So I’ve arrived safely here in California. The trip was a bit arduous. I started by hauling my heavy suitcase to the train station in Futami, and by the time I arrived, I was covered in sweat. Then, I took my gear to Akashi, and finally to Kobe before getting on the airport bus.
Getting on the flight was no problem – I zipped through security, and nobody took a second glance at all the weird stuff I had in my suitcase. Before I knew it I was on my airplane and heading towards Korea.
I had requested an emergency exit row, so I got a lot of leg room. I also got to sit next to a couple of flight attendants that were very friendly. We talked in English about all kinds of things, and it was interesting to hear a little about their jobs. They are expected to speak Korean and English, since we were on a Korean airline. They also find it helpful to learn some Japanese and Chinese, since those countries are part of their flight plans. They were all really nice and they treated me really well when it came time to give me food and drink.
I said goodbye to my new friends and got off at the airport in Seoul. This was my second visit to the airport. Last time I left right away, this time I could relax, eat, do some shopping, and have some fun while I waited for my flight. Things were dirt cheap here, and I could use dollars, yen, or wan to pay for stuff.
Around 6:30 local time I was boarding my plane, a big Korean airlines 777. The flight wasn’t too bad, actually, but I didn’t get much sleep. I sat next to a very talkative lady that had been visiting her American boyfriend stationed in Korea. She had been in Seoul for a month and had never eaten a meal off the base. She said she isn’t too adventurous. What a shame. She was nice enough, though, and we chatted for a while before I finally got to reading my book and listening to music.
I was very happy to arrive in San Francisco – I picked up my suitcase and cleared immigration and customs without a problem. The first thing I noticed was all the security – lots of guns and uniforms. Scary.
I went outside and saw my mom right away – my dad swung by in the van and we were off! We made the drive home to Glen Ellen and I was finally able to relax a bit. I had a Fat Tire Ale, and we went in to town to eat some Mary’s Pizza. Oh yeah…
Now it’s Saturday here, and I’m getting ready to go into town with the family and do a little bit of shopping. Tonight we’re heading to Francine Sweeny’s place for a party. Should be fun!
