Going on Vacation July 22, 2008

To say I have been MIA is an understatement.  It’s not that I didn’t log on to WordPress almost everyday with the intention of writing something savvy about Seoul.  But to be honest, I haven’t been doing anything that exciting or savvy to log on a weekly basis.  I’ve carved a little routine here already.  I go to work Mon thru Fri and then hang out with friends on the weekend.  It sorta mirrors my life in LA.   I pretty much do the same things here that I did there except it’s with new friends set in a different backdrop.   We go out to dinner and go out for drinks.  You know, usual adult stuff.   But now, it’s about to get exciting again.  I am going on vacation next week to THAILAND!!  Woohoo, finally something cool to write about.

I haven’t had a vacation in 8 years.  Sure, I received vacation time from my previous employers and used it to visit my parents.  I always thoroughly enjoyed those restful weeks at home but it never constituted a real vacation.  To me, vacation means exploring a new city; laying on a beach drinking some fruity drink; going to a museum; eating new cuisines etc.  The last time I did this was with my friend S back in 2001.  We went to Jamaica and had a lovely time.   I was 22 and foolishly thought I would be taking new excursions every year with friends.  By the time 23 rolled around, I had acquired a car loan, insurance and expensive rent to pay.  The vacations were sent packing but not anymore. 

Thailand has always been on my list of places to visit so I am excited to mark it off the list.   I keep imagining paradise awakening me every morning.  It will be a much needed break from Seoul.   Living in LA afforded me lots of personal space, clean air( I know it’s crazy saying LA has clean air but it really does compared to Seoul) and to die for weather.  Seoul is grimy, noisy and the weather plain sucks.  I have complained so much about the humidity and the rain that I think my friends are ready to kill me.  It rains for 2 months straight in Seoul (July and August).   I hate the rain, so it’s been a wee bit difficult to adjust too.  I’ve really learned to appreciate simple things much more living out here.  So, I think next week I will just be soaking up all of the goodness and enjoying every minute of it.  Here is a pic of where I am going.  It’s an island called Koh Chang.  

See you when I get back!