A happy afternoon spent wine tasting in Mendoza, Argentina
Sitting here in my hostel in Mendoza, I try to envision the next year of my life. It's harder to imagine than it used to be.
Before arriving in South America, I was certain I would return to Korea after finishing this trip. I had a boyfriend there, and full intentions to return to him and the life I have there. Plans involving living in Seoul, working at another Education University, continuing to improve my Korean skills, and deepening my friendships and the life I love in Korea.
That was before South America.
That was before these magical countries captured a place in my heart that I never knew was there. A place that loves the warmth of red wine, the wild beats of salsa, the romance of speaking Spanish, and the vast mountain and ocean landscapes. As I spend my days here amazed by the sheer diversity of natural beauty before me, part of me wonders why I wouldn´t try living here.
The other part of me, the Asia-loving, chopstick weilding, funny sticker booth photo-taking, rice field admiring, crowded subway riding, Korean speaking, public sauna attending part of me... it longs for Asia, and in particular, Korea. I miss it so deeply, and only the Korean phrase "그리워요" seems to express my longing appropriately.
Sometimes, when you travel the world, you end up so positively open that you can fall in love with almost any place. It´s just a case of finding the place which will make you the happiest. Here, as I continue to travel, I need to start making that choice.
Hey Kerri!
ReplyDeleteGlad I found your blog and YouTube channel. Subscribed!
Quick question - how long have you been learning Korean for?
^_^
Great post - I love your honesty. As you know, I feel the same way...where will we be next year??
ReplyDeleteI suppose to meet you in Korea but it would be nice to meet in South American.
ReplyDeleteI also planning to travel there in a few years.
I inspired by you especially about travel.
and your article make me think a lot. thank you for that.
Hasta luego adios
a question i contemplate so very much myself! i too appreciate and admire your honesty - it's a question most folk fail to even contemplate. good luck with your up coming decisions!
ReplyDeleteOh man, I understand some of these feelings! I've always felt like my travels have been both exploratory (for the sake of intrepidly discovering the Unknown and the Unusual!) as well as a kind of search. I used to think of it as a more overt kind of search: for me, I refused to believe I belonged in Toronto just because I had ended up here, so I thought of every place I went to as a new potential home, and every time I enjoyed a place, I'd think how much I wanted to live there. But over time I then began to love the voyage itself, the temporary nature of my experience in various places, the way they can become home for the time being - or the way "the open road" itself becomes home. Anyway, I totally understand that conflict between the desire to continue travelling and the desire to return to the place that you have come to call home - or the conflict inside your soul when you realize that the place you consider home doesn't include some of the wonderful things about the places you've travelled to. It's like, if I was interviewing places for the position of my home, I really can't imagine choosing Toronto objectively, per se... it was more of an arranged marriage between us, ha ha, but then we fell in love. And now there's a deep love underneath it all that I can't totally explain. But that being said, I need to get out of here sometimes. I need to balance this familiar love with new passions.
ReplyDeleteI guess I've come to think of Toronto as my home base, and the world as my home.
Anyway, hope you continue to enjoy life on travels/in Korea/wherever you may end up! Miss ya, Kerri. :)
And for the record, I don't mean to imply you wouldn't choose Korea if you were interviewing for places to be Home. He he. I just mean it can be sort of random luck how we end up places and how they then become Home. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kerry =)
ReplyDeleteDo you plan coming to Brazil? I'm sure you'd be very welcome here.
Although the country is huge and you wouldn't likely come near my home, let me know... I could suggest some nice places worth visiting.
Well... I don't have to say that your lifestyle is very motivating to me, do I? :D
But for now, I need to focus on my graduation... =(
Abraços!
Hey Kerri!
ReplyDeleteI guess in the end, both places will still be there waiting in the future so i guess it comes down to, do you want to continue your life back in Korea, or do something new in South America.
I say go live in South America! Be it Mexico or Argentina.
ReplyDeleteYou won't regret it!
gosh I love your blog! a friend of mine stayed at a hostel in Mendoza also months ago!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experiences
xo Cassy
http://theworkette.blogspot.com/
I cant even imagine how devistated your boyfriend must have been. Cant imagine saying ''hey honey Im going on a short trip see you in a few weeks'' and then just abandoning them with a ''well I found something better, bye!'' : / I think youd better think harder about peoples feelings before pulling them around and expecting to just follow your own way.
ReplyDelete