At some point I will own up to being lazy about posting. I'd much rather this flaw be the reason I haven't written anything for awhile. But since this blog is about documenting my experiences- and not just the "glamorous" ones- I'll admit that it has been an emotionally tiring week. A week that has inspired me to wonder why the hell I'm in Korea and so far away from my family and friends. I have a couple of people here that I can talk to so at least I'm not totally alone. Going to Seoul for the weekend was a good distraction and things are looking up this week.

In order to celebrate the departure of one of our friends, a group of us went to Seoul for the weekend. After teaching until 6 on Saturday, I took the 75 minute bus ride up to Seoul. An hour on the subway brought me to the love motel where we were staying. How much explaining does the "love motel" require? Rooms can also be rented by the hour and various accessories are available for purchase. In this one, the bathroom door was a glass panel with an etching of a naked woman. Slightly sketchy, yes, but also the cheapest accommodation option in a very expensive city.

We're not that deprived living in Cheongju, but there's something about going to Seoul that inspires carefree spending and indulging in anything foreign. Some people have to get their Starbucks and Thai food, others need T.G.I. Fridays and a good haircut. Whatever it is, and accounting for drinks, covers and cabs, the Sunday regrouping encourages the counting of leftover Won and the nursing of big bottles of water. And of course, we come to the conclusion that it's all worth it.