It’s now been almost 2 months since my return to the U.S., and I think it’s long overdue that I add my final thoughts. As many of you know, I titled this blog Spaghetti and Kimchi to chronicle my experiences and feelings about living overseas in Seoul. I hadn’t really intended to keep the blog after I returned to the states, although I have been playing with the idea of starting a new one.
Since our return, Alex and I have been meshing nicely into American life again. We flew into Houston’s Intercontinental Airport on August 11th after a 15 hour flight and not a whole lot of sleep. Alex said the biggest reverse-culture shock he experienced was feeling surprised that people were speaking English all around him; he wasn’t accustomed to understanding every single conversation! I remember looking around at all the people dressed in sweatpants and UGGS at LAX airport and just cringing. Koreans are very good about maintaining a well-dressed and well-manicured appearance, but these Americans…. whoa. The whole experience of returning to the States was a little bit numbing and surreal to me, but I think my mind adjusted quickly in the following days. For Alex, his home and his family were still in the same state he had left them in, but for me, I had a bit more to get used to. My parents had begun living separately shortly after I left for Korea, my sister had gotten a dog and grown a few inches in height, and my mom had filled the family house with all new furniture, including a disco ball installed in our living room. Don’t get me started. After getting over the initial shock of coming home to a weird and different house, I went to sleep around 1am and woke up around 9am feeling like a champ. I thought, jet lag? Psshhh what jet lag? I spoke too soon. I think I felt the after-effects of jet lag for the next 3 weeks.
When we arrived in Austin the following week we found more surprises waiting for us. The biggest changes were the new buildings that had transformed Austin’s skyline from a handful of stubby buildings to… well, a skyline. West Campus had only gotten uglier and trashier since we left, except more of the charming antique houses had been uprooted and replaced with new industrial-style condo construction. Gross.
The UT campus used to seem like the center of the universe and a part of my daily life, but I’m now finding that I feel completely disconnected from it now that I’m an alumni. In fact, I like to avoid the mob of undergraduates as much as I can! Hopefully someday I can return to the campus again feeling like a welcome grad-student… more on that later.
Okay, our apartment. We managed to find a really charming apartment complex in Hyde Park that was built in the 70’s but was recently renovated to look awesome! Since we were renting so late in the game, we got a good deal on a 2 bedroom apartment with Pergo flooring. Essentially, we went from a 350 sq. foot Korean efficiency to an 866 sq. foot apartment with HUGE closets, full kitchen, double-sink bathroom, and study! Sometimes we get lost in all of our space. Hyde Park is a great, liberal minded, eco-friendly, organic foodie type neighborhood… I love it! We’ve outgrown the university life and moved far from the frat houses but still close enough for Alex to ride his bike to the law school.
Speaking of the law school, Alex is in the middle of his 2nd month of classes and his workload is really starting to pick up. He goes to school at 9am everyday, and comes home for dinner around 7pm. After that, it’s more studying until bedtime around midnight. Last night we estimated that he studies about 80 hours a week! He’s very diligent. As for me, the job market in Austin hasn’t been good to me. I really want to get a job in the science or environmental regulation field, but unfortunately these sectors haven’t exactly been rolling in the dough lately. My plan is to work in the science field for a couple of years before applying to graduate school for my master’s (or maybe PhD!). I’m extremely interested in UT’s Evolution, Ecology and Behavior program at the moment… it pretty much incorporates everything I love! Right now my job hunt is focusing on government agencies so that I can really learn about the regulation and policy related to the environment. Please cross your fingers that a good job comes my way! I’m really hoping that I don’t have to venture out of my area of interest, but it might come to that if the market doesn’t pick up.
I have to say, I am loving Austin’s music scene, Town Lake, Whole Foods, etc. but I do miss Korea sometimes. I made jajjangmyun the other day, and just last night I had a dream I had a plane ticket back to Seoul. This was one of about 3-4 Korea dreams so far. I definitely miss Korean food delivery, shopping, public transportation, and my students. I’m also afraid that I’m forgetting all of my Korean, but I’m also glad I can have an in-depth conversation where people understand me! There are advantages and disadvantages wherever you go I suppose. I hope that one day I have a chance to go back and visit my old co-workers and neighborhood!
1 Comment
October 9, 2009 at 5:00 am
Haha, I share your views about the mobs of people on campus. I hate driving through campus, and even on the Drag. I avoid those places as much as possible.