Collecting Stamps

Follow my adventures collecting customs stamps as I make my way around the world

[casey-sees-the-world]

A retrospective reflection

August 10, 2015

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been home for nearly three weeks (I’m pretty sure I’m still stuck on Korean time...) It’s been crazy, but I’m happy to still have a Korean connection. Kyle even messaged me the other day! It was good to hear from my boys. The two months I spent in Korea were life changing. I’m a full believer that every traveler trades a part of their soul with whatever country they visit. I know that when I left Korea, I left a part of me there. Never before have I felt so foreign in a different country. My predictions at the beginning were right, though, so that’s comforting. The language barrier was the most difficult part of my experience. I’ve never felt so isolated when surrounded by people. And there were hundreds of people! (Though it wasn’t as crowded as I had originally believed it to be) South Korea was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Travelling from place to place was almost better than exploring the different towns. Korea looks like that I could assume Rwanda to look like (Land of 10,000 Hills) I was thankful that I wasn’t in Seoul. As much as being in a bigger city would’ve been more comforting, I was happy to be thrown into what I would like to think as a more authentic persona of South Korea. The graduate students were amazing; I miss them so much! From sharing an amazing cake on my birthday to playing ping pong and laughing until my sides hurt in the basement of the lab, they were the kindest people I’ve ever met. (And with Dr. Suk as their mentor, I know they’re going to go amazing places) Although I would’ve loved to see other cultural aspects of Korea, I have wonderful memories that I’ll never forget about the beautiful places and amazing people I had the privilege of spending time with. My favorite memories are running around the lake in the mornings, hiking with my boys, spending time with the graduate students (Shout out to Han Gyu!) All of my time I spent in Korea, all of the ups and downs, were amazing learning moments and created wonderful memories. There’s nothing that makes you feel quite as small as when you’re seeing the world spread out around you when you stand at the top of a mountain. I could go on and on about all of the adventures we went on, but I can’t forget to mention the research. That is the reason why we were there after all! I was the luckiest of the three Americans at Yeungnam. Although I had a few hiccups, as every experiment does, but with the help of Han Gyu, I was able to make it over every hurdle and finish with my PCRs before I flew home. Analysis is slow going, but that’s to be expected. It’s a challenge to work with someone a world away, but we’re capable. I know we’ll get our paper finished and accepted! I’ve had to write scientific papers for classes in the past, but the pressure is on for this one. This is the most nervous and excited I’ve ever been to write a paper in my life! With the help of Dr. Suk, Dr. Lim, and Han Gyu, I know we’ll  be successful. It’s weird for me to think back and remember how nervous I was before I left. I can see now that the nerves were normal, but it came as a shock. I like to pretend that I am a well seasoned traveler, but every new experience changes fundamentally who we are. My flight back home all I could think about was how fluid our existence truly is. We go from place to place, going with the flow. Sometimes we don’t even see the world around us, which is why I think traveling is so important. It allows us to remove the veils and see the world. Truly see it. I loved every moment I spent in Korea, and I was sad to see it get cut short, but I’m happy to be home. It’s nice being able to read road signs and eat familiar food. So thank you Korea for all of the amazing memories! Thank you for sharing your beautiful country with me, even if it was for a short while.

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 21, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

The bittersweet goodbye

July 21, 2015 I secretly hoped this had all been bad dream, and I was waking up for a normal day in lab when my alarm went off this morning. (I even went back to sleep for an hour to try again) No such luck. When I finally got up, Kin had made me breakfast, and I was in hardcore denial. I left the dorm before the boys did, walking into town to buy a cake to thank everyone for everything they've done. When I finally got to lab, it was bittersweet. It hit me that this was the last time I'd probably ever see these people, but I went to my desk and got to work. I went about my day as if it were any other, working and going to lunch with the graduate students. Halfway through the morning Hari pulled me aside to give me a gift. She started crying as she was saying goodbye to me, so naturally I started bawling. It's been amazing watching her become more confident in herself over the last two months. After lunch, Han Gyu had bought everyone ice cream to enjoy and some candy and chocolate for me to munch on during my trip. (He knew about my sweet tooth. He also felt really bad that he hadn't prepared anything bigger) Everyone I've met while spending time in Korea has been amazing, and I'm really sad to see my time end here. Right before I left, I put some postcards in the mail, so keep an eye out for them! Then it came time for me to leave, everyone gathered around the door and waved goodbye. I moved my nametag to the 'out' spot on the door for the last time, and I walked away. The most exciting parts of my day was when we were trying to shoot Dacotah with poppers and my ride to the train station. One was a dud, which was super funny to watch, but the other one had too short of a string to grab. The suspense kept building and eventually everyone has laughing. Dacotah couldn't stand still and wait for it anymore; he kept flinching and laughing which sent all of us llaughing fits as well (We tied it to a chopstick so we could actually pop it. Then we shot Dacotah) We left the lab at 4PM for my train at 5:20. We stopped by my dorm to grab my luggage and check out essentially. I had to fill out some paperwork, and then we were off! Dr. Suk apologized for me not being able to go to his home, as him and his wife are planning on having everyone over next week. I told him not to worry about it, and next time I'll be there for sure. We had a good conversation, even if we did get lost twice... By the time we finally found a place to park, we had to run to catch my train. That was not an easy feat with all of my bags... But we made it! So started my ride to the airport. I fell asleep for part of my ride, but was able to see a gorgeous sunset as we were coming into the airport. A gentleman helped bring my bags off of the train, which was incredibly sweet of him. While waiting for the elevator I met a woman named Connie and her daughter Evie. They're on the same flight out as I am, so we decided to stick together. It's been fun having someone else to wait in the airport with (They even changed my seat on the plane so I could sit by her) I leave in just under six hours, which is hard to believe. I feel like I have so much left to learn and experience, but I'm going to where I need to be. Korea has been an amazing two months, and I'm sad to see it end. I'm sad to leave my friends behind, but I have Facebook and snapchat, so I know we'll stay in touch! Goodbye Korea! Thanks for everything.

[casey-sees-the-world]

An unforeseen event

July 20, 2015

I woke up this morning and decided to lay in bed until it was time to get ready. I’m still tired and my shin splints are really bothering me. It was nice to relax for a few hours this morning before the stress of the day. As per usual, we were moving slow since it was a Monday, and finally got to lab a little after 9AM. I sat down and started figuring out how I am going to finish my research with the time I have left in Korea. However, halfway through my morning I was told of an emergency back home. It wasn’t something I could ignore, so I talked to Dr. Suk and asked if I could leave to go home as soon as possible. Dr. Suk was very understanding and although it was a stressful day, I leave Korea and head home Wednesday morning. I’ve organized with Dr. Lim, Dr. Suk, and Han Gyu so that I am able to still finish my research and help Han Gyu write his paper for submission. It’s been a crazy day, and although I am devastated to leave Korea early, it will be good to go home and see everyone before the school year starts. Everything should be okay back home, but it required my immediate attention and could not be ignore for another month while I was here. I spent my evening packing up everything, and hoping I divided my stuff evenly so my suitcases are both under 50lbs. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 19, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

The unsuccessful shopping trip

July 19, 2015

It’s amazing how refreshed I feel when I don’t have anything to do over the weekend. Although I’m still tired and drained from the two months leading up to this point, I can say this is the most awake I’ve felt in a long time! I was able to sleep in again today, but a reasonable time like 8AM and not noon. I relaxed in my dorm until I met up with the boys to head to Daegu for a souvenir hunt. Though, first time first, we needed to find food, and we were all feeling American. Immediately out of the subway exit was an American grill which sounded perfect, so Kyle and I ran up twelve flights of stairs, while Dacotah took the elevator. Meeting at the top, we quickly realized that the restaurant was most expensive than we were willing to pay. Turning around and walking down the stairs, we decided to wander for a bit and window shop. As we were walking Dacotah and I saw essentially blizzards at a coffee shop and had to stop. They were huge! Probably considered a large back home... and it was amazing! Nothing beats oreo and ice cream mixed together! Content for the time being, we continued to walk around. We came across a talent show in a park, with high school students I believe. We watched a dancing act, which was actually kind of amazing, and the beginning of a band starting to play. I couldn’t get the grin off of my face. I could’ve stayed for hours, but the boys were ready to head out. Wandering down another street we saw a “Dos Tacos” restaurant, which fit the bill for something that tasted like home. I don’t think I’ve seen such a big burrito since Chipotle! It was really good, but the boys were still hungry... How they can eat so much, I’ve no idea. Satisfied, for the time being, we headed out and continued to wander around. We found ourselves at the underground strip mall and in the biggest department store I’ve ever seen (It even had a garden on the top!) We stopped for a snack for the boys, who were quite content with eating more food. We decided to take another lap outside since the weather had brightened up a bit, then we were going to head home. We passed by a waffle stand, and I mean, how could you pass that without buying one? Kyle and I clearly couldn’t, so we both got a waffle with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and mini chocolate chips. It was super sweet, and ginormous. I barely ate half of it before I waved the white flag (And whipped cream isn’t my favorite, even if it is doused in chocolate) At the end of the day, none of us were successful in finding any gifts for our friends and family back home, but we did find some funny hats and shirts (I found a gorgeous dress! Except it cost over $500... I gently put it down and walked away... quickly) Even though we didn’t find any souvenirs, it was good to get out of the dorms and walk around. We even got over 10,000 steps in! All in all, it was a good and relaxing weekend. And then all of the chaos begins again tomorrow... It never ends, but that’s what makes it fun.

[casey-sees-the-world]

The lazy day to end all lazy days

July 18, 2015

I don’t remember the last time I slept until noon... In fact, I don’t think I’ve slept in that long since my freshman year of college. But man... I felt amazing after I woke up. I felt rested for the first time in months. And even though I was awake, I didn’t get out of bed until nearly 2 in the afternoon. It felt amazing just to have a day to myself to relax, listen to music, and not have to do anything. Once I convinced myself to leave my dorm, I wandered around the lake and around Gyeongsan. I just window shopped and had two women talk to me about Jesus. It was wicked humid out, so I only stayed out for a little over an hour, but it was nice to get up and move around for a bit. The rest of my day was spent watching TV and cooking dinner. I’ve hardly done anything all day, and it’s been perfect. Exactly what the doctor ordered! I think I’m heading to Daegu with the boys tomorrow, but we’re not sure yet. I heard there is a bad storm back home, I hope everyone is safe and dry!

[casey-sees-the-world]

The day she slept

July 17, 2015

I think two months of hardly any sleep has finally caught up with me. My alarm went off this morning and I barely had the energy to open my eyes to turn it off, let alone get up. I set another alarm, turned over and fell back asleep. Only when I jolted awake at 8:15 did I realize my alarm didn’t go off! I felt so lucky that I was still able to get up on time for lab, but I was super groggy and moved really slow. While the boys and I were walking to lab, we saw Dong Young and Ki walking to lab together holding hands (They were adorable!) It was kind of like seeing your teacher outside of school, but instead of being slightly freaked out you’re really happy for them. Lab went by really slow for me today. Without having any PCRs to complete, and only sixteen samples to analyze, I was able to quickly finish everything. (Even after spending about an hour filling up tip containers with everyone) I spent the rest of the day bothering the people in lab and back home and taking naps. We’re going to send in the final four populations to be sequenced on Monday, so hopefully the company returns the samples quickly! Other than that, I had a pretty lazy day, which was a good lead into a hopefully lazy and relaxing weekend. We don’t have any concrete plans, so we’ll see what happens!

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 16, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 16, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 16, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 16, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 15, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 15, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 15, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

July 15, 2015

[casey-sees-the-world]

The depressing moment when you realize that it’s not Friday

July 16, 2015

I woke up today before everyone else, I even beat my alarm! But since it was a day where none of us were rushing to get to lab, we all snoozed our alarms multiple times. The funniest thing was watching everyone’s reaction when either their alarm or someone else’s went off. The sleepy, angry glare then the quick snooze and roll over. Not exaggerating, the alarm clock symphony lasted for ten minutes. After a while I was just impressed. Eventually we all got out of bed, around 10 or so. We munched while we watched Night at the Museum on the TV. The only reason we moved outside was to finish off all of the smores supplies. The boys all had fun experimenting with the other brunch food and roasting it over the fire. Though the worst food combination the boys tried was ramen noodles, which was also a part of our brunch, and a roasted marshmallow mixed together... and they actually liked it! I was gagging and laughing at the same time (Though being caught in the smoke from the fire could’ve attributed to the breathing problems) Once we had all eaten our full, we piled back into the camper and played speed with the eight of us. Poor Ki was at a disadvantage from not playing the night before (I have bruises on my knees and blisters on my thumbs from playing speed... We may have gotten a little too into the game the night before) The rest of the afternoon was pretty relaxed. The boys played frisbee after we checked out, and I tried to straighten my spine from hours of bending over cards. Eventually we moved down to the parking lot. I don’t know who started it, but we created a game where we had to hit a beer can off of a rock with a single throw of a rock. If you ever need to keep a group of people entertained for hours, give them an objective and make it a competition. All of us got so absorbed into the game, the hours waiting for the bus flew by. (I was the one to hit the can off of the rock, in case anyone was wondering. I’m more than just the champion of speed!) Once we were back into town, we stopped at the Korean Dessert Cafe for shaved ice, a Korean traditional dessert. I got a chocolate flavored one... I have never tasted anything so good in my entire life. I ate the whole thing... and had a major food baby afterwards, but it was so worth it! When we finally made our way back to lab, I finished the last two gels I need to do of the summer, both of which were successful, marking the official end of my days of PCR! Now all that’s left is analysis and prepping the paper and presentation. (And study for an MTLE, which I should get a groove on...) Back at the dorm, I was making dinner and doing laundry when I met Hejung, a girl living across the hall from me. She’s super sweet and studying English literature. We ate dinner together and just chatted. She’s incredibly passionate about everything that catches her attention, and I’m happy I’ve met her. I think we may go shopping this weekend, which would be really fun! We’ve officially entered the last month of my time here in Korea, which is bittersweet though I am ready to see everyone back home (Missing the cabin this week is literally killing me... I miss Breezy so much! Do a craft for me please) Hopefully now everything will calm down a bit in lab, so keep your fingers crossed!