Seoul, South Korea is 13 hours ahead of Louisville, Kentucky. I’m literally halfway around the world, literally on the opposite side of the globe.
As of today, I’m also halfway through my contract. I’ve been here exactly six months.
So I’m “halfway“ in more than one way.
I still feel like I just arrived, but I also feel like I’ve pretty much experienced all I’m goining to experience that’s uniquely Korean. The Law of Diminishing Returns will begin to set in, fast.
Two months ago, I even felt that if I didn’t do something to shake things up, I’d end up wasting away the rest of the time here. So I created a secret mission. That’s what I’m working on now.
Other than that, I don’t feel particularly homesick. But I also don’t feel particularly in love with Korea. I guess I’m reaching that tipping point where I’m halfway between my past home and home here.
The social dynamic will change soon. I’m through that first round of friends, the round that left because they arrived before me. I’ve started making friends with the next round, the round that will probably outlast me here. Later, I’ll be the one leaving them.
I don’t know what else to say about the halfway point. Ever since I started planning for Korea, ever since I stepped onto the plane, ever since my first day here, I wondered what I’d feel at six months.
Now it’s six months, and I still don’t know. That’s halfway.
