Thursday, March 26, 2009

We Build Then We Break:

Picture this

You're at an amusement park. You feel the wind in your face and you can't wait to get on the next roller coaster. After standing in line for an hour, you sit in your seat and fasten your seat belt. The operator makes an announcement to keep all hands and feet inside the moving vehicle at all times. You're quickly off, slowing and slowing approaching the first major hill. Before you know it you're at the top and you can see the whole park in front of you. The roller coaster quickly falls from the sky and you scream for about 75 seconds. You come to a screeching halt and it's all over. Was it worth that hour wait? 

Now picture this

You just graduated college and you decide to move half way across the world. You find a job, and within days you're frantically compiling the necessary documents for "said" job. You pay an arm and a leg to ship them half way across the world. You wait, and wait... and you probably wait some more. At this point you think that maybe the company forgot about you. You give up hope. Finally, one night you email them and they respond right away. Score! You finally have your placement and your visa number is on the way. You're very excited. You feel like you're on top of the world. You begin to tell friends and family about your upcoming journey.  Finally, it's moving day. You just packed your entire life into two suit cases and you're driving to the airport. After questioning yourself the whole way and wondering "Is this what I should be doing" -- you've arrived at the airport. Passport in hand you check in, and before you know it it is time to say good bye to the people that matter most. At this point, the roller coaster has reached the top of the hill. You're waiting for that first drop. The major rush of adrenaline. Fourteen hours later you get off a plane in a country you know little about. You're still stoked. 

Forty minutes later, your ride is no where to be found. You freak out. Was the excitement building up to this day.... worth it? 

The Point

Now you may wonder- what was the point of that? I feel like living here is just like a roller coaster. There are so many up and downs that you have to wonder, "is it worth it?"  

When work has you down (which it often does) you turn to your friends. And granted for the past year I felt as though I didn't have many (as it was really hard to adjust moving to Seoul after living in Incheon). It was even more difficult to say goodbye to some of the people who I got closest too. Those who are now long and gone to their hometowns. Either way, when you think that everything is failing apart, going out for dinner with a group of great people can really help everything. Having a life outside of work really does make it worth it. Or so I think. 

I'm at this point in my contract where I've seen a lot of people come, and even more go. It seems like the ones you like the best are always the ones that leave the earliest. They are the hardest to replace. I'm moving next week to a new apartment closer to work. One that is much much larger than the current one. Part of me feels like I've started to form a bond with the people who live here in my building, and I'm curious what is going to happen when I move. I don't want to go back to how I was for so many months-- where I'd come home and sit in my apartment. I'm sure none of them know this, but the solidarity I've felt with the guys from work for the past month or so, has really made things much better for me. 

Either way, things are going to be really different in the upcoming weeks. It's going to be interesting how they pan out. In the meantime, I'm going to focus on the positive. Tokyo this weekend, and hopefully a few weekends of baseball to follow!! 


No comments: