Less than a month ago I was still writing about spring break part 1 in Taiwan, yet here we are on the other side of spring break Part 2. There are definitely days that I complain about this job, and I sometimes wonder if my skills couldn't be better utilized elsewhere, but the vacation time really is a sweet reward. For April break we decided to stay in Korea, in part to save money, but also so that we had a chance to visit Seohui's family before jetting off to America. The trip quickly turned into a bit of a reunion tour for Seohui, with stops in Gyeongju and Busan - his University and High school towns, and both cities I've always loved to visit. I snuck in a visit to my first home, Buksam and was eager to meet up with old friends along the way. Wanting to add a new experience we also decided to add Yeongduk to the list, where I'd finally be able to taste the long heard about King Crab. Despite my desire to stay put after our constant movement in Taiwan, I found myself on a similar time-line for this break as well, but I was excited for each step of the journey and knew rest would be waiting for me back in Jeju. Flights were unusually sold out and expensive which resulted in a very early morning, leaving the house at 5:45 to catch a bus (and avoid parking) to the airport for our 8 am flight. Arriving in Daegu early gave us plenty of time to explore and eat before catching a bus to his hometown to meet the parents. We stashed our bag in a locker and headed for Seomun market, a place that on my last visit to Daegu made both my stomach and heart very full. Oddly, this time around I was without much of an appetite and finished only half of my bibimbap, guksu meal, while all I really was in the mood for was more coffee. I bought maybe my first Daegu souvenir and tried my luck at H&M before remembering that clothes in Korea are made for those without an ass or hips. The failed attempt at shopping didn't help my mood, but the hour of quiet on the bus to Changnyeong allowed for a small recharge. His parents were at a town sports competition, so after dropping our bag at the apartment we drove over to meet them. While I appreciated the neutral ground and distraction for a first meeting, I didn't realize this also meant that I would be meeting grandma, aunts and uncles. Equal parts awkward and entertaining my first few hours in Changneyong were anything but boring. The girlfriend parade was cut short by rain so we opted instead for a tour of town including his old home in the village of three roads (삼거리), and old, now abandoned, elementary school, and his parents farm. The day ended with an early dinner of BBQ eel with his parents (at my prior request) and I'm pretty sure we were all in bed before 9pm, ready to do it all again the following day. Expecting nothing less, I awoke to the faint cooking noises from the kitchen with smells soon to follow. His parents were out the door early to go work on the farm which gave me little relief that I wouldn't be watched during breakfast or told to eat more. I woke with strange shoulder pains so we decided to visit the Korean medicine clinic for some morning acupuncture, nothing like starting the week with a handful of needles in your shoulder, back, and neck. After a quick stop by the farm to say goodbye to his parents we were on our way north to Buksam, the first town I ever lived in, a place that holds so many memories. One of my good friends Joonwoo agreed to meet in Buksam for lunch, and it was so interesting to watch my worlds collide. Joonwoo who has known me since my first stay in Korea and watched me come and go multiple times, and now Seohui who is still learning about all the paths I've taken. Lunch was filled with great food and even better conversation, many laughs and even more promises for the future, each of us with big plans and dreams. With my heart as full as my stomach I said goodbye to Joonwoo and Seohui and I toured my small town to see what if anything had changed. I'd been back once since leaving in 2014, but nothing much had changed at that time. Now though I was distracted by the monstrosity of an Apartment complex that sprouted up in the middle of the city, I guess it was only inevitable as these complexes slowly cover the nation. I was excited to confirm that my memory is in fact as good as everyone says it is, someone recalling the 7 digit building passcode to my old apartment. Unfortunately the rooftop was locked with a deadbolt so I couldn't get the full nostalgia tour, but the memories came flooding back none-the-less. I noticed a handful of other changes, a mom and pop store becoming a "GS25" and a new sports complex at the community park, but the town still held the same charm I grew to love years ago. I never would have guessed that I would spend spring break from my job on Jeju island, touring Gyeongsang-do with a boyfriend, each of us sharing memories of small-town life from 10+ years ago. This wasn't the only time during the trip that I held such feelings. It seemed that every city we visited we were both sharing stories of places we visited, people we knew or great food we ate. Not only were we able to enjoy our time off together, traveling and eating, but the stories and memories allowed us to learn more about who we were and how we came to be.
1 Comment
Loudine
4/26/2023 08:53:24 am
I loved going on this nostalgic (and exciting!) journey with you! Thanks for the blast from the past and a glimpse into parts of Korea relatively few foreigners get to see.
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AsiaKoreaWhere to start. After living on and off in this country for nearly 10 years I have memories, experiences and stories galore. I'll now always be a bit partial to the Land of the Morning Calm. Filled with delicious foods, beautiful nature and friendly people, I'm always happy to return. Archives
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