We had a wonderful Christmas Eve, even though I pooped out during A Christmas Carol after dinner and stayed home from midnight mass. Christmas morning was cozy, and it was probably more fun to watch my family open their Korean-style Christmas presents than to open my own, which is not to say that part wasn't pretty fun too!
After Christmas, I spent a hectic week and a half trying to see as many people as possible. I felt a bit like a chicken-sans-head, but catching up with my family and friends was just what I needed after being away so long and feeling a bit disconnected. It's almost unnerving how much people's lives change when you leave for a few months: my brother Tom bought a jaguar (which I got to drive!!!!), my brother Alex is engaged and living in a new apartment, a handful of my friends graduated, some are moving away or have moved and already adjusted to new lives, and everyone is beginning or continuing their own adventures with jobs and graduate school programs. I guess I almost expected time to freeze back home and for my stateside life to be preserved for me as I go on my own adventure. That shows how egocentric my perspective can be! : P
This is at a dinner with Mandy, who is beginning her shining journalistic career at the Advocate-Messenger in Danville, Ky, and Dunja and Jennifer, who are heading to Brazil and Argentina, respectively, for Fulbright ETA positions in the spring. I printed a sweet coupon off Restaurant.com and we had an awesome dinner at the Fleur de Lis Cafe with a $50 discount!
Other highlights of my time home included heading to Henryville shooting range with my brothers, their friends, and Eddie then to Rich-O's for excellent pizza and beer:
and cooking samgyeopsal, or Korean-style grilled pork belly, for my family:
Repacking was very hard after what felt like only a few days. I was just beginning to settle into a sense of familiarity, and I felt pretty frustrated with the limitation on my time at home, which was constrained by contract only, not by responsibilities to my school or other obligations. I felt like I was being robbed of the people I love with every pair of socks I jammed into my suitcase between Christmas presents for my host family. I left Louisville in poor spirits, having left my parents and Eddie in tears. But I arrived in Portland for my second layover and some GREAT NEWS: Eddie called to tell me he has been accepted to the TaLK program and will be heading to Korea for orientation and training as an elementary school English teacher in February! I'm so excited to have him so close so soon! His province, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is to the East of mine, and we'll probably be separated by at least a 3 hour train/bus ride, but it is a beautiful province (I've been to Gyeongju, a city there, a couple times), and the distance will encourage us to meet up and travel to cities throughout Korea.
Overall, I think going home and then tearing myself away has taught me something about myself: as much as I have romanticized the idea of having the life and mentality of an international wanderer, I happen to be a person firmly rooted in my home and my family. I've realized I would rather know my home and miss it while I'm away than float through life with no anchor.
Stay warm!
Eileen
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