I left China on August 24th and arrived in Incheon late that night, with very strange deja-vu feelings - it was like I had been home for just a quick weekend, not ten months! By the time I got my baggage it was after 10pm and I wasn't expected at the orientation until 2pm the next day. With all my luggage, and since my directions were all from the airport, I decided to just stay where I was. Spending the night in an airport doesn't sound comfortable or restful, but ICN wasn't voted best airport in the WORLD, SEVEN years in a row so far, for nothing. I pushed my cart down into the basement and checked into the jimjilbang, Spa on Air (I wrote about staying in jimjilbangs back in April 2010...I think the post is "Seoul with Hyun Ju" if you want to look it up).
Like any jimjilbang, there are public lounges and sleeping areas where you just crash on a mat on the floor, but I was feeling spendy so I shelled out the extra $10 for a private cubicle:
So that night and the next morning I enjoyed the showers, saunas, and a $20 body scrub/massage. I highly recommend Spa on Air to anyone traveling through Incheon. You can stay the night like I did, or just shower and take a quick nap. I had a very Korean moment when I stepped out of the jimjilbang (wearing the pajama uniform, of course) to find some dinner. Most things were already closed so I ended up wandering the airport in my pajamas and finally eating on a bench outside a 7-11!
The next day I found the orientation site in Seoul, after a bus and taxi ride. I don't remember much of the one day + one night I spent there...I was really overwhelmed by all the new people who'd all already gotten to know each other over the past week, and was so tired and crazy-feeling after North Korea and Beijing. I think I attended one class, an assembly, and spent the rest of the time hiding in my room and sleeping. We got our school assignments and found out where we'd be living. I was placed in the island's biggest city, Jeju-si and at two middle schools. I'd wanted to live in Seogwipo, but wasn't too worried given the size of Jeju Island (less than half the size of Rhode Island). And I was happy to be back at a middle school.
After flying from Seoul to Jeju Island on Friday, we met our coteachers at the POE office. I learned that I'd be working that fall at Halla Middle School in Jeju-si, and Jocheon Middle School, in a small town named Sincheon a ways outside of the city. I met Bridget from Halla M.S. and Mrs. Oh from Jocheon M.S. They were both really nice, and I felt comfortable with them right away. I'd start work right away on Monday with Mrs. Noh, so she gave me directions to the school and said goodbye. Bridget and I made plans to meet on Saturday night for dinner. I was pretty happy with my situation - the only downside was that some of our apartments weren't ready yet so a few of us had to spend that first weekend in a hotel.
So on Sunday I was so, so relieved to finally be in my apartment in Jeju-si. I'd been moving constantly throughout August - checking in and out of hostel and hotel rooms every other day, seven flights in 2.5 weeks, luggage in storage, luggage out of storage, luggage in the Chinese post, Beijing for two days, North Korea for ten days, Beijing for six days with a two-day break for the camping trip, Seoul for two days, hotel in Jeju-si for two days...all while hauling or worrying about an entire year's worth of luggage plus a carry-on, and flying tiny crappy regional or budget airlines that charge for every extra ounce. There is definitely an unglamorous, sweaty side to traveling alone and on a budget! That's one complaint I have about working for EPIK - they offer no help with the logistics of moving across the world. I wish that I had had an address to mail some of my stuff ahead of time, rather than carry it all with me while traveling.
Sorry again that this was such a long time coming! Thanks for reading it and all your patience!
