'd experience it most through music on the radio, but so far I've only heard a few songs I don't recognize. Maybe radio stations just play the same things more than I ever noticed before. My biggest case of reverse culture shock was during my trip to New York City. Crowded streets weren't unusual in Seoul, yet in NYC I could understand everything people were saying to each other -- it was shocking what people would say to one another in such close range to strangers. Perhaps that's the conservative side taking over, as was expected in Korea. I am still battling feeling self-conscious about how much skin or whatnot I show while out in Atlanta. It's getting hot quickly, so things are getting shorter and less material. I'm also more aware of what my friends say to me around others, particularly if it's bad words or maybe a topic I wouldn't so loudly (though it's probably actually a normal volume) share.
3. What's it like to be back?
A general question, but one I've been asked frequently. My go-to answer is 'strange'. It's vague, but provides just enough detail to answer the question. Really, it's a loaded question that's difficult to fully answer. I want to tell people about my time in Korea, but feel like some of the things I've done or seen will go over their heads and they won't be as interested in it as perhaps I want to be. But it really is strange to be home. I've found myself watching people more than I did when I was simply a resident. At times I feel like an outsider trying to find the way back into the crowd. My worries and others' worries might no longer sync. I told my best friend that I was concerned about how well friendships would hold up once I returned, including hers. I still have things in common with my friends, but I'm trying to find my way back into their lives. Previously I was just that friend they miss who's off in another country teaching English. I want to be more than that since I really did have some great life lessons while there, as utterly corny as that may be. And the kids. I want to talk all the time about the lovely, ridiculous, hilarious things my kids did but then I'd be like that parent who shows you hundreds of photos crammed in their wallet.
All in all, happy to be home. Some days I really miss Korea and wish I had hopped back on the plane, but then I'd just feel like I'm running away to what's safe. So, time to take what I've learned there and apply it to my new life in Georgia.
Thanks to those who've followed along with my blog from the beginning steps - I appreciate the readership. Maybe I'll update here now and then.
Wishing you all the best.
