"I open at the close."

So this it, the day before I leave to return Atlanta. I have come to my journey's end of being in this wonderful country and it's time for me to go back to my familiar stomping grounds.

The emotions flowing thru me now are not sad nor relief, I am simply content.

I reflect on my first post in this blog and remember how terrified I was to be in a foreign country, to be away from my family, to be alone, but I was also excited to see if I could make it on my own and to take in this country's culture and experiences.

Over the course of my semester here in Seoul I have been challenged academically and mentally to think in a higher standard than I known before, I got to learn more about myself and my thirst for adventure has only grown with every new experience I have had since my arrival here.

I felt so guilty for coming to Korea, I felt like I was leaving my family and being selfish in my actions, but I see now that it's within God's intention for us to experience the world that mother nature created.

And at first, I felt so sad that i'll be leaving this beautiful country, I've seen so much of it but there's still so much I would like to experience, but I see now that I shouldn't be sad. There's always the hope for tomorrow, and I should be happy in the fact that I made it this far in life.

So i'm not sad to leave and i'm not relieved to be leaving this country after so long away, I am simply content. Because, in the course of a semester I can say I feel taller...not in height but in other regards. I only hope to be able to maintain this zest for life.