let's go somewhere.

The sun is rising.

I’ve never, ever have had as much fun and learned as much as I have learned over the past month. Seoul is an amazing city, Yonsei is a wonderful school, and everyday is exciting.

A large update is coming soon.

Also, I have never had such terrible sleeping habits. And, I promise, I’m not partying as much as you think I am.

SAFE IN SEOUL!

I’m here, I’m moving in, and I’ve have been awake and traveling for 95% of the last 24 hours.

So far, everything is great! There’s a lot of people moving into my dorm all at the same time, so things are really crazy and there’s not really time to meet people because everyone is rushing around, but orientation is tomorrow and I’m sure plenty of people meeting happen then.

Tomorrow, I will type up the story of the interesting person I shared a cab with on the way to school, but first, sleep.

Written on the airplane

As I start to write this, it’s 9:30pm East Coast time, and according to the video screen in front of me says we have 5 hours and 30 minutes left in our 13 hour and 55 minute trip. This trip has been a lot easier than I was expecting it to be. Everything has gone smoothly, and I can’t complain. They’ve feed us really well, lunch and dinner, and a snack of a “meat roll”, which was basically a dinner roll filled with meat, unsurprisingly

Despite my three hours of sleep last night, I still haven’t slept yet – I’m sure I’ll be suffering sometime in the near future, but as hard as I try, I just really cannot fall asleep for more than 40 minutes on this airplane. It’s all good, I’ve got plenty of movies to watch. And, like always, I’m addicted to looking out of the window. We’re flying over Canada, so all I see is snow and frozen land and cracks in endless deserts of ice and small (?) mountains. It’s pretty awesome to see how much of the planet is covered in snow.

The transition to being immersed in Korea happened faster that I was planning. I didn’t expect that as soon as I hugged my family goodbye that I would instantly be “in Korea.” The line for the ticket counter for Korean Air was almost completely filled with Koreans of all ages and sizes, minus a few American-looking businessmen, and this creepy guy with a trolley-cart full of camera equipment who spent the entire time in line recording his Thai girlfriend stand in line with his very expensive looking camera. The older Korean man and woman standing behind me kept whispering about me and pointing to my American University volleyball nametags on my bags and diverting eye contact when I would turn around and look at them. Not really sure what they were talking about, but I’ve been told that I should get used to that. Every sign and announcement is in Korean, so I’m starting to get used to it. It was a good preparation course for what’s ahead of me, I assume.

Well, that’s my plane dispatch, I can’t think of anything else much more exciting other than the fact that my knees really hurt and that I’ve learned that buying $20 worth of magazines/Sunday New York Times was worth it, but my eyes are tired.

It’s (finally) time to go.

Well, 10 hours until takeoff, and after hours of packing and re-packing, I think it’s finally now starting to settle in that I am actually going to be in Seoul in ~ 24 hours. Whoa.

I had a great last day at home, if you take away all of the stress that I had while packing. I’m the worst packer in the world, if you didn’t know that already. Packing anxiety to the max, and I’m the worst overpacker I have ever met. But, I got to sleep in, spend the day chatting with my Dad who continuously rolled his eyes at me while I was frantically packing and taking endless “breaks”, and end the day at my brother’s hockey game, in which he and his team played excellently in.

I talked on the phone with NaNa, my grandmother on my Dad’s side, who kept telling me to be safe and careful and told me that she met someone in town today who has a son in Seoul, and that knowing that gave her comfort that I was going to a safe place. “She seriously thinks you’re going to a different planet,” said my Dad after I told him about the phone call.

My other grandmother, Grandma Emma, told me that she wasn’t worried about me because she knew I was going to have a good time, and that if I ever needed any help, that there are good Christians everywhere, which made me giggle, but it was cute because she was truly sincere. As we were ending our phone call, she starting saying “I love you!”, until it was almost a scream “I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BROLLEY!” She sounded so happy and joyful and it definitely put a smile on my face.

Well, now it’s time to sleep, gotta get some sleep before my big day of traveling tomorrow. Yeah, I’m excited now. Let’s do this!

PS Hi friends! Thanks for reading! I’m planning on updating this thing daily, so check it out as much as you can.

33 hours ‘til takeoff…

And I still haven’t packed yet.

Surprise.

The Philadelphia Poem Post

Phebruary in Philadelphia, a (non-rhyming) poem.

—

Spent 8 days in Philly

filled with fun, sleep, friends, and girlfriend.

Spent my evenings with tap dancing ladies

who worked tirelessly on an excellent show.

—

What a great time I had

eating an awesome lunch at Continental,

sitting in swinging seats

and eating my Elvis-inspired sandwich.

—

City-walking,

shopping with Hannah,

picking out crazy clothes,

and finding an awesomely comfortable sweater.

—

Justin Bieber, Esq, if you need an attorney,

only on the bus in Philadelphia.

“Can you please play the music for me?” (“Can you start it again, please?”)

The Safety Dance never ends, ever.

—

Wawa lemonade, and Sprite - all the time please,

Holding hands in the cold.

“I’ve spent the last 3 hours reading magazines in the bookstore,

today is the best day ever to be with the magazines. I’m mesmerized.”

—

Went to Physics, and I remembered some words,

like current, flow, voltage, q1 over q2.

Went to Organic Chemistry and I focused really, really hard,

Dan told me, “It’s just like Legos!”

—

I understood nothing.

—

Jackie took me to Social Psych, (taught by a cool and smart-sounding Australian man)

and I “took notes” for her while she made a nice movie/slideshow.

Jen took me to Children and the Media,

and the teacher got uncomfortable when talking about sex, and I laughed.

—

Show time! Wahoo!

Sit in box with cranky Katie, learn that she is cranky.

Afterwards, Justin Bieber movie,

and Hannah LOVED it, and this made me smile.

—

Breakfast with Penn Dance, it’s Saturday!

Afternoon Show with Mrs. C, “You kicked butt! You did so well!”

Dinner at Tap House, rush to make Mask & Wig

What a great show, these guys are talented and hilarious.

—

Sunday was a great day, the best day.

Wandered around Reading Terminal, trying new treats, and cheeses.

So adventurous of you, Hannah!

Latkes for brunch, served with great stories by out waiter.

—

Off to Magic Gardens, just a couple blocks away.

Amazing and awesome piece of work, all done by one man.

I’m happy we finally went. Off to explore South Street!

Environmentally friendly stores, neighborhood maps, dogs with jackets on.

—

Cool stores, food smells great

all the way down tot Penn’s Landing.

Franklin Fountain - my limeade is WAYYYY sour, but refreshing.

SEPTA ride back to Penn, gotta be home in time to make it to work!

—

Watch the Grammys with my Life Coach

Prepare Valentine’s Day surprise - chocolate cake and sparkly plates and journal,

for Hannah’s return. Surprise!

Yummy cake, sparkle plate. She loves it!

—

“Happy Valentine’s Day, valentine!”, she says as she wakes me up,

croissant and caramel macchiato in hand, my favorite.

Eat croissant in bed. Hannah gets mad. Shouldn’t have given it to me in bed.

Off to lunch! Off to class!

—

Off to dance! Chinese food first.

Hannah dances with Penn Dance. I sit in the corner and watch. Wonderful.

Leave for home tomorrow - won’t see each other for a long time.

Very sad.

—

Sleep in late, then get up to go and grab some food.

Canelles are our new favorites, and we quickly gobble them up.

Sandwiches take too long, and we grab them to go as we run out the door

to take our picture together at the “LOVE” statue. How cute.

—

Cab to bus. Sad. (“Hold my hand.”)

Bus stop. Sad. (Snot nose, lots of snot nose.)

It will be OK, I know it will.

Last hug, “Last call! Bus for New York City.”

—

:(

—

Off to New York City, filled with great memories and love from Philadelphia.

Awesome trip, awesome adventures.

Awesome Hannah.

Off to Connecticut, Off to Korea.

—

Reporting live from “somewhere in New Jersey”

At 3:00 pm, I closed the door of my Mom’s car, grabbed my suitcase in the back, waved goodbye to my Mom and brother, and as I walked away I realized that I was embarking on my final domestic adventure for a while. Actually, I didn’t realize it at the time - I just went through my routine of ordering my ticket at the silver box that dispenses Metro North tickets, hopping on the train, getting off a Grand Central and heading off into whatever direction I needed to go. It was until I was standing in line for my Megabus that I realized that I would be doing this process for the last time in a while. Not really sure what my feelings are about the situation as a whole, but it’s something to note I guess. 

So, here I am, on the Megabus on the highways somewhere in New Jersey heading to Philadelphia to see the awesome Hannah. I wonder how many hours of my life have been spent on a bus in New Jersey since 2008 between trips on various Megabuses, Chinatown buses, and volleyball buses. Seems like a cool statistic that I should know about myself. Something that I could share with people I meet at a bar or something, though I’m sure most people would be wierded out by that stat as opposed to impressed by it. 

Going to go spend a week in Philly with Hannah having a good time, helping out with her dance show this upcoming weekend, and enjoying my time to spend with her. Both excited and sad, because I know it’s going to be a nice time together but also our last for quite a long time. But, all will be good. Gonna enjoy ourselves, obviously.

Last night, I watched the Super Bowl with my Mom which is always a really great time that I enjoy and that I have missed for the past two years being away at school. I’m happy that happened. 

In media ramblings, I’m interested in seeing where HuffPo goes now that it’s with AOL. AOL has been gathering entities quite strategically, but traditionally has been a place where good startups go to die. I really hate all of this SEO crap to be honest, so I don’t care about either entity that much really - it’s just pretty fascinating that HuffPo went for $315 million. Honestly, I don’t fully understand any of this and I wouldn’t consider myself as one to have kind of valid opinion on this. But, really content farms just ruin content creation and it pissed me off. That’s my valid opinion.

Almost in Philadelphia! 

post-music iPod

I just bought an iPod without the intention of putting music on it. I mean, I will at some point, but that wasn’t the intention. I need (2011) a mobile internet device and all of the good things the come along with having an iPhone/iPod device, minus the phone and overwhelming international charges that I can’t even began to imagine affording. This feels weird to me. Like I’m at some technological turning point in time.

I finally got my stuff together and sent away for my visa today. You know, only 19 days before I need it and my passport to get into a foreign country. Let’s see how this goes.