I'm writing this not from Seoul, but from my hometown of Milford CT. And I'm quite sad to say that my days in Korea have ended. Although I am very happy to be back with my family and friends here, of course, I already miss everyone back in Seoul, and the excitement of living there.

I was fortunate enough to have a lot of time to spend with my friends in Korea before I left. A bunch of us tried to go to a place called Gimme Five, which features kickboxing and other forms of violent entertainment, as well as pretty waitresses and overpriced drinks. Unfortunately, the reservation got messed up and we ended up in a private room, far from the view of the fighting ring. So we skipped it and went to a pseudo-Irish pub in the mall!

On my last day of teaching, we had a farewell party at Platinum Microbrewery, my favorite bar in Seoul. It was a good crowd, though obviously there was less excitement than at my birthday party. At the end of the night, a few of us went to Sauna International in Apgujeong, where apparently I was dancing on the table (or something like that).

Following that, I made my first extended trip outside of Seoul and went to Gyeong-ju for three days. It's about a four-hour bus ride from Seoul. It was so great to get out of the city for a while and see the rest of Korea. I had lived in Seoul for two years and had never been further away than the airport! So this was really a treat. We had great weather and I did a lot of sightseeing (pictures coming soon!).

Before leaving Korea, we had one more big night out at Once in a Blue Moon, a posh jazz club in Apgujeong. A few of us had been talking about going there for a long time, and so finally we were able to get everyone together and actually do it. There were so many of us that we weren't really able to pay much attention to the music, but I think everyone had a good time. Of course, I was sad to say my good-byes at the end of the night. Here are a few pictures that my friends took.

Then it was time to pack up and leave! I've really enjoyed my time in Korea, and learned a lot about myself. I made some great friends and hopefully I will visit again soon! Annyonghi kyeseyo!