I’m just hours away from my flight back home. Actually, I’m about an hour away from leaving; I haven’t even showered yet.

I wanted to make one last post to say farewell to Korea. So, farewell Korea! I’ll miss you. It’s been a long, wonderful ride in this last year. I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.

For you blog readers, I’ve schedule a few future posts, which is something I don’t normally do. So, we’ll see how that works out.

It’s a continuation of my If you were a WordPress theme developer series. Please take some time and leave plenty of feedback. I hope to turn many of these ideas into WordPress-theme reality when I get settled in.

If you need to contact me by email for the next couple of days, please give me a little time to respond. If you’re a member over at Theme Hybrid, try to help each other out on the forums until I get back.

Well, I guess that’s it. I need to finish a few things, shower, and head to the airport.

I’ll be writing to you all from the United States next time.

Actually, exactly one year and one month ago, I was mere hours away from flying to South Korea.

I’m heading home soon. To the States. To Alabama. My home.

There’s a part of me that’s been waiting to see my family and friends for months. Another part of me — well, it’s still holding on to this place, yearning to stay just a bit longer, to see a little more.

To live a little more.

I feel like Korea is home.

I say this knowing that I haven’t seen the beautiful green trees of Alabama or, heck, an actual clean stream of water in a long damn time. I say this knowing that I haven’t eaten a great hamburger or had a glass of milk that doesn’t smell like it’s gone sour in over a year. Trust me, these things matter.

I also say this knowing that I’d marry about 50% of the female population here — no questions asked.

Honestly though, I suppose it’s easy to get attached to a place, especially if you’re working a great job with good money and have established friendships with people from all over the world.

That’s the real truth.

I’ve met people that I knew I’d have to say goodbye to one day, I just didn’t think it’d be so soon.

I’d been planning on staying until December, but (unless Superman himself will use his lightning speed to rush the visa renewal process) I’ll be leaving in two weeks.

I’ll go home happy.

I do want to stay longer, but I’ll be happy returning home too.

The only thing I can think of is how different everything will be. People tell me (those that have went home and returned to Korea) that it’s just plain weird hearing English everywhere. I think that’s part of the reason I like Korea so much — it’s quiet. Not being able to speak Korean let’s me tune the world out every now and then.

I can’t even imagine what it’d be like spending more than $10 a week on travel costs on the subway. My dad tells me that gas prices are up to somewhere around $4.50 per gallon in our state (there goes all my savings, riding around to all my friends’ houses to see them).

I love being able to walk over to Quizno’s in less than a minute or grocery shopping in two. I think the city life has spoiled me.

I’ll miss my students.

When I initially took a job teaching English to Korean kids, I was in it for the money and the chance to experience another culture. I didn’t realize I would actually like my job. Well, I figured it wouldn’t be too bad, but I quickly fell in love with teaching.

I’ve always had an interest in education because I came from a relatively poor county in Alabama. I always felt the educational system was lacking in a lot of different areas.

Never knew I’d care that much about teaching.

But it’s more than just teaching. I’ve known some of the students at my school for a year now. Some of them trust me to teach them. Others, well…others are just kids. Not all kids like school. Who knew?

I hate to leave my students behind just as much as my friends. In some ways, it might even be harder.

I still feel like a kid most days — I’m only 24. Of course, the receding hairline leads the kids to believe that I’m pushing 40.

What will I do from here?

Well, I’m not entirely sure. I do have a few plans in mind, a few things that I had planned on doing once I got home anyway. I might just have to push my schedule forward a bit.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll come back one day. I’m still young, not tied down by anyone or anything.

Well, my grandparents probably won’t ever let me leave their house when I get there. They’ll lock me up in their back bedroom. Not that it would be a bad life.

Granny cooks some killer…

Don’t all grandmothers cook the best everything?

These are from the Korean Folk Village. Unfortunately, for quite a few days, it rained, and I didn’t get to take as many pictures as I wanted.

I have the day off since it’s Children’s day out here in Korea. It was nice to just get up and take a walk this morning though. Here’s a few pictures from the area I live in.

You can view the larger images by clicking on the thumbnails. You can go to the image’s page by clicking the caption, even leaving a comment on individual images.

I might make this gallery thing a more permanent feature here on the blog. I haven’t decided whether to make it a post or static page thing yet. Mostly, I need to start sharing some pictures with the family.

Let me know what you think.

One of my Korean coworkers got married on Saturday. The most interesting part of the ceremony, mostly because I couldn’t understand a word that anyone said other than a song that was sung in English, was the Korean version of “I do.”

Generally, the preacher says, “Will you take this man/woman to be your husband/wife.” Then, the groom or bride says, “I will” or “I do” or “Yes” or some variation of those in a normal tone of voice. The groom in this wedding shouted—literally shouted—his vow to his bride.

I may not have understood the words, but I understood their power. He was telling the world that he was ready to go into this and not look back. I had goosebumps. Never in my life have I seen or heard someone so ready to step into the commitment that is marriage. And I’ve been to a lot of weddings.

That’s why I call it the “Wedding War Cry.” Men are always pumped up, with “clear eyes and full hearts” (Friday Night Lights), when they step onto the battlefield.

Maybe that’s what we should change about marriage in America. The bride and groom should shout “I do” when in front of the altar. They should shout it in front of their friends and family. They should shout it to their God or gods or metaphysical force. They should go into it like they are ready to fight as long as it takes.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

When I get married If I get married, I want to shout “I do.” I want let my wife know that I’m in for the long haul. Tell the world that this is the person I belong to and she belongs to me. Nothing can brake our bond.

Marriage is a battle, right? Maybe we should go into it as if running into a front line of 1,000 bayonet-armed men.

Lately, I’ve been blogging a little too much about WordPress and all kinds of mumbo-jumbo for the Internet junkies. Today, however, I’m going to share with you a little movie. Yes, a movie! Last Monday, I was put to the “Milk Challenge.” Little did I know, when I decided to take this challenge, that it was physically impossible.

It started as a friendly conversation last Monday over some mondu (beef-wrapped dumplings, my favorite food in Korea). One of my coworkers and I got into a conversation about drinking a gallon of milk in 15 minutes. I said, “I can do it.” I’m not sure what was going through my head at that moment and what the other details of that conversation were, but I know I said I could do it.

Fast forward a few minutes. My coworker and another left the restaurant before I did to get back to the office, and when I got back, there was already a pool going on whether I could actually do it. I had few supporters (mostly people encouraging me enough to do it and see me vomit).

The challenge:

• Drink a gallon of milk.
• You have 15 minutes.
• You cannot vomit.
• The milk is provided.
• $5 payout if you finish.

Worst idea of all ideas ever. Here is the result of my little challenge. I made it through 2.5 liters of milk, which isn’t too bad. (Warning! Do not watch if you have a weak stomach.)

Yes, that was nearly 2.5 liters of milk coming back out of me at once. And, let me tell you, that wasn’t the worst of it. Drinking that much milk is not natural. It does horrors to your bowel movements. I have never heard my stomach make some of the noises it made last week. At least my coworker gave me $5 for effort.

As a side note: the “real” milk challenge is supposed to be done in an hour. I didn’t find out that little piece of information until a little later in the day, after I’d already signed myself up to vomit my milk.

I’m a few days late on blogging about my trip to Fukuoka, Japan, I know. But, I have a good excuse. When I got back from my trip, the backlight to my computer screen was dead. Therefore, I was without Internet access for a few days, at least until I bought a monitor for $15 from a friend.

I wanted to write about my experience, but sadly, the moment had passed. It was an agonizing two days, waiting on a monitor.

How was my trip? It was one of the most fascinating trips I’ve ever been on. Sure, I only spent two days in Japan, but you can get a lot done in two days. I got a visa to work in South Korea for the next year, explored some ruins, took a “swan boat” ride on a lake, went to the top of the Fukuoka Tower, sang karaoke with a live band, and met a beautiful Japanese woman that almost convinced me to simply stay in Japan.

See? That’s a lot.

What’s that you say about a beautiful Japanese woman? My lips are sealed shut on this one, except to say that after only one night, I’m pretty sure my next vacation spot will be in Fukuoka, Japan.

I loved Japan and almost didn’t want to leave—for reasons other than the woman I met. The city is beautiful. It is nestled in between mountains, trees, and beaches. The people actually seemed surprisingly friendly too. Even though I like where I’m at in South Korea, I haven’t experienced this type of welcoming from Koreans. The city is clean. And, you must watch out for bicyclists! I’ve never seen so many bicycles in my life.

The driving on the left side of the road, walking on the left side of the sidewalk, and riding on the left side of the escalator felt odd though. Everything was expensive too. Subway rides were way overpriced. I quickly learned to get the all-day pass.

I almost felt a little at home. Everything was so Westernized, yet the city seemed to hold onto its Eastern roots. It felt like a good mix of different cultures.

Speaking of different cultures, I saw way more white people than I’ve seen in a while too. I can also definitely notice the difference between Korean and Japanese people. Before I moved to this side of the world, I couldn’t tell one Asian person apart from the other, as far as their nationality was concerned. I noticed a much more “exotic” look to the Japanese. People dress much differently too. Women wear way more revealing clothing from what I noticed. That’s probably due in large part to the Westernization of the culture.

The only thing I regret about the trip was that it lasted less than two days. I just want to explore Japan even more. There’s so much more that I haven’t seen. I hope I get a chance to go back there at some point.

Note: I’ve added a flickr photostream to my sidebar for the time being. Until I can come up with a more permanent solution for allowing users to view photos, this will have to do.

In just a few short hours, I’ll be boarding a plane, taking off for Fukuoka, Japan. This is what is called a “visa run.” Basically, I’m going over to get my work visa for the next year.

One summer. Three vast, new places. Life is funny.

I moved to Atlanta, Ga. earlier this summer to stay with my sister. Took a crap job. Got offered a better job in Seoul, South Korea. Now, here I am. One month into my stay in Korea, I’m leaving for Japan for a couple of days. My tourist visa has now expired.

One summer. Three countries. Life is a bit funny sometimes.

Needless to say, I’ve been a bit lost all summer. Learning and coming to appreciate new homes, then packing up and leaving. Not to mention that I left my five-year home of Auburn, Ala. And I loved that place.

Chuseok is coming up soon. Friday’s our first day off work for this major Korean holiday. I don’t have any travel plans since I don’t have much money at the moment. It should give me a few days to recuperate and get my bearings.

I’ve had a long, twisting, turning summer. A few days of downtime is probably what I need.

I’m off to catch a plane.

I was thinking about that quote a couple of weekends ago (I know, I should’ve been blogging since then). I was homesick. It took a couple of weeks, but I felt it. Really, I just didn’t have anything to do. I was sitting around my empty apartment on the weekend, waiting to do nothing. I’m over it now though.

It’s probably common to be a little homesick sometimes. If I only had a few more of my things, it would be easier. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m enjoying Korean culture. There are some things I miss.

• Milk that doesn’t taste like it’s going to be sour tomorrow.
• Good hamburger meat (ground beef).
• Wal-Mart (Even though I hate what they’re doing to the Mom-and-Pop stores, I’m a Wal-Mart addict).
• Oly and Smeagle (my cats).
• Of course, I miss family, but I’m used to not seeing them for months at a time.
• Clothes drier.
• American football.

There are a few other things I miss, but these are the main ones. I really miss football. [insert sad Justin face]

Back to the original quote. I was thinking about that line because I wanted to go home like I’ve never wanted to go home before. Alabama, my home.

I think I have this ideal vision of what home means, but that home doesn’t exist. At least not anymore. I haven’t truly been home (Highland Home, Ala.) in the last five years. It’s definitely a part of me. Much of what or who I am has been shaped by that place. But, I’ve changed since then. That’s why they say you can never go home again—it’s not because home is different; it’s because you’re different.

A different person. Home is that place as you remember it. Home is a memory. Memories are in the past and will forever be there.

Part of it is my dreams. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had the most vivid dreams of things that have happened and things that never happened. But, they all come back to Highland Home and Auburn, Ala. Those places. It’s a bit freaky how vivid my dreams have been. (Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.)

So, about South Korea—I’m living the dream. Sometimes, I have to sit back and tell myself, “I’m living in a foreign country.” I’m living the freakin’ dream. “L-I-V-I-N.” I have to reflect on that thought for a few moments.

And guess what? I love teaching. It’s quite possible that I’ve found my calling (other than writing the great Southern American novel, of course).

I love the culture here. People are generally a lot nicer than Americans. Emphasis on a lot. I will start taking Korean language classes this Friday. So, wish me luck. Also, I’m flying to Japan next Tuesday and Wednesday to get my work visa, which is very cool. After that, I’ll have the USA, Mexico, South Korea, and Japan crossed off on my “countries visited” list. (Okay, so the USA doesn’t really count.)

As a side note: one of the reasons I haven’t blogged as much is because of electrical problems. My plug converter doesn’t work well with my computer. So, I have to charge up my computer battery, then get on the computer, which gives me a limited amount of time. I use most of that time to keep in contact with others through e-mail, messenger, MySpace, and Facebook. I hope to find an adapter soon, so that I can keep my computer powered all the time.

Maybe I’ll upload some pictures soon. Until then, have a good night or morning or afternoon—wherever you are.

I’ve enjoyed the school so far, but I won’t mention much about my actual work here on the site because I know people have gotten fired for blogging about work in the past. Nevertheless, I’m enjoying it. If you ever do want to know more details about my work, which is teaching Korean children English, you can just ask in the comments and I can e-mail you.

So far, I’ve enjoyed South Korea. Sure, after a week, I’ve felt a little homesick. But, I’m sure that’s more to do with not being able to call everyone I’m used to calling. My cell phone was like a drug, and I’m feeling some of the withdrawal pains now.

The language barrier is a little rough, but as long as you can figure out the money system, it’s easier to get around. I’ve really got to learn my numbers.

I’ve tried Korean barbeque, Korean pizza, and various cabbage-type things (I actually enjoy cabbage now, who knew?). However, I haven’t been eating as much since I’ve arrived, which may not be a bad thing considering how much weight I’ve gained in the last year.

My first week has been a little overwhelming—learning a new job, language, culture, and city. Even though it has been been overwhelming, I’ve enjoyed the experience thus far.

I plan on updating with some pictures at some point, and becoming a more frequent blogger also. Now that I’m settled in, I’m sure it’ll be easier.