This is going to be a long post, but I promise that it is worth every second that you spend reading it. My theme song for this weekend was TI's Live Your Life. This song was everything I wanted to say (except the paper chasing part). The plan was to go to an island for the weekend and chill on the beach. This is how it happened...
The weekend started with a night on the town with Brittney, who makes life worth living, and some of her local friends. We went to Itaewon in Seoul, it was a first time journey for me to get to know the bus/subway system of Seoul. I arrived and met Brittney and her friend Diane at a sushi bar, and then we went to an awesome bar filled with military people and other foreign teachers. They had Guinness!!! Some of their other friends showed up and we had a good talk. I met a Special Forces Major that had been stationed in Seoul for awhile and he gave me his card and told me if I ever got into any trouble to give him a call. Now I gotz me some military backup homies!
Then we went to another bar, where you can sit in these swings and the floor had sand on it, so it felt like we were at the beach. Again I had me some Guinness, and we met up with one of Diane's old friends from college, a guy named Adrian that I am certain I will be friends with for a long time. We wrapped it up at the bar, because we had an early next morning, so we took a taxi home.
We woke up the next day and took a taxi to the Yongsan train station, where we met up with a very drunk and crazy Canadian guy name Matthew. He has been living in Korea for three years, so he is fluent in Korean, and he spoke with and annoyed everyone Korean that we came in contact with. At first I wanted to shoot him, but he turned out to be an decent guy and I can't wait to see him again. Two other girls showed up, and we jumped on our three hour train to Daechong for the ferry. The train ride was long, but it was a good time to relax and get to know the people that I was going on this trip with.
We arrived at another station and took another taxi through the smelliest town I have ever been in. It was an ocean town with these mud flats (probably full of dead fish and triads). Eww. We shortly got to the port and hung out for a little bit. We met up with the rest of our group. A guy named Lee, a local Korean and organizer of the trip, his friend Nathan, Nathan's girlfriend and her friend. Ten of us total. We boarded the ferry and had a beutiful forty minute ride to the island. So many awesome conversations that I don't have enough space for, but believe me they were great.
The island was called ??? Does it matter? We arrived and got picked up by our host. He took us back to what was basically a bed and breakfast. The host had prepared a HUGE traditional Korean meal, it was delicious. We sat on the floor and everything. Then we went to the beach and collected "sea cocks". They were this type of shellfish that you had to dig for and then salt the hole they live in until they pop out and you grab them. I caught seven, but Brittney and Diane got like a thousand, so I guess they won the "sea cock" grabbing contest. Sounds bad, but it isn't. Oh, the reason we called them "sea cocks" was because they very much resembled penises. We grilled and ate them later that night.
We then hiked to a secluded beach that had a 500 year old tree and we skipped rocks and frolicked around for awhile before we went home. It was a very magical experience. When we got back to the place we just goofed around for awhile and then we went to watch the sun set at another beach. I don't think I ever felt as close to God as I was in that moment. We went back to our place and grilled out. Delicious food all the way around. It got cold, so we had to adapt ourselves, but we made do and continued the fun with guitar playing, fireworks shooting, drinking, and awesome conversations. We finally all turned in to bed where we laid down mats in one big room and slept. It was interesting...
The next day we woke up and ate some breakfast, and I was anxious to get back to the beach. So I grabbed Brittney, Diane, Ashley, and Bonny, and we went to the beach. They laid out and sunned themselves while reading books (cause they're girls), but I went and stood in the ocean and watched the waves come in, and I prayed some of the most intimate prayers of my life. Tears people, tears. God is so awesome in his providence. We went back and had another HUGE Korean meal that was a million times better than the previous day, so it was good.
We then went back to the beach, where I pretty much kept to myself and listened to some tunes while burning in the sun and watching the waves come in, on an island, in South Korea! I had a great talk with Lee, and I am so glad I was able to meet him, because he is defiantely a kindred spirit. He gave me some advice that hit me at the most precise moment for what was on my mind. God is providential!!
To be Cont' later...
The weekend started with a night on the town with Brittney, who makes life worth living, and some of her local friends. We went to Itaewon in Seoul, it was a first time journey for me to get to know the bus/subway system of Seoul. I arrived and met Brittney and her friend Diane at a sushi bar, and then we went to an awesome bar filled with military people and other foreign teachers. They had Guinness!!! Some of their other friends showed up and we had a good talk. I met a Special Forces Major that had been stationed in Seoul for awhile and he gave me his card and told me if I ever got into any trouble to give him a call. Now I gotz me some military backup homies!
Then we went to another bar, where you can sit in these swings and the floor had sand on it, so it felt like we were at the beach. Again I had me some Guinness, and we met up with one of Diane's old friends from college, a guy named Adrian that I am certain I will be friends with for a long time. We wrapped it up at the bar, because we had an early next morning, so we took a taxi home.
We woke up the next day and took a taxi to the Yongsan train station, where we met up with a very drunk and crazy Canadian guy name Matthew. He has been living in Korea for three years, so he is fluent in Korean, and he spoke with and annoyed everyone Korean that we came in contact with. At first I wanted to shoot him, but he turned out to be an decent guy and I can't wait to see him again. Two other girls showed up, and we jumped on our three hour train to Daechong for the ferry. The train ride was long, but it was a good time to relax and get to know the people that I was going on this trip with.
We arrived at another station and took another taxi through the smelliest town I have ever been in. It was an ocean town with these mud flats (probably full of dead fish and triads). Eww. We shortly got to the port and hung out for a little bit. We met up with the rest of our group. A guy named Lee, a local Korean and organizer of the trip, his friend Nathan, Nathan's girlfriend and her friend. Ten of us total. We boarded the ferry and had a beutiful forty minute ride to the island. So many awesome conversations that I don't have enough space for, but believe me they were great.
The island was called ??? Does it matter? We arrived and got picked up by our host. He took us back to what was basically a bed and breakfast. The host had prepared a HUGE traditional Korean meal, it was delicious. We sat on the floor and everything. Then we went to the beach and collected "sea cocks". They were this type of shellfish that you had to dig for and then salt the hole they live in until they pop out and you grab them. I caught seven, but Brittney and Diane got like a thousand, so I guess they won the "sea cock" grabbing contest. Sounds bad, but it isn't. Oh, the reason we called them "sea cocks" was because they very much resembled penises. We grilled and ate them later that night.
We then hiked to a secluded beach that had a 500 year old tree and we skipped rocks and frolicked around for awhile before we went home. It was a very magical experience. When we got back to the place we just goofed around for awhile and then we went to watch the sun set at another beach. I don't think I ever felt as close to God as I was in that moment. We went back to our place and grilled out. Delicious food all the way around. It got cold, so we had to adapt ourselves, but we made do and continued the fun with guitar playing, fireworks shooting, drinking, and awesome conversations. We finally all turned in to bed where we laid down mats in one big room and slept. It was interesting...
The next day we woke up and ate some breakfast, and I was anxious to get back to the beach. So I grabbed Brittney, Diane, Ashley, and Bonny, and we went to the beach. They laid out and sunned themselves while reading books (cause they're girls), but I went and stood in the ocean and watched the waves come in, and I prayed some of the most intimate prayers of my life. Tears people, tears. God is so awesome in his providence. We went back and had another HUGE Korean meal that was a million times better than the previous day, so it was good.
We then went back to the beach, where I pretty much kept to myself and listened to some tunes while burning in the sun and watching the waves come in, on an island, in South Korea! I had a great talk with Lee, and I am so glad I was able to meet him, because he is defiantely a kindred spirit. He gave me some advice that hit me at the most precise moment for what was on my mind. God is providential!!
To be Cont' later...
Glad to hear everything is going so well.
ReplyDelete-Aaron S.
wow! what a packed weekend. keep us updated--we're all living vicariously through you.
ReplyDelete(cause they're girls) hahaha! This was an awesome post man! Happy that you found providence. And not the one in Plano. Didn't mean anything by that!
ReplyDeletegood for you to find true providence. Great blog man.
ReplyDelete