The last kimchi

I'm writing this from the local branch of the Seattle Public Library, where we have just received our library cards (!!) and are now catching up on digital life. Before I talk too much about Seattle, though, I'll try to mention our last weekend in Korea. On Wednesday night we got to experience the wonders of the korean bathhouse. With Monika and Megan we went to a huge bathhouse in what claims to be the world's largest department store. You go in, lock your shoes, get special spa pajamas and go to the dressing room for your gender where you get naked and then walk into the bath area, which is a large, high-ceilinged room done to look like an airy cave, full of baths of different temperatures and naked (mostly) Korean women. That's mostly Korean; they were completely naked. It took a little getting used to, but I felt remarkably comfortable. A favorite pasttime at the spa is getting scrubbed down with a coarse cloth, either done yourself or done by a spa employee. We liked our skin so skipped that step. After a long soak we saw the rest of the spa. Foot baths, dvd room, massages, fifteen different themed spas, cafes, you name it. I didn't consider myself a fan of the spa, but I'm a convert.

The next day Becky and I headed to Seoul on the high speed train. The Korean countryside is beautiful, and it was an enjoyable trip. We met up with Kim, had an amzing tour of Seoul from a mountaintop, great dinner, tea in a bird cafe with birds flying around our heads (no, birdies around the head doesn't just happen in bars or a hit over the head, at least not in Korea), and thn a drink at a quirky owl-themed bar. The next few days included a palace visit, some souveinere shopping (mostly just overwhelming), late night beer and chatting by a strean bank with Kim and her girlfriend, Anna, a hike up another local mountain, attending fireworks with four close friends and about 400000 other 'friends,' a great evening out on the town, and a western-style breakfast to top it all off. Whew! Our last night in Busan was low-key and a wonderful chance to hang out with Monika before leaving. Our flight home was uneventful and we're jet-lagged but happy to be home.

Although we've made it to Seattle, we haven't quite made it to real life, yet, since my job doesn't start for another few weeks. Although we'll both be doing some work starting now, we're trying to still see this as a bit of vacation. We'll keep updating the blog for a while, yet, to let you know what we're up to and what, exactly, we're settling into. For now we're going to head outside, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the sunshine. I hear days like this are rare in this neck of the woods, though Seattle has so far been generous with the sun and views of the mountains.
-hannah

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