regrets....

As my time comes to a close I think back and ponder what I could have done while I was here.

I do have a few regrets. I could have used my time more wisely.

I spent a year in Korea immersed in the culture. I had so much time to learn the language, but I didn't try hard enough. I could have been pretty good by now. I can't carry on a simple conversation. Its never a waste to learn something new even if I have no use for it in the USA. I let that hold me back. I know that once I go home I'll never get to use Korean in day to day life. I don't come from an area that has a Korean poplulation.

I wish I would have saved more money. I was caught up in the luxurious lifestyle. I had free rent, everything was cheap, not many bills, and a lot of disposible income. I wish I would have spent it more carefully so I could have saved about half of my salary. I think when I go home I'll have about $4,000 which won't go very far when saving up for a slightly used car. And now I'm not even sure that I want the car that I originally planned to get. I wanted a 2009 corolla (its when the body style changed).But now I'm scared with all the recalls. I really want a Hyundai Genesis Coupe, but its way too expensive (for an unemployed person!). I'll have to land the dream job first.

I wish I would have done more travelling. I could have visited all of Korea. I had the chance to be able to travel all over Korea, but I barely made it out of Seoul. I wish I would have went to at least one city in every province. (There are 8 provinces) I only went to cities in 2 of the provinces in the northern part of the country.

I wish I would have made more friends-Korean and Expats. I made a few friends, but I didn't try too hard. I guess I didn't try hard enough because I knew I'd eventually have to say goodbye. I don't like goodbyes.

I wish I would have eaten healthier. I thought if I was in a foreign country I'd get away from all the fast food. Nope. I was wrong. I think South Korea has just as much fast food as America. They won't make clothes for fat people, but they will put a Mcdonalds on every street corner. (crazy!) I had a really hard time finding food that I liked here. Most of the korean food was too spicy. Korea didn't offer some of the choices I could have picked at home like lean cuisine. I could have went to subway but there wasn't one close enough that I could walk or get there quickly. I could have eaten sandwiches, but the bread tastes funny here. Yeah. excuses. It was just hard for me so I turned to the only thing I liked-fast food. I ate way too much. yikes. I also drank way too much coke. I had to have my coke fix everyday.

I wish I would have went to the Noraebang more often. It's a singing room. Like private karaoke. I thought they were probably expensive so I only went once with my school and they paid. I heard that they are only about 5,000 won. I could have been improving my singing, but it probably wouldn't have been fun alone.

I should have brought a bigger coat! If I knew this winter was going to be so brutal I would have brought a warmer coat! I have never been so cold in my life! (It rarely gets cold in the Southeast in the US!) I am so ready for spring!