"Let's try to cover as many miles in the U.S. in 14 days while seeing family and friends without physically turning into mush..."
Yes, I made it back to Korea in one piece. I literally traveled over 18,000 miles, hopped on 8 planes, and crossed who knows how many time zones during my trip from Jeju-Seoul-Hawaii-L.A.-NYC-L.A.-Seoul-back to Jeju.
Let's re-cap:
December 22-31: Honolulu, Hawaii.
I arrived 2 days earlier than my family, so I spent time with my mother's friend who lives across the street from the famed (but super touristy and over-crowded) Waikiki Beach. I indulged in a little (ok ok A LOT of) shopping, considering the sales tax was only 4%. Merry christmas to me! The first thing I noticed when I landed in Honolulu was not the overweight, un-stylish, visor-capped Americans I had imagined (and what everyone sterotypes Americans to be...) but all the Asian people. Was I really back in the U.S.? or did my flight from Seoul never crossed the Pacific? Granted we were still in the Pacific, it was a bizarre yet familiar sight as I walked around the airport locating my overwight baggages. I think I was more excited to bare my shoulders and run in shorts.
My family finally arrived on Christmas Eve. We checked into the Ko Olina timeshare (30 minutes west of Honolulu) that we rented from friends- a two bedroom, two- bath, full kitchen, ocean/harbor view suite. Incredibly beautiful resort, private lagoons, lush gardens, QUIET atriums, and stylish attendants. You can never go wrong with Hawaiian shirts and lei's each day. :)
The week spent doing at least one of the following activities:
eating. shopping. sleeping. and a lot of splurging. My brother's played a lot of golf, my mom and I spent a lot of time chatting and shopping, and my dad... haha he just tagged along everywhere as usual.
Gosh, I love vacation. Especially with my family. I missed their company. I think the pictures can speak for themselves.
December 31-January 4, Los Angeles
I left my family on New Year's Eve in the afternoon, caught a flight to L.A. and landed JUST in time to ring in 2007!
New Year's Resolution: (A continuation from last year's I suppose)- BE MORE DECISIVE. START FRESH. START CLEAN.
Even though I was just in L.A. back in the summer during my cross-country road trip with my girlfriends, I got to see the outskirts of L.A.- hung around Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach (ok ok the whole coast), Malibu, and definitely stayed away from anything too familiar. Always nice to visit the same cities you have been to, but just at a slightly different angle. As much as I wish I could move out to Cali and evolve into a West Coast girl... it's just not for me.
January 4-5, NYC
Ahh... New York City. Another much too familiar city. NYC is like a first love. You'll always compare it to other places, but no matter how much you try to forget and escape it, you'll always have a place for it in your heart.
I was supposed to stay in L.A. until Jan. 6 but flew out to NYC for a job interview. My friend Derek was such a sweetheart and picked me up at 7am. Checked into a cute boutique hotel on 50th and 8th and just relaxed all day. Checked out some shopping, drank A LOT of delicious coffee, and even bumped into a good friend from high school.. and another friend from college! So what was supposed to be a dinner for four (Derek, Kim, her boyfriend, and I) became a seven-party soiree. It was so nice to see really good friends over some steak and beer. Of course I didn't have time to stay and party during the weekend, but sigh... another plane awaited me to take me back to LA to gather my 'stuff' and head back to LAX to catch my final flight back to Seoul. I think I've put new meaning to the term 'jet-setter.'
So now I'm back in my room in Jeju, furiously recollecting the past 2 weeks. I flew back to Jeju on Sunday night.. and started teaching my winter camp early Monday morning. I have not suffered from ANY jet-lag until NOW. I think the last 2 weeks of warped time and disorientation has finally kicked into full gear. It's 10pm and I can hardly keep my eyes open. That or I'm getting... *gasp* old.
In one week, I am going to yet again pack up my bags and head off for another island-hopping adventure. Life is good.
My brother Edwin is flying to Korea to meet me next week where we will quickly tour Jeju, fly back to Seoul, catch a flight to Singapore, then finally meet five of my best friends in BALI, INDONESIA!
We rented a beachfront villa here: http://www.exotic-hideaways.com/villas/canggu/index.cfm/view/villa/bali/3907240506/
After a week in Bali, we're going to travel Southeast Asia... Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, maybe Vietnam. Hopefully I'll end up back in Korea before I begin teaching in March. Must take advantage of every possible vacation from now until this Fulbright grant is over.. when else will I get paid to hang out with kids and travel?
