be-Beldened: like bedazzled, only with family

[psssst. no pictures in this post....maybe add some?]

As of yesterday, I've been in Korea for one year! That's pretty cool! On a 1 to 10 "different from America" scale, it's like an 8.2. Nothing to sneeze at. It got a little rough in the middle there (although, I never entirely lost my affection for this country, no matter how frustrating things got...mostly, it was feeling a bit lonely), but then New Friends-Taekwondo-Radio Show happened in April and my life got really full and really happy. Well, the radio was a bit stressful, but that's because I'm a damn spaz about writing.

So, I've got two more days of teaching (mostly, two more days of not murdering my co-teacher*) and then I'm off on a train to Seoul. I'll sleep...somewhere in the city. Sleeping in a jimjilbang (Korean bathhouse) would be cool (and only $10!). But there'd be no place to put my luggage and it would be a bit of a journey in the morning. Flight's at 11:30am on Wednesday, so I've got to be at the airport around 9am. Thankfully, Korean hotels are extremely cheap (there's A LOT of them...for a reason. but, that's for another day) so even an "expensive" room will be way under $100. NICE.

*That relationship began to go steadily downhill in April (perhaps offsetting the awesome swing in my personal life?), while preparing (drilling) the students for our demonstration class. It won't help me withstand her company for the next two days to rehash that here...much as I DO love a Cha-rant. Just gets me all worked up. 

I'm pretty much packed for home and my other stuff is stored with friends Wendy & Kevin (they're looking after the art toys), Whit & Lindsay (my [ amaaaaaazing recruiters ]. hey, [ guys ]! They took MOST of my stuff and I'm just blown away by their ceaseless kindness), and Sean & Stephanie (they got a miscellaneous box which hopefully be lovingly sat upon by their clumsy slurp cat). It's soooooo awesome to have my stuff waiting for me in the country and not having to haul it all to America and back. Dunno how I'll get it from Gwangju to Busan, but that's another...oh. Wait. [ Got it ]. Had the apartment cleaned and my good-byes are pretty well done. Possibly one more with my neighbor Alex and then a weepy love visit with my Korean family.

Dude, I just read that for my next visa, even an FBI criminal background check (which I applied for 2 weeks ago) has to be [ apostilled ]. Ho-ly shit. I mean, I guess that makes sense...that's what makes it legit internationally...but I thought involving my fingerprints and the FBI was amping the process up enough. I'm guessing that's 25% "ok, no criminals, please...yeah, that trip to Bali counts..." and that 75% is "more hoops means you want it!"

AHHHHHH I GET TO SEE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS SO SOON. sooooo many happy and excited. Also, ALLY IS IN COLLEGE NOW. And Tyler is officially taller than I am. And I'm gonna order a voice recorder before the week is through to record Stevey J stories. Oh, them Beldens. I can't wait to be covered in sloppy love chaos. yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

And I got annoyed getting stared at the other day on the bus (... about as silly as getting annoyed that water is wet...) which means that I'm clearly in NEED of some Amrrrrca time.

egad. it's way past my bedtime.

Ah, still need to plan tomorrow's lesson. Best get to bed.