Post-Freshman Year, Pre-Korea Prep

Yesterday marked the end of my freshman year at Meredith. Now that summer's begun, I'm really able to focus entirely on preparations for departure. I'm researching macbooks, reading up on DSLRs, figuring budgets, making last minute farewell road trip tours, and most importantly absorbing as much Korean language as possible.

Sitting at Korean church (my home away from dorm), I hear various Korean conversations as people pass. I'm hoping that by the time I come back to the States, I will be proficient enough to understand most of them. Sadly, I'm leaving to go home before the end of the semester of hangul hakkyo (Korean school) is over. I wish I could stay longer, but I gotta go home and make some money. To help progress me as far as possible without hangul hakkyo, I'm going to encourage people at my home church in Charleston to talk to me primarily in Korean. It'll be frustrating at first, but I'm sure that it would help me in the long run.

Here's my list for departure:

• Visa (pending return flight, to be booked same day this year as departure from Seoul, ie mid-June)
• macbook (hopefully)
• Get a little more in shape, just to make my life easier in Korea
• Obtain a phone with SIM card (for calling card use)
• Bulk up on wardrobe (I hear clothes are expensive there)
• Immunizations...
  

Fun stuff, but all within reach (the macbook is stretching it, but we'll see how it goes). I'll be at Leadershape from Tuesday to Sunday. That will help me make a good plan to bring my experience back from Korea to Meredith my junior year. Next week should be a lot of fun. There will not be internet, so I hope I can supress my addiction to Facebook and messengers.

I'll keep you guys updated as the summer's preparations progress. I enjoy reading your comments. Feel free to ask questions or give me tips about travel in general.

Happy summer, guys~!