Five. Not two. Not three. Not four. Five. That's what I had to go through. Five airports. Busan to Tokyo. Tokyo to Los Angeles. Los Angeles to Dallas. And
finally Dallas to home sweet home, New Orleans. After 25 hours on
airplanes/in airports and backtracking through 15 time zones I
finally set foot back on home soil. All things considered, I
couldn't have asked for an easier international flight home.
I know that my return home
will come as a shock to most and I kind of like it that way. My
ability to surprise family and friends will be an opportunity to show
my appreciation to those who've supported me through this entire
endeavor. There were many ups and down and I owe a great deal to anyone who
helped keep me sane through it all, so I thank you. Ideally, I'd
like to still be in Korea but certain circumstances (a terrible
employer and the threat of nuclear war) have brought me home, and
that's probably for the best.
Speaking of my sanity, I
was able to maintain it as best I could through art, music, and
writing. I seem to work best when I have a source of inspiration,
but a more accurate description would be a muse to fixate upon. It's no doubt because of some obsessive/compulsive disorder. So a
special thank you goes out to my muse for all that they have
unknowingly done.
I'll fondly look back on
all that I've learned and what I've accomplished while moving forward
in my new, old setting. While in Korea - the friends I've made, the art displays, the
traditions I've experienced, the food I've eaten, and the music I've
played - they were all more than worth it. There are going to be certain things that I will absolutely miss about Korea and conversely, there
will be things that I hope to never again have to deal with.
What lies next is simply a
new chapter in my life...if vinyl albums had a C-side, this would be
the beginning of mine.
