Mega Post Part 2

So I managed to sneak away from Korea for a week during Christmas Break. I flew back to the States on Christmas night, leaving Korea at 6 PM, and with the time zones and the International Date Line and a little bit of Christmas Spirit, I made it to Tampa at 10 PM on Christmas night. My dad and my brother picked me up at the airport.

I got back to Venice a little before midnight and woke my mom up. She started freaking out and crying because she thought something was wrong. I found it hilarious and I am still surprised everyone was able to keep the secret from her. I shared some of the gifts I had brought back and passed out due to the lack of sleep on my 20 hours or so of flying.

It was nice to be with my family after not having seen them for the past three months. For once, it seemed like mom was feeling ok and wasn't having any major health complications (with the exception of being in the process of getting a cold or something). It was also interesting seeing how much bigger my brother has gotten after working out pretty seriously for the past few months. Kind of makes me want to go to the gym more often. It's not like I've been slouching about though, seeing as I have lost 35 pounds in three months.

During my trip I was also able to meet up with some friends, as well as completely miss out on seeing some completely. I managed to see my little brother from my fraternity, my friend Megan, as well as some of my coworkers from Busch Gardens. I also passed out at home instead of going to a party with all my old high school friends, mostly due to some pretty serious jet lag.

One thing I learned while I was back home is that my stomach has definitely changed. I ate some different fried foods and they all upset my stomach. I also can't eat nearly as much as I used to. This in itself is a good thing, but it was upsetting because I didn't have the stomach to eat a lot of the foods I had been craving. (I had to throw this in because my dad pointed out that I talk about food in almost every post and I have to keep up with the tradition)

It was hard to come back to Korea, but it was the right thing to do. I definitely miss my family and friends, but I couldn't help but realize how unhappy I would be at home. Venice is a great place, but I need something more than what it has to offer at this point in my life. It doesn't help that my degree and resume aren't exactly the kinds that are in demand right now, and I would most likely be working in a job out of my field that would not be utilizing my skills. I also wouldn't have the same social life as I have over here. Plus I would completely miss the subway system over here. Still, it is hard to be away from my family and friends.

On my flight home I met a nice man who lives in Guam and has sailed around the world. We had some interesting conversations with the girl seated on my other side, who was visiting family in Thailand and studying to become an epidemiologist. After we landed in Tokyo, the man invited us to come to the Business-Class lounge. It was awesome. They had comfortable seats, free internet, and of course, free food. I got to try some interesting Japanese food, which is something I had never really had before. (More food references)

I managed to fall asleep on the flight from Tokyo to Seoul, which was very surprising. Upon exiting the airport I realized that all the bus ticket windows were closing and I had to run to get the last ticket back to my area. This was huge because the bus ticket is around 12,000 won, whereas a cab ride could have easily been over 80,000 won.

I still have more stories to tell, but this seems like a good ending spot for this post. Goodnight, and goodbye.