Culture Shock

I didn't think that I would really deal with it. I figured, hey my family is from there, I'm half Korean, I'll be alright. Oh no was I extremely wrong. Lets start from the beginning.

I woke up at 5 in the morning which was really hard to do. I didn't want to leave my bed at all but I got up and took a shower. Packed the rest of my things, said sad goodbyes, and was on my way to the airport. The line for United was long and was had gotten there at around 6:45. My flight was at 8:03 so it seemed I had plenty of time. When I finally got up there the lady told me that I could not go because I didn't have a return flight. I showed her the paper they told me to print out that said the Korean Government, regardless of nationality, allows E-2 visa holders to not have a return flight ticket. Well she didn't by that so my dad told her to let me go on through to Chicago. The crap part about that would be that I would have to get my bags and haul them. By the time I get through the gate I barely had time to put my shoes on and wave goodbye because I was practically the last one to walk on the plane. I felt the tears coming but I held back.

When I got to my seat all the over head things where full so I couldn't get my gigantic carry on up there. The flight attendent was all, "You should have checked this. You're going to hurt yourself or others." Irritated I just snapped, "Well it's to late now." A man helped me make it fit and I sat down in the middle seat with a teenager at the window and business man on the aisle. I told the kid I was on the verge of tears and to prepare himself. And right as I sat down I started to cry. The kid, Steven, was really nice though. Talked to me a lot all most to the point of being annoying. We played a card game for the hour flight to Chicago.

Chicago airport is giant. I was in Terminal 1. I bought a cart for three dollars, got my luggage then found out I couldn't take the cart on the little train thing that took you to Terminal 5. So I abandon the cart and make my way to the new Terminal. I'm worried that I have come this far to be turned away by the Korean Airline. I get through the line with no problems other then I had to check in my carry on because it was to heavy. $65 but I was alright because I just wanted to get it over with.

Three hours later I get on the plane to Korea and I'll write all about that next time.