Change of Plans

It’s a Sunday evening….almost midnight.  Typically way past my bedtime.  But I suppose this is not a typical evening for me… as I am not nestled in my bed at English Village seeking respite on my hard Korean mattress.  I am in the United States.

It’s an unexpected turn indeed.  Truthfully I didn’t see it coming.  I recently learned that a family member is facing some health challenges. Since then the idea of vacation time in some foreign or exotic location just seemed dull and lifeless to me.  What did appeal to me, however, was taking my vacation and a little extra time to visit with my family.  Within just a week of that realization, here I am back in the States.

My place of employment in Korea couldn’t have been more supportive.  “Family comes first,” they said when I shared my news and request for some time off.  After that it was just a matter of booking a flight and I was on my way.

I left South Korea on Tuesday September 17 at 5:00 pm… and miraculously arrived in San Francisco on the same day at 11:25 am.  Try doing that trick at home.  I took a few days in San Francisco to rest and meet with an alternative healthcare doctor for some of my own health challenges/concerns and then was on my way to the mid-west where my family lives.

After living in Korea for 9 months, my return to the States has been pretty smooth.  Like fitting back into an old shoe or a well-known and loved pair of jeans.  Comfortable beds and mattresses, clothes dryers, dish washers, and an abundant choice of fresh foods and restaurants. Staying with my parents I am enjoying some relaxing time that is almost decadent in a childlike sort of way.  Morning trips shopping with my mom, afternoons spent watching a movie together, resting in the comfortable chair that is so soft and relaxing that my body is practically in ecstasy.  Did I mention that my parents have a bathtub?  And not just any bathtub, but a great big one… with jets!

Of course while there is some much-needed rest and relaxation on my end, this trip is about more than just me needing a vacation or taking a break.  It’s about being present and being available for a family member’s health challenges and being connected to my family during this time.

I will leave it at that for now.  It’s time for me to go to bed and act like I am going to sleep… and perhaps sleep indeed for a few hours before lying again restlessly awake as my body protests that it is not night.

Good night (or good morning or whatever time it is…) from the cool earnest land of the Mid-West United States.

Tags: Gyeonggi English Village, Travel, United States