Dear Korea,

It's the eve before my departure and I'm feeling both sad and excited about leaving you. This year has been filled with highs and lows, new friends, self-discoveries, direction, challenges, and above all, growth.

As a person, I know I've grown more independent and have very much learned to enjoy living by myself. I've also learned it's probably better that I cook only for myself rather than for others and that I don't mind washing dishes or sweeping the floors but hate doing laundry and dusting.
I now realize I buy more groceries than I need, and the same goes for clothes and accessories. I can safely say that having dance parties with a glass of red is one of my favorite pastimes, as is practicing yoga moves I don't actually know and attempting to be a push up master.

Oh Korea, there are so many things I will miss about you: your smells, your drivers, your variety in food, your ability to form lines, your ability to walk in straight lines, your bikers, your hikers and of course your unbelievable and unwavering understanding that I look like you but can't actually utter more than a few words in your native tongue.

All jokes aside, I will miss many things about you: some of the smells (barbeque's, ginseng), the food (despite the lack of variety, I will forever miss yachey Kimbap for $1.50 - I heart you yachey Kimbap), $6 sauna Sundays, cheap transportation (still hate how the Ko's drive though), accessible hiking, mountains in general, friends - of course, and my kiddos.

Until our paths meet again, which I foresee in the future although uncertain of when or under what circumstances, I very much look forward to returning to you, my motherland. Stay safe now, don't let those Chinese, Japanese and North Korean's or hell, even Al Queda shake you up. I'm excited for you to learn and understand and maybe even accept the diversity of other cultures within your own and anticipate changes a brewing.

Warmly,
Kim Joo Mee