. . . Back in Korea

Well, did I have an odyssey getting back to Korea . . .

What happened was that my family and I went to see/meet cousins my dad and I haven’t seen in many years on Saturday, February 15—the day I’m flying out to Korea. As can be expected from short family reunions where everyone gets along, we lost track of time. So when we did leave,  we had to drive about an hour north to Orlando and through its heavy traffic, finally making it to the check-in counter, only to be told I was too late.

What? I missed my flight to Korea by a few minutes? Joann, try not to freak out . . .

Thankfully the ticketing agent booked me on another flight. My original plan was to fly out from Orlando on Saturday night and make it to Korea by early Monday morning (Korean time). But with this change, I had to fly out early Sunday (Feb. 16) morning and arrive in Korea by Monday afternoon. This new itinerary changed a few plans I had. Oh well, they’re postponed to a later and more convenient date. Either way, the important thing was for me to arrive on Monday, which happened.

Even though this was due to a missed flight, it went better than I could have imagined! First off, in my flight from Orlando to San Francisco, I was bumped up to Economy Plus class (I flew United all the way—hey, beggars can’t be choosers), so I had extra leg room and was able to nap a little. On my second flight (San Francisco to Incheon/Seoul), I had an entire 2-seat row in the back all to myself. I was able to get a few hours of sleep in, which helped immensely. The choices of entertainment were very limited, and that plane didn’t have the personal entertainment system, but considering I had extra space, I think it was not too shabby at all.

So yes, a lost flight, a last-minute flight with unseen and unexpected benefits, 18+ hours of travel time, and a load of mixed emotions later, I arrived to Korea safe, sound, and excited to begin a new chapter.

It is Tuesday, February 18. We have just arrived in Jeonju University for the EPIK orientation that will begin tomorrow. I probably won’t be able to share much during that time. So just know I’m ok and gathering stories to share.

Ah, something I forgot to mention: You will not see pictures on my blog for a while. Why? I forgot to bring my camera. By the time I remembered, I had already passed through airport security and my parents were long gone from the airport (with my camera in the trunk, where my luggage used to be). I’m still sad about that. I’ll try not to think about it too much. At least this way I can enjoy the moments better, without worrying about capturing anything on camera.