Korea 2012 Guest Post – Julie Miller Reflections

Guest Post by Julie Miller:

The end of a trip always brings a mix of emotions. On the one hand, you are happy to see your family and friends back home. On the other hand, you are sad that the trip is coming to a close. The end of this years experimental learning opportunity was no exception.

Now that I am home and have had time to reflect on the trip, a few things have caught my attention. The first is how much I have learned and how many memorable stories I have to share. When you return from a trip, everyone wants to know how it was. I feel like I haven’t stopped talking about the wonderful time I had learning how to shape clay or how rewarding working in the tea fields was.

The second thing that I have realized is just how different the food is in America and Korea. I was shocked when I went to a restaurant and I wasn’t immediately presented with a bowl of rice and ten different types of ban chan. At the same time, it was good to have a good old fashioned hamburger. Now if only I could stop handing over credit card with my hand touching my wrist I would stop getting so many strange looks.

The last thing I have noticed is that I am a lot more rested. It’s odd to wake up in the morning and not immediately have to go get ready in order to make it to the multitude of activities planned for the day. Rest is good after such a demanding trip, but I’m sure everything will see normal after a week or two. As I return to that everyday life, I will always remember the memories I made, the food I ate, and how I wouldn’t trade this trip for anything.