A Love Letter

I have never been good as expressing myself with words (as you all very well know), and since I am terrible with emotions in person, this is the best way I can say what I want to say.

Dear Korea, Inje, people of Inje, and everyone I have met during my year in Korea,

I love you. I love Korea, I love Inje, I love the people. I love all of you.

To Korea, you're the best. I love your people, food, culture, lifestyle, everything.

To my students who will never read this, thank you for pissing me off, making me laugh, making me angry, letting me teach you, and making me miss you and care for you way too much.

To my boss who has been like a mother to me, thank you. I couldn't have asked for a more caring and generous person to have as my boss. Having you as my boss has changed my life for the better in Korea.

To everyone I have met in the past month, you fucking rock. You are all amazing and as unfortunate as it was to meet you with such little time left, I am so glad. (Canoe trip people and everyone I met at Min's cabin over Chuseok, this is for you).

And finally, to my Inje family, thank you. Thank you for being my friend, my brother, and my sister. Thank you for going to Jjokki Jjokki with me, drinking cojiganmeks, eating at Kimbap Cheunguk, dealing with me, reminding me that my jokes aren't funny, laughing at my "punny" jokes, consoling me, letting me confide in you, noraebang nights, and thank you for being you and letting me be me. (Well that was cheesy). But seriously, Inje peeps, thank you, I love you.

Saying goodbye to my Inje family was one of the worst goodbyes I've ever had to make. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world having met all of you. Handing over my ARC card was another emotional journey where the immigration lady probably had her doubts about letting me through.

I am now sitting at the Incheon International Airport, Gate 26, crying, surrounded by a bunch of permed elderly women, waiting for my flight to Myanmar. I'm so excited for my travel adventures I'm about to embark on, but my adventure Korea will forever be etched in my mind.

Goodbye fuckers, goodbye Korea, I love you, it's been a trip. (Apologies to my parents for swearing.)

"Enjoy life."