Dispatches - July 3, 2009

After a few unexpected hurdles, I write from seat 12C a few thousand feet about Pennsylvania. After months of anticipation and incremental preparation (read 'procrastination'), it is more than a little surreal to finally hit the road.

It's a bit of a staggered start. I reach Seoul via Chicago and Los Angeles. More experienced travelers have bemoaned my roundabout itinerary, but I must confess that breaks in flying time and a chance to poke around LA – even if it's just LAX – have made the flight path just fine by me. In another testament to my travel skills – or lack thereof – I just left 22.5 pounds of my prized possessions back in Philadelphia. Much to my chagrin, I became one of 'those people' frantically rummaging through my suitcases in the middle of the departures terminal, desperately trying to save $150 in excess baggage fees by shedding 10 pounds in each suitcase. Beyond the obvious embarrassment and added anxiety of mistakenly shaving a necessary article from my luggage, I revoked my own self-bestowed status as an efficient packer – only time will tell what I miss in Korea. Whether I miss it or not, I just left a year's supply of floss (apparently in scant supply over there) with my parents.

Trying to anticipate what physical items to bring to Korea was perhaps a more valuable lesson in how little I currently know about my destination. By the same token, however, it's also a testament to how much I stand to learn. Knowing myself and my predisposition to worrying, I am proud of my cool approach to this adventure and my heretofore success in keeping my anticipations at bay. I expect considerable cultural chaos, awkward assimilation, and frequent frustration with a foreign language.

Those that know me well know that I like to have my ducks in a row. To a fault I am not extemporaneous – a year in Korea with a high dose of adventure should prove to be just the medicine I need to mellow out a bit. If not now I fear never. It's law school, a firm, and finality. I have a strong and deep suspicion that there is more to life – I've seen friends discover it – but until now I've never taken a leap to answer my own question. As much as I like to imagine myself as a cool independent – reliant on no one – the kindness of friends and family as of late has been a bittersweet reminder of all that I leave behind. Korea is a chance to explore a completely foreign culture. But as I have already discovered, it is a chance to explore a completely foreign part of myself as well.