Portland, Oregon - January 1997
Hmm.. back to the girl I left behind to go to Korea in the first place. Reception at the airport was kind of weird. First off, I was tired, exhausted, unshaven, and as she mentioned, I looked alot thinner than before - I am already a thin guy, so this isn't welcome to hear.
Being back in Portland Oregon after all these cities was kind of weird. It seemed different, smaller, cleaner, quiet. The airport to her house was not a long car drive. Everything was different. I thought we'd have alot to say to each other but we really didn't at all.
I should go into more elaborate detail, but I just have one word of advice to everyone - always do whatever it is you want to do without doing something for a woman. I had wanted to be back with this particular women for who knows why. I still of course, was willing to make things work. But the passage of time had changed things. For one, she had just recently began dating some guy in the apartment building, and realized that she actually liked the guy as well. It was just a fling because she thought she'd wanted to have a fling before her and I life resumed her relationship, but she didn't take into account the fact that she might like that guy.
For me, it was quite a shock. Mainly because I'd quit my job in Korea, and cut all my travels short and made a rush to get back because of her. Now I'd spent all my money on airfares trying to see Asia, I had no job, and even worse I had to wait for my belongings that I'd shipped from Korea that was to take 6-10 weeks upon arrival. Fortunately, I'd been in Thailand and Nepal for most of that time, but I was still stuck on her couch waiting for my stuff. Once I got it, then what would I do? I had no idea. I'd have to either find my own apartment in Portland or I'd have to go somewhere else. I didn't have my car either so I was pretty much stranded on her couch until I could figure out what to do next. It also didn't help that I had changed my life plan to back and now was on her couch not knowing what to do next. Meanwhile, while she was trying not to see the guy she liked, she'd kind of disappear for an hour or two when taking out the trash and other things. In short, it was pretty uncomfortable.
As soon as my stuff arrived from abroad, I was able to contact a 'drive-a-car' company, and I agreed to drive a car to New Hampshire. As soon as my stuff arrived, I was on my way driving across towards Michigan, dropped off my stuff, and brought the car to its owner in New Hampshire. Then took a bus to Boston and found another car that had to be taken to Detroit. From there, my parents picked me up, and I was then sleeping on my parents car in Michigan.
I stayed on my parents couch an additional 2-3 weeks still debating what to do. I had no money whatsoever and knew I had to make a restart somewhere. Ultimately I decided I'd better head back to Korea since at least I had a place to stay, I knew people, and I might as well continue on the path I was on before the expensive detour that went nowhere.
You can email me at:
Wintermoon2@yahoo.com