a day on replay

I had 2 December 13ths, on different sides of the international date line.

Snow from the airplane (pre-battery death)
On the way to Uijeongbu
Me, trying to figure out my GoPro

I landed in Korea at 6:50am and began my day.  The bathroom right by the gate looked like a spa.  Everything in the Incheon Airport is super nice.  I highly recommend the airport.
I made it to the ground floor of the airport and exchanged my US money for Korea's Won.  There were payphones, so I called Monique to let her know I'd made it.  And then followed her instructions onto the bus.  I was the only person on that bus.  I don't know what it is, but the buses in other countries seem far more luxurious than buses in America.  There was snow sticking on the ground when I got there.  All I had was a raincoat to keep me warm, so I was really glad that the bus was heated.
Guys.  Korea is an island.  I knew that, but I didn't really connect that I'd be seeing the ocean at all.
It was early in the morning and the sun was just barely up so it was still very low in the sky. There was snow on the beach and the ocean looked almost lazy.  The water was very flat for the little stretch where the highway ran parallel to it.
It took about 40 min and I was in Uijeongbu.  It is about an hour South of North Korea.  I got off at the bus stop and there they were.  Mr and Mrs Laing, waiting for me with a turtleneck, sweater, coat, scarf, gloves, and hat.  It was just nice to talk to them.  In English.  Fast English.  I was tripping over my words they were coming out of my mouth so fast.
There was a political rally for Park Geun-hye.  Monique gave me the DL on her.  Her father is a former dictator of S Korea and she isn't the first female to run for S Korea President, but she was the first favored female candidate. So there was this rally and everyone was super pumped.  We were inside Holly's Coffee getting hot chocolate.  Monique told me how it'd be really cool to actually see this candidate in one of the rallies but it hadn't happened yet.  Uijeongbu, after all, is not a very large town.
But we were outside, with all the Koreans yelling (they're loud people), and there were people on the rooftops taking pictures in of the square (but not snipers like there would be in America, nope just people with cameras), and there were 4 guys dressed up as superheros complete with masks (and they didn't get carried away by secret service men like they would have in America), and then we see the candidate.  In person.  She was there.  It was legit.  I totally saw her, and got her on my GoPro.
And the next week she won the election.  Life Win.
We went to the underground.  There really is nothing like it in America.  Except maybe a subway, but even then.  It's like an underground swap meet. There are little stores and restaurants.  That's where we had lunch and it was delicious.  I don't know how many of you have had KimChee before, but it can be pretty gross unless you're in Korea, which I was, and then it is good.
In Korea there is this holiday on 11/11 where you get these long chocolate pretzel sticks and give them to someone you love.  Like Valentine's day.  We went to this little store, where they had super fun Christmas cards.  You know, the typical ones you think of when you picture Asians trying to write hallmark cards but missing the mark a little (ca-boom-chick).  The candy stick things were on sale because it was overstocked and that's how I know about it.  Just thought that was interesting, moving on.
Monique and Brent worked, so they gave me instructions, paid for my bus card, and sent me on my way back to Seoul.
And then I traveled the metro.  I switched lines twice and followed all the directions.  I got yelled at by an old man for not standing up immediately when he got on the bus.  But I did get up once I put my journal away.  I had my carry-ons with me, I was hauling stuff or I would have been able to get up sooner.  After about 10 min of him...well, being a crazy old man....one of the other elderly people told him to can it.  They looked at me and signaled 'it's okay, he's crazy'.  After about an hour of travel by metro, I was on my way to the Temple to do baptisms.
How cool is that?  I'd been geeking out about this for almost a week, when I very first got the idea to see if I could fit in a temple run.  I was Skyping Greg for his weekly check-up when he asked me what the first thing I wanted to do when I got back was.  I just wanted to look at the Temple.  And we remembered that his ward does baptisms every Friday and that's perfect because that's the day after I get back.  And then, oh wow, I have my recommend with me but can't use it...but *lightbulb* there is a Temple in Korea.  Great moment. It was basically the greatest idea ever.  It just so happened that an English speaking family from Singapore was in Korea doing baptisms and it was their daughter's first time.  So I got to meet them a little, but mostly I talked to Sister Peck who was working in the temple that day and she and her husband are the public affairs missionaries for Korea.  I let them know that I was sortof on a time limit, but we got a lot of work done and it was absolutely beautiful.  Cold.  Beautiful.
I made it back to the metro exactly when I needed to.  The line came right after I got there and it was easy to get back into the airport.  They stamped my Passport, I re-exchanged my money, and I was good to go.

Good job! You've made it this far :)  Have a picture of my early morning bus ride.

The Incheon Airport-- think of an Airport.  Now think of a Spa.  Now think of a craft store where they do craft demonstrations on Fridays.  Now think of a concert hall.  Now think of a Mall.  Now think of a band venue.  Now think of a mini golf course.
The Incheon Airport is all of those things.  It also has these stations, it's basically a giant MAC screen, and you can scan the barcode on your boarding pass and it'll tell you where to go, the weather of your destination, your flight information, and draw a map for you because you're probably lost.
When I was getting ready to go through security there was this quartet of classically trained male vocalists.  They sang Christmas songs in English and in Korean, and then they started singing 'Nothing Like a Dame' in Korean.  I wasn't sure about it at first, but I looked over the balcony to the arena where the stage was and the performers were dancing in navy hats. Conclusion-- I'm right.
Well I went through security, where they make you take off all your coat layers even when it is cold, but they don't make you take off your shoes.  Apparently that's just America.  And I got to my gate and decided to make sure that somebody was picking me up from the airport when I landed.  So I got out my computer and got online literally moments before I boarded the plane.  It was then, in an email from my mom, that I learned about North Korea launching a missile/rocket/satellite thing the day before. 
I got on the plane.  I got a window seat.  I love KoreanAir.  They're wonderful.  I watched "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" and cried at the end of it.  I watched us pass over Japan and I waved to my cousin Elder Aaron.  I slept a little bit.  I watched the sun come up over the clouds.  I watched us fly over Kauai.

And then we started to approach O'ahu.  I saw the shorelines and pictured everything that I knew was there.  Try to orient myself to where North was and which direction I was coming from.  Before I knew it, I was in Honolulu. The air smelled beautiful. 
I had to go through more customs stuff on my way in, but it was simple.  There were signs all around the carousels that this was a 'no cell phone zone'.  But I went into the bathroom and charged up my phone for the first time in almost 3 months.  I called my mom, and then I called Ben because he was my ride.
He hadn't forgotten, he just was running a little late.
Why couldn't my roommate come and get me?  That would be because my car was running into the ground.  It was acting up and overheating and couldn't go more than a mile or so.  And they tell me this now.

So I got all of my luggage and sat right outside the baggage claim by the street so that he'd be able to find me.  And he did.  It was great to see him and it was fun to have him bring me home.  We went to my old house- the good ol' Taco House- and dropped my stuff.  And yes Ben, I was exhausted.  But if I slept then I would have been awake all night and there were things I needed to get done that day.
At my old house I ran into Rachel- because she lives there.  That was great because she was leaving for home that night and I agreed to help her move everything to her new house.  It worked out well for me because I got to sleep in her bed instead of on the couch.
So....now what?
Well I made sure I had everything I needed to give to people and then walked out the door to campus.
My first stop was Natalie.  I walked up to her door and peeked inside.  I surprised her a bit.  I gave her some paperwork and some bags of bracelets from the kids to sell at PCC.  We chatted and she let me know what was going on with her and the orphanage and all those things.  It was a really great talk.
And then I went to the health center to get my blood tested for all that crap that you can get in foreign countries.  But they were at lunch.  So I went into work.
And nobody was really there.  I clocked in, walked in, and sat down at a computer starting to enter grades or something.  About 10 minutes later I think it was Lance came in, with Felix on his tail, and they realized that they didn't know the girl at the computer.  Lance came up and did a causal walk-by, only to discover it was me.  Then there was much rejoicing.
After re-acquainting myself with the Online Department office, I went back to the Health Center.  And they drew blood and told me that, because it was Thursday, they wouldn't give me a TB test, but I made an appointment for the next day. 
I really didn't have that much work to do and work has a no-facebook policy anyway.  So I went into the library to check my email and ran into Oz and Kaytie.  Kaytie invited me to go sign the flag that they were putting up over the new muti-purpose building.  Free cookies. 

I hadn't had good cookies in 3 months.  Heck yes I went.

You're doing so well!  Have another picture.  Sorry
that my cameras were both dead.

It was right outside the library.  I walked over, there was nobody really around.  Everyone was taking finals.  I signed the flag.  People took videos of it for posterity.  I was still wearing my SIFE shirt and yoga pants.  I was clean since, you know, I'd been able to shower in Korea. 
And I was waiting for this ceremony/speech thing so that I understood what it was I was doing, when I saw Abby and Rachy walking towards me.  Well, they were walking towards the table where the flag was, since Kaytie had invited them too.  I saw them while they were still by the library.  It occurred to me to run towards them, but I didn't, I just stood and smiled.  They were talking together, walking towards me.  They still had a field to cross.  They were looking ahead and I knew that they'd seen me, but I stood there, waiting for it to click.
And then it did.  And I got stampeded to the ground. And the school news people and reporter and stuff looked at us like we were crazy.  Confused by all the fuss, and by this girl who'd been tackled and the girls who were tugging her up so they could wrap her up and dance around in reunion.
We were all smiles and laughter; then other people joined us and I had no idea who they were and their conversations were going waaay over my head. 
They may as well have been speaking a different language.
I walked back home to drop my important files.  I didn't know what to do with myself, so I went to the Senior Recitals for 2 of my friends who happened to be performing that evening. 
That was wise.  I got to say 'hello' and 'goodbye' and 'you've gotten so good' all at the same time.  I caught up with classmates and professors, and then I walked home.
It was around 9pm.  If you figure it out, which I did, I had been upright for 47 hours, but I'd been cheated and it was only a day since I'd been in the airport. 
"Game night at 10" said my neighbors.  Yeah...not happening.  But I poked my head in, and I got to see Nichel who was leaving the next day and so I'm glad I did.  But then I was glad to sleep.

You know, it's odd.  I lived two days in very different settings.  One where I was directed and driven and had plans even though I had never been there before.  The other where I wandered around a familiar place, looking for familiar faces and a purpose.  But it is from this repeated day that I can tell-- nothing will be the same ever again.

(more pictures and videos coming, I promise.  just let me get them.)