Getting back into the swing of things.

Vacation is almost over, life is starting up again. The traveling part of vacation is done. I'm glad to be back in Yeosu. I had some great experiences but in all, I'm glad to be back. The best part is, I don't have to be back at school until March 2nd, so I have a week to just chill. That's great, seeing as how all the new people (Katie and Charlsey) just got here.

I feel like I need to take a week to process everything that I saw. These are some things I learned:

1. Traveling is easy and difficult at the same time. Plan well but don't overplan. Be flexible.
2. Traveling by yourself is hard but a unique experience. That being said, traveling with just one other person is also hard. 3 weeks with just one other person can be trying.
3. The random people you meet on your travels can sometimes be the best parts of your trip.
4. I feel so privileged to speak English as my first language. All of the people I met on the trip that weren't native English speakers had to converse with me and a good majority of the other people they met in English, a language not preferred by them.
5. No matter what you think, there are always people in the world that are worse off than you.
6. People can be so cruel to each other. Seeing the Killing Fields in Cambodia and hearing villagers' stories in Vietnam really put a lot of things in perspective.
   
7. Some of the most genuinely happy people in the world have close to nothing.
8. Good food with good people makes even the hottest longest day better.
9. The world is full of wonder.
10. Pictures don't do the real thing justice.
11. Vacation is 100 times worse when you get sick.

Going along with number 11, I'm still not better. I really haven't eaten a decent meal since Nha Trang. A few times since I've been back I've gone out with people for dinner but I just have no appetite. My dad thinks I picked up a parasite. The Korean doctor thinks I have gastritis.

Korean healthcare is great. I was in the hospital (you go to the hospital instead of a clinic for walk ins) for less than 10 minutes. In that time I had my exam and got a prescription. Another 4 minutes in the pharmacy next door and I had my 5 day supply of medicine all put into individual "serving" packets. Real convenient. All in all, the visit to the hospital cost me 3,600 won ($3) and my medicine cost me 5,700 won ($5) for a 5 day supply of 5 different medicines.