Living Outside My Comfort Zone

Aside from a summer trip to Baja for a WHCC High School Work Camp, I have never traveled out of the states. The language barrier scared me.

When I was seventeen, I went with the church youth sponsors, along with the work camp chair, on a weekend trip to scout out a work camp location in Baja. I had never gone across the border before. Coming back we were pulled over by authorities, and I recall sitting in the back seat and they kept asking questions about me. I had a driver’s license and handed it over. After what seemed like forever, we were on our way back to California.

For the actual Work Camp trip, summer of 1978, I had a passport. I never had to use it.

Over the past several years, I’ve been planning to take a big trip in 2010. Didn’t know where. In the belly dancing community there are always opportunities to travel—Mexico, Greece, Costa Rica, or the Bahamas. As a Sierra Club member, there are many opportunities to travel, also. I had my eye on a trip to Tibet/China. Oh, so many choices.

In the end, I have decided on Korea. I say it’s the right thing to do. Why? Even though I don’t plan to visit the orphanage I was adopted from, my life started there. Recently, a dear family friend mentioned he was there, at the airport, the day I arrived from Korea. He mentioned that he remembers how hard my mom tried to instill in me my Korean culture. I think she gave up after I was in kindergarten when I refused to wear a hanbok (traditional Korean dress).

I have two Korean born friends. One friend, I met through my job in Commerce. She brought her daughters to America when they were young and she was a single mother. After my job in Commerce in 1999, we met and went out for Korean food. Then after 10 years, last October, we met and went out for Korean food, again. She told me she was taking her granddaughter to Korea on a tour. Last week, the same friend called me. I asked about her trip to Korea. Turns out she’s going in June. That’s when I decided I wanted to go with her and her granddaughter to Korea.

I don’t know anything about the places I will visit in Korea or the culture, but no time like the present to learn. I’m excited!