Spreading the Korean Love

The best thing happened to me the other day... Occasionally I eat at a sushi joint near my work. The ladies in there are so sweet, and love to talk to me because they are Korean too. The older woman (who looks like she's 40 and is really 55) has taken a real interest in my background and talks to me about Korea quite a bit. When I told her months ago that I intended to travel back there, she was so excited for me. Since then, she keeps trying to teach me phrases and tell me about places I should see. She also has been very informative about the culture in Korea, reassuring me that my birth mother putting me up for adoption was the best thing for me - but I already knew that :o)

Anyhow, she caught wind that I would be in Seoul by myself for a few days - and seemed very concerned about it. The next time that I came in, she kept going on and on about how worried she was about me. Finally, she broke down and gave me two numbers of her best friends in Seoul that can speak english. She told me that I should use them in case of emergency, and not to be shy... that I needed to hold on tight to the numbers and save them for my trip.

Now, the chances of me using these numbers are pretty slim to none. I know that it will be very challenging for me to get around not knowing the language, and I assume that I will cry many times - and not from the emotional experience of the trip, but from just being lost. It's happened before, and I'm sure it'll happen again... but that's part of the journey. But regardless, this touched my heart in such a way - a stranger opening her heart and family to me is such a beautiful thing. In this day and age, I don't think you hear stories like that very often.

Thank you sushi server, your kindness is such a gift!