Body in Seoul

At this point, I've been in Seoul, South Korea for almost two weeks and I can honestly say that I have no idea what Korea is like. Being an army wife has its benefits, but one of those benefits is having a close network of people and a huge army post that almost prevent you from experiencing what the culture in this bustling metropolis is really like. Now, I must admit that much of my time over the last two weeks was spent overcoming a sinus infection that I developed pretty much immediately after I arrived. For the sake of creating a story, I'll start with the creation of the sinus infection and move forward.

Seoul is HOT this time of year. Not hot like back in Chicago where they tell you to check on old people and make sure your dog gets lots of water for about a week and then everyone forgets about it, but hot like that on steroids...for the whole summer. I have not taken less than two, cold showers per day the entire time I've been here. As my friends and family know well, I rarely turn the air conditioner on and absolutely never sleep with it on. Here, that's not an option. The AC was on full-blast the first couple of nights I was here, and it wasn't long before I started feeling the effects of it that prevented me from using it in the past. I coughed and hocked up the most disgusting blobs of goop I'd ever seen come out of my body, and that's putting it nicely.

However, in an attempt to enjoy those few first days, I tried to ignore what my body was doing. I spent one day pretending like I wasn't sick, followed by a day of some rest, then a day of acting normal, and a subsequent day of trying to feel well. Finally, this past Monday night, I gave up and took some over-the-counter meds to speed things along. Well, the good news is that the meds worked; the bad news is that I lost an entire day popping pills and sleeping, which brings us to today.

After over a week of discomfort, I finally felt actual relief, went out, and had fun (without hacking up a lung). I can officially say I know how to take the post shuttle, I've been to probably the best pool on post, and I've been to the mall thanks to a new buddy and fellow army wife that I had the honor of introducing myself to after a series of text messages between our very busy
husbands and us. Together, I'm hoping to discover more of what this great city and its wonderful culture have to offer, and maybe make a few more friends in the process, so I'm not just a lonely body in Seoul.