Gems may be precious, but friends are priceless.

The year was 2005.  I got home from work and there was an envelope on the table from the college I had recently committed to attending.  The last piece of mail I had received from them was my acceptance letter (life altering news as you can imagine) so it stood to reason that I was anxious to open this one as well.  It was my housing paperwork, which included the name and contact information of my new roommate.  This letter too would have a long standing effect on my future.

When it comes to freshman roommates at college you hear far more tales of horror than success stories.  That’s to be expected; all the schools really have to go on is a short questionnaire that most people lie on.  “Are you clean?”  Well yeah, if I say no I’m gonna get put with a slob.  “Do you drink?”  Not yet.  “Do you smoke” We’ll find out.  How much does someone really know about themselves when they’re 18 years old?  Most pairs are able to make it through at least one year.  Just suck it up and find someone better for next year.  I imagine the retention rate is VERY low.  Unless you get lucky.  My freshman roommate became one of my closest friends and there are few people I’ve seen more adventures with.  Through the ups and downs, on road trips and ski trips, during all nighters and early mornings, with other friends and on his own Josh Doerschuk is the kind of guy you want in your corner.

When you trace back through life there are always going to be times when you deviate from “the plan.”  Most people have developed at some point or another in their life an idea of what comes next.  Some look as far ahead as 10 or 15 years while others decide up to lunch time.  There are plenty who use landmarks as a way to gage where they should be in life.  “I’ll be settled into my career by 24, married at 26 and have at least one rug rat by 28.”  While these are nice benchmarks to try and adhere to, few actually achieve them on time OR in that order.  I had a plan once…it didn’t go well.  In fact, I’ve had plans my whole life.  I had a set path that would allow me to achieve each step with ease.  Not a single thing has fallen into place the way I thought it would.  Come to find out when you have friends like Josh, that’s not so bad.

 

Josh has been there to help brush me off every single time I’ve veered from the path and made a crash landing.  Most of the time he greets with a smile and kind words, but when needed he serves me with the necessary kick in the pants.  There are two reasons I’ve dedicated this blog entry to him, today is his birthday and he’s pretty much the reason I’m in Korea.  It was his suggestion this summer that got me thinking about it and his persistence that got me on the plane.  There are times when I curse him for dragging me away from the States and others where I think it’s not so bad after all.

So if you’re reading this and you can think of someone who is a friend, inspiration, motivator or listener…let them know.  Don’t wait for their birthday.  Don’t hesitate in hopes for a good opportunity.  Don’t look for a special occasion.  Do it now.  Call, text, e-mail, deliver flowers, make a card, send a carrier pigeon or smoke signal…do whatever it takes to let the people of your life know they are appreciated.  If they make a difference to you…take the time to make a difference in their life today.

Seoul Survivor

Like travel in any foreign country, Korea has its positives and negative.  One of the drawbacks; the glaring lack of Steak n’ Shakes.  One of the big positives; the minimal risk of EVER running into a dangerous situation after dark.  In the US we evade back alleys and poorly lit streets without even thinking; here it’s just as automatic to USE those same options.  Not once have I felt unsafe while walking the streets, which is kind of nice.  Well I consider myself a smart traveler, not just a tourist, so I was ready to abandon that approach to Korea this week when I traveled North.  With over 10 millions people strong living in Seoul, Korea’s bustling capital is the world’s 8^th most populated city.  Not the kind of place I want to be wondering down dark alleys right?  Not necessarily.

The reason Korea is absurdly safe is…the people.  Outside of their incessant stares and disregard for personal space, Koreans as a whole are completely harmless people.  For the most part they respond to foreigners like I would react to…let’s say…a bear.  Imagine I’m walking the streets of Columbus, Ohio and I come upon a bear.  First thoughts would be, “What is that doing here?  What should I do?  Should I keep staring?  Oh crap it saw me!  Just ignore it, maybe it’ll go away.  Nope, still there.  If I make it out of this alive I can’t WAIT to tell my friends.”  I imagine, based on the shocked expressions plastered on most of the Korean faces I see, that their inner monologue is quite similar.  Given the sheer SIZE of Seoul I wondered if people there would react similarly.  Turns out, we’re not a big deal there.  Being in Seoul was like temporarily stepping OUT of Korea.  There are so many foreigners that for once I didn’t stick out.

While in the ‘big city’ there were two important things on my agenda; get some American food and take in as much culture as I could.  The culture was more difficult than I anticipated.  We only really had time to hit two museums, and take a quick cable car ride up to Seoul tower.  Seoul tower was, how do I put this lightly, weak sauce.  Much shorter than I would have thought (given the hype) and the view was a laugh because of the pollution in the city.  I could barely see anything.  Sigh.  The National Museum of Korea didn’t really catch my interest a whole lot.  There were more replicas of old things than there were originals it seemed.  So my saving grace was the war memorial museum.  Has to be the most interesting collection of boats, planes, tanks, guns and helicopters I’ve ever seen.  And you could sit in them, and touch them and it was just great.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  And that was just the outside.  Inside was display after display of swords and daggers and arrows and old uniforms; it was the most fun I’ve had since being in Korea.  Without a doubt. Call me a nerd.  We were there so long we had to leave because it was closing.  I could have stayed for three more hours.

 

As for the other item on my list…most disappointing.  I had Taco Bell, McDonalds, Quiznos, Subway and Krispy Kreme.  All of them overpriced and tasted nothing like back home.  Guess I learned my lesson.  Eat Korean food while I’m here and save the American food for America.  The nightlife is the other real draw about Seoul for most people.  I hate alcohol, smoking, loud music and crowded small spaces so unfortunately that appealing part of the city didn’t do much for me.  All in all I’d say it was decent trip, but for the money I spent it should have been unbelievable.  I’m a fair person and I’ve always been about second chances so I’m going to give Seoul another shot to impress me before I pass judgment.