Fall Has Fallen

The sun shined through the doors as I left school one afternoon about two weeks ago. I was a bit discouraged when it had immediately become fall. By immediately, I realized that I hasn't been outside in the daylight for the entire week...bad move! I work out in the morning before school so I go in the doors at a time of day that shows off the couple of constellations that can be seen in the early morning sky. That week I had gotten particularly busy in the afternoons and had left school after dark as well. Although I wasn't really happy about the realization, there was only one good way to counter my indoor time - early morning hike! What a blessing my Sunday morning was. I decided to hop on the train and go back to the fist trail that I had hiked after arriving to Seoul. Even though I went on a solo hike, it was really me and my 3,000 closest hiking buddies. If there is one thing that Korea does way better than Colorado, it is enticing people to be active! Hard to believe that the State of 14ers has far fewer hikers than even the population of Seoul. Trying to achieve a peaceful morning hike, I equipped myself with my new multi colored Korean hiking jacket and my ear buds. I put on some acoustic worship music and started up the mountain. A fog had set in over Mt. Dobongsan and it was magical! I could try to describe the beauty, but I guess that whoever realized that pictures can do what words can't was pretty wise, so here are a few thousand words worth of beauty. It did my heart and soul some good to soak in the beauty of Gods art work on Earth.

Settled

Settled...what a powerful word on so many levels. I can honestly say that I didn't expect to have that word or any of its meanings pop into my mind when describing life here at all this first year. Much to my suprise, that is exactly how I have started to feel. Bored? not in the slightest. Assimilated? Not a chance. Acting like a local? Not quite. Settled? I do believe so :)

When I come in the door of my apartment, it feels like home. Not like my parent's home, like the house I share, like the place I am staying...it feels like my home, when I am starting to build my life as my own. Things that seemed so foreign are just my normal activites now. Don't get me wrong. Going to the grocery store is still an event, but I know where things are now and all of the people on the microphones marketing thier tastly treats doesn't even phase me anymore. I can read enough Korean (and recognize the words) to know what some of the ingredients are. I can sound out words of things I have translated so that I can ask where to find them. All things that I thought would take FOREVER to get use to are part of my routine now. All of the entertaiment that comes along with public transportation is still entertaining, but it is still what I am use to. When one of the families mentioned that they are looking at getting a car, it hadn't occured to me that it would be so weird thinking about driving somehwere. Oh how my world has changed. 

It is a bit sad that some of the newness has worn off and I don't have nearly as many 'oh my gosh, this is real life' moments. There is no replacement for the excitement and rose colored glass attitudes that come with a brand new adventure. On the other hand, I have started having awesome moments when it occurs to me 'this is my city...were I live' and those moments are equally as rewarding. Its an ownership and realization that I am a small piece in a 20 million piece puzzle...but I am part of the puzzle and I like it.