Come Full Circle (Almost): from Korea to Korea

With less than 24 hours before my flight to Korea, it hasn't quite hit me that I am actually leaving.  It also seems somewhat surreal because I have nothing left to do on my last day.  I feel as if I need to run around to make last minute purchases, eat my favorite food, or anything else I have forgotten to do.  But I have nothing left to do, except wait for my shuttle.  So here I sit, in front of my computer, awaiting my journey.  It won't really hit me until I board my first leg of the flight.  Perhaps, it won't even hit me until I board the second leg to Seoul.  

The thing that seems more strange than anything else, is my actual return to Korea.  It has been 23 years, 1 month, and 29 days since I left Korea.  At that time, I never imagine returning to my mother's homeland.  On top of my anxiety of becoming a first time teacher (because that's not enough), I am filled with both excitement and trepidation about my returned to the country I've spent almost ten years of my childhood.  I've lost most of my language skills and adopted a very Western behavior and ideology.  I fear I may not fit in with the other side of my heritage because of my long absence.  No matter how much research I do, there will certainly be customs I may not be aware.  I fear people will expect me to know more than I do.  They will demand certain behaviors from me, which I will find foreign.  During my nine months of research and Korean emergence, I wonder if I romanticized the friendly people, rice paddies in the countryside, fabulous food and street venders, ancient archaeological site, and beautiful landscape.

I'm sure there will be good times and bad.  No matter where anyone lives, it will never be perfect.  There will be different customs, rude people, and unsavory food, but that's everywhere.  Korea is a home of my childhood, although I wasn't born there.  But I feel as if I am coming full circle.  In some ways, it is a turn home.  I'm looking forward to sharing all my adventures and mishaps with all my friends.