A Realization

I recently got a package with a nice reminder from my amazing (and super inspiring) friend, Samora:

That's right, I jumped out of a plane last summer!  That (plus my superpower ring) is enough to remind me that despite some of the daily frustrations here, I got this.

As if on cue, everything is starting to fall into place here on the home front:

• Monday: Our black-out blinds get installed
• Tuesday: Our bed and mattress both get delivered 
• Wednesday: Our couch gets delivered

Bam!!  Virtual high-five to everyone who has been patiently listening to our home furnishing saga (absolutely riveting, I know).  

When I flew to Seoul via Narita in September, I was seated behind a boy who must have been about 5 years old.  About half-way into the 13.5 hour flight, I hear him ask his dad: "Are we there yet?"  His dad would say, no, we're not, and to his credit, tell him in an adult-like fashion how many hours were left (the little boy clearly didn't believe his dad, because he would ask the flight stewardess how far we were every time she would pass).  Any annoyance I had at the situation was completely erased when we touched down in Narita and I hear the boy yell with triumph: "WE!! DID!! IT!!"  As soon as his father unbuckled his seat belt, he turned around to give us all high fives, repeating: "We did it! We did it!"  Given that it's taken us more than a month to get our basic furnishings, I thought of that boy as soon as the couch delivery men left: we did it!!

It's funny because as long as this whole process took on the macro level, service in Seoul on the micro level is the absolutely best I've seen around the world.  Delivery men text or call saying what time they'll be there, and they show up anywhere between five minutes before the stated time or five minutes after -- but never later than that.  They are so nice and efficient, and do not expect any tip (in fact, we've been told that it's insulting to tip them -- which is so weird to us because it's the best service we've ever experienced!)

With the major physical elements of home in place, I think something has clicked psychologically as well.  I was over at a neighbor's house down the street (I have somehow managed to become friends with four 60-something year old women, who love to have me over and drink and laugh and speak English with me!).  Conversation tends to be a round-robin of them asking me random things that have clearly been on their minds, often with no transition points: "When do you use the word, "jerk"?"; "How do you feel about kissing in public?"; "I hear that Christmas is very important to Americans; what are you doing for Christmas?"  So anyway, we get to talking about Christmas and our plans to meet my parents in the Philippines.  

I say, "So we'll all be together for Christmas, but then Tyler is coming home early, while I'm staying in the Manila with my parents."  They get excited hearing about these plans, but I sit there a bit stunned.  I realize it's literally the first time I've called Seoul "home".

I had tea yesterday afternoon with a friend, another GSG wife who moved here in late summer.  She says: "I'd be happy living here forever!"  It's the second friend I've heard say that.  I'm not quite sure I'd go that far (in fact, I'm quite certain that's very far from how I feel!).  But I get it.  South Korea is actually quite a comfortable life.  The quality of life here is amazing.  Within a ten minute walk from our house, there's a lake, a river, and a giant park (which I hear is the largest in Seoul).  There are 37 mountains in the Seoul area, many of which are accessible by subway.  It's likely the prettiest city I've ever lived in and easily the most gorgeous fall I've experienced, with trees all over the city and colors galore.

And then there's the technology.  Juxtaposed with nature is the most high-tech city I've seen (except for maybe Tokyo).  I still owe you guys a proper tour of our apartment, complete with all the technology and remote controls.  Our apartment building is only a year old, so perhaps this all is to be expected.  But a friend of mine lives in a neighboring building that was built ten years ago, where every apartment unit comes with a projector for the TV and Bose surround sound -- can you imagine that being standard in every apartment ten years ago?!  It's insane.

While New York will always be where I consider home, I'm realizing each day that Seoul is a nice stopping off point along the way.

Plus, whoever said you should limit yourself to just one home anyway.