This blog was created out of a made up obligation, it was intended to keep friends and family up to date on my life in Korea.

This is my first post. I have been home from my year in Korea for a month and a half, maybe two months.

At this point Korea is a distant memory that I don't mind letting go of. To be concise, and maybe callous, "it was good, and I'm happy to be home."

My last night in Korea was eye-opening. Rose taught me how to clean a floor. I forget what I taught her, but I know it was something special. We scrubbed and arranged the furniture to disguise the disaster I was leaving behind. I left my mark.

Rose woke up in the early hours to see me and little Banjo off, thankfully, because I couldn't have made it to the curb alone. I didn't have that much luggage but it was heavy, and this time, unlike last time, I was traveling with a little animal. I decided to take a cab instead of the airport bus because I was paranoid that the bus driver would have an adverse reaction to my dog. The cab turned out to be a mistake, but it wasn't that horrible.

The man was driving slow, and making throat slash gestures at me, and then driving like a maniac. And every time we hit traffic he gave me gum. By the time we arrived at the airport I had 4 tbs of gum disgracing the space in my mouth. My cab ride was 100,000 won and, yes, I was royally "ripped off", but it is what it is. I was kind to the man who ripped me off.

I was excited about my first experience riding in business class from asia to north america. I had such high hopes. Those were abruptly taken away from me after I was issued my highly coveted ticket and it was taken away from me about just as quickly. I had a choice to make. I could fly business class and put Banjo (the little dog) in cargo, or I could fly economy and Banjo could fly with me. I had already put so much effort into preparing the trip so that Banjo did not have to fly in cargo, but I really wanted to sleep during the flight.

Well Banjo, I love you, and I gave up my great seat for you. And if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have got to sit next to the coke fiend army contractor who provided non-stop (and I mean non-stop) banter from points A to B, including, but not limited to, not allowing me to stand up so that he could jump over me and buying half of the in-flight duty free magazine.

But let me not get ahead of myself. I've skipped over the most important part of this day. The moment that I decided to go to security, while juggling my dog, and the few items that I was permitted to take on the airplane, quite awkwardly because none if it fit anywhere. And Banjo wasn't a happy camper and it wasn't even hour number 1. That important thing, my passport, was gone.

I thought, quite clearly, that I was going to be stuck in Korea for another week. And in that time, I would self destruct and implode. I nearly cried, and considered begging, and certainly blamed the person who took away my ticket for stealing my passport to punish me (for what?) After an hour of wanting to dissolve into nothing, I was quite happy when someone found my passport and brought it to the lost and found. It was true, I was free once and for all.

I got lost on my way to the lost and found, but once I had that little blue book with a horrible photo that I forbid anyone from looking at, I was free.

Some time passed and I was sitting next to the previously mentioned fiend.

"Can I have a snack? C'mon, I'm a fat guy! Coffee please! Oh c'mon, I need 6 more sugars. Ugh, my hands are shaking, I can't feel my fingers"

"Maybe you should drink some water"

"Yeah that's a good idea"

The rest of it I blocked from my memory. I'll finish this later...