Home

Home is where the heart lies, or so they say. If that's true, then my home is 3,000 miles away. It's a place I haven't been in almost a decade. Still, that's where my heart belongs.

Welcome to Busan, South Korea. Or Pusan. It's been written both ways over the years. One of the things I learned in the few short months I worked there was that Hangul doesn't really have a P or a B sound. There's one letter that's something in between our two letters, thus the variation in spelling.

Despite being over eight years old, my memory of the trip is near pristine. I touched down in Busan as the first time I'd ever been outside my native continent. I would have been instantly enamored if I wasn't dead tired. Some part of me thought it was a good idea to stay awake for the entire day, including over sixteen hours of flight time. After the company arranged taxi brought me to my hotel, I dragged my bags up to the room and crashed. It was the best eight hours of sleep I'd ever experienced. I didn't even care the bed was as soft as a slab of concrete.

Yeah, that was another thing I learned. They like firm mattresses over there. I found it difficult to sleep on after my first night, but I understand why they like it. Everyone I met had exceptional posture.

With the first week of work done, I set out to explore my surroundings. I had taught myself enough of the polite phrases that I figured I could get by. My first destination was down to the beach right across from the hotel.

Ok, so it wasn't the kind of beach you were expecting, but it was gorgeous. I sat for about an hour that morning just watching the waves break against the rocks, occasionally catching the sun with brilliant colors.

What came next was one of the most treasured days of my life.

Meet the Kim family. One of the many, that is. I found out that Kim is much like Smith here, only far more common. Kim Taesu had been my coworker for a week, and we found ourselves on the opposite sides of the same mission. Each of us wanted to learn the other's language and culture. To that end, he invited me along with his family on a tour around Busan.

I have dozens of photos from that time spent with Taesu and his family, and it's tough choosing only a few, but I did my best. From the vibrant energy of the Nampo-dong to the serene Yonggungsa temple, I found myself falling more and more in love with this country I wish I had known sooner in life.

As the weeks went on, I only found myself becoming more and more attached to the country, its culture, and especially, its people. Every person I met was a genuine pleasure to speak with. Every evening brought a new thing to learn and enjoy. I learned how to order my food and soju, eat with the metal chopsticks, and navigate the trains. I learned how to play a game of pool that had only three balls. I learned how to properly cheer on my coworker, Kim Hyun-Jun (different Kim), while he played baseball.

More than anything, I learned about myself. I learned that the way I viewed most of the world was flat out wrong. I was faced with a reality that there were good people, perhaps even better people, who were wholly different than myself. They didn't hold the same values or beliefs I held, but I felt safer on their streets than I did back home. It was a slow realization that set in some time after I had already returned home. I lost something of myself out there in Busan, but I came back with so much more.

I have one regret. Kim Taesu, who meant so much to me on my life's journey, is a man I have no way to reach. He left the company I worked for shortly after my trip, and I never got to thank him for everything that followed. I doubt I'll ever get the message to him, but Taesu, you made me a better person. My gratitude is only outshown by the kindness that you showed me. Thank you.

Home is where the heart lies, and a part of mine will always belong to Busan, and my family over there.