Monday, March 28, 2011

Kicking the Bucket

"Jennifer, can I talk to for a minute?" my new director Jackie asked me towards the end of last week. When I followed her out to the foyer and the receptionists's chair, she continued. "We need to talk about your last day, so we can renew your contract and submit it to the immigration office to extend your visa."

I was taken aback for a moment, surprised at the suddenness of my director's request. Her first official day on the job had been just three days prior--and already she was aggressively tackling a legal issue I had been waiting to resolve for three weeks. "Let's discuss that a moment," I paused. It wasn't that I was hesitant to leave Korea, just that I was amazed that the time had finally come.

The moment I started to ask, Teacher Chloe deftly pulled a calendar from her desk and we began pouring over it. I knew I'd be leaving for a friend's party in the States come the middle of August, but I didn't want to start a new month and a new semester just to have to leave one week later. The three of us studied the graphic a moment before settling on a date: July 31, 2011. At just over four months away, that wouldn't give me much time.

Since I'm unsure if I'll ever have a chance to come back to the Land of the Morning Calm, I've compiled a Korean Bucket List--what I call my ADHBF: Adventures to Have Before Flying Off. My goal is to spend what's left of spring and all of summer exploring. If I devote two weekends a month to the project until I leave, I just might accomplish it all!

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Moham 모험: Adventure
Korean Bucket List


Attend one of Matt's bi-monthly game nights in Chungju.

Eat dog. At least once.

Experience a cat cafe (where they let you pet them, not EAT them).

Fly or ferry to one of Korea's subtropical islands for the weekend.

Have a conversation in Korean with someone other than in the market or a taxi.

Hike Bukhansan Mountain.

Step foot onto Dokdo, Korea's hotly contested island shard in the East Sea (Sea of Japan).

Take the Chungju Ferry to Danyang.

Tour the DMZ.

Watch the sunrise from Korea's East Coast.

Visit another of Korea's national parks.

5 comments:

  1. Sounds like you need a weekend in Chungju! I'm totally up for a game night, dog meal (I'm convinced I've eaten it already.) and ferry ride. As for that other national park what are your thoughts on Juwangsan?

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  2. All very doable. Perhaps you could add a little fun by trying to do them all in one weekend ;)

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  3. 4 months is a long time... but weekends are scarce

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  4. Bucket List Update:
    Attend one of Matt's bi-weekly game nights. Check.
    Take the ferry from Chungju to Danyang. Check.

    Two down, nine more to go, and only two and a half months left. I better get on the ball!

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  5. I have now completed one more item, touring the DMZ. However, as I now only have three weeks left, perhaps not everything will get done.

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