Infancy

I value an experience, job, friend, challenge, etc. based on the amount to which it causes to learn and grow. Thus I am finding my experience here in South Korea to be priceless.

In essence, I am taking a crash course in the one subject I least enjoy: dependency/asking for help. I would rather "do it myself" in almost all situations, and though in some ways I am proud of this part of my character, in another sense I see it as a huge flaw.

So, here is a BRIEF list of what I've needed help doing over the past few weeks.

1. Eating (there is a somewhat specific etiquite on how/when to eat)
2. How to hand people money (you always hand it with two hands)
3. How to open a bank account
4. How to get the internet hooked up (I STILL don't have it...kind of killin' me, but eh.)
5. How to throw away my trash (there are separate bags for trash, recycling, and a special box for compost. Though, my neighbor told me to just throw my compost on the street or in a field because "in country [sic] things are different."
6. How to register as an alien-resident in SoKo
7. How to buy a bus pass
8. How/where to buy hangers for my clothing
9. How to BBQ (Korean style)
10. How to dry my clothes without them molding (in SoKo there are washing machines, but no dryers and super high humidity, so drying clothes has been somewhat of a challenge...now I know to use a fan/put the clothes on the rack, and then put the rack in my room when I have the AC on...both work quite well)

And frankly the list goes on...Here's the point. For a guy who likes to do everything on his own, it has been humbling to have to ask for help to do just about anything. And it's been a perpetual lesson on learning to rely/trust others, something about which I really think I have a lot to learn. And thus, being here in SoKo, though trying as hell at times, is hands down one of the most priceless experiences I have had thus far in life.

One last thought. And I had this the other day while walking in the beautiful bamboo forest in Ulsan (here's a link to a pic) because I often do some of my best thinking on the go...But, living abroad as an immigrant is far different than studying abroad and is surely a far cry from traveling abroad. Living here as an immigrant/alien-citizen means having to ask for help from random strangers. There is no study-abroad coordinator whose sole job is to take care of you. In fact, here, you are essentially on your own, left to have the courage and lack of ego necessary to walk up to, in some cases, complete strangers, and try to explain that you have taken what you thought to be the downtown bus but clearly have not and now need to get to where you are going. It is moments like those that I am completely at the whim of another, and I'm coming to realize, it doesn't have to feel tenuous and full of the potential for the other person to deceive me, but rather is a moment where I can bask in the goodness (most times) of humankind and feel thankful for the support that so often complete strangers here are willing to give me.

And people are people everywhere, thus the lessons in trust I learn here, are lessons I will carry with me back home eventually, and thus will likely become yet another, or rather, more defined facet of my personality.

Much love to everyone back home,
I miss you all. Truly, I do.