Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Lola O.
I just finished booking my lodgings for Jeju Island. I decided to stop procastinating last night and booked my tickets for Hong Kong, and a hostel. This was my first time using hostelworld.com so I hope everything works out and I have a great experience. But why am I NOT excited to finally have gotten everything done and in 2 weeks I will be on my way to a hopefully amazing adventure. I'm so strung out right now from the frustration of planning a trip. Seriously, it is not easy you have to find the best deal, you have to figure out where to stay, I still don't know what I'm going to do there so I need to buckle down and plan it flexibly. It's just not fun doing the planning. I'm waiting on tickets to Tokyo for September, I really hope the seat becomes available on my return flight. I won't get to spend my birthday in Tokyo, but I am for sure going there for Chuseok. That's a dream I'm going to grab onto and make happen. So HK (8/12-8/21), Jeju (8/22-8/26). I'm really doing this, I'm proud of me for trying, and I'm looking forward to it.

Last night I tried to book my flight to HK on Cathay Pacific, and no matter how many times I tried they kept rejecting my Korean and American cards. I called and got the run around and hours later I still didn't have a ticket and the flight I wanted was full. I literally wanted to say screw this and just go somewhere else. I started around 8 last nigt and I didn't go to sleep till around 3AM. It's 9:11 AM and I am so groggy but I wanted to finish this up. I was using my card and hostelworld and then it stopped working when I tried to book for Jeju. I woke up this morning to an email from my bank and fraudulent transactions. Lol...I cleared that up and was able to book my trip to Jeju. Everything is booked but why do I feel so nervous, anxious, and not at all excited to do this.

I'm such a baby. I know, but I'm trying to be brave and make my dreams and adventures come true one step at a time. I'm proud of myself for where I am and proud of myself for where I am going. I'm doing it on my own and even though I get scared I still perservere. Like Mandela said, "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man (I'll add woman since we should be included) is not he (she) who does not feel afraid, but he (she) who conquers that fear." That is what I am trying to do by being here and traveling to other places. Conquering my fears and building up my courage over and over with every new experience I have, every fear I overcome. I'm doing it, even when I am trembling and feel sick to my stomach I am doing this. I just need to pat myself on the back and not get caught up in my own fears.

I'm feeling better. I'm not okay, but I am feeling better, stronger, calmer, and I am going to do my best to be thankful for him, and not let my sadness overwhelm me anymore. I got back from school on Friday, and collapsed onto my bed and didn't get up for the rest of the day. As day faded into night I cried, I cried so much that day. Everything I had been holding back all week came out, my sadness, my anger, my confusion, my...everything. I  let it all out that day, and I woke up yesterday feeling refreshed. I called my sister, and I poured my heart out to her, and being the person she is she gave it to me straight. I though she was cold, but her honesty and love for me really broke through my sadness. Basically she said you have to accept that he's dead, but that doesn't mean the love you have for him or the love he had for you is gone. You just have to be thankful, to not let the sadness you feel consume you. He wouldn't have wanted that. You can't keep pretending he's still here, he's gone and that's the truth. At first I was angry with her, I wanted comfort and she was giving me a lecture, but it was exactly what I needed and I knew it later on that she was right. I started to accept that he's really dead, and that my life still goes on.

I called my mom on Saturday, I hadn't called her all week because I didn't want my sadness to make her sadder. I can't describe the feeling my mom gives me, it's such a soothing comfort talking to her, hearing her voice, knowing how much she loves me. I am so thankful for my mother, and I pray I get a lot of time to show her how much I love her. You hear me God?! We talked about him, she got my letter to read at his wake/funeral which was changed till this coming Friday since so many people are coming from Nigeria, London, all over to be there. My heart is home, but I have responsibilities here and I know Big Daddy is smiling down on me and so I'll get through this sadness. I'll laugh, smile...I'll live brightly because that is what he wanted. I'm thankful for the past 10 years, and everything he gave me and taught me will still be here within me. On my wedding day in the far far future I'll feel his presence, I know it. So I won't cry too much, I won't keep myself locked in my apartment anymore. I'm going to let you go, and I'll miss you, but I know you'll always be a part of me. Thanks for being my dad, I love you forever and always Big Daddy:)!!!

I'm going to live thankfully, and just keep moving forward and reaching for my dreams like he always believed I could. I've got a lot of things I want to do, so I'm going to try my best to achieve them one at a time, one day at a time. I'm going to triumph over my fears one challege at a time. Cheer me on, support me, encourage me, and lets see what adventures lie ahead...

Thanks for all the love, it's made my heart lighter:)

Be blessed,
~Lola O.~
Lola O.
I wanted to have some concrete goals for the next year so that I don't forget why I decided to go on this journey to Seoul. These are not maybe goals but are of the MUST HAPPEN kind.

  • Travel
    • Japan (Tokyo, Okinawa)
    • China
    • Other places in Asia if I get the opportunity
  • Friends
    • Be open-minded while staying true to myself
      • Don't just hang out with one type or group of people, but make an eclectic group of friends that are interesting in more than just drinking/partying every weekend.
  • Personal
    • Open-mind: Approach each situation, place, person, challenge with an open-mind and heart. Don't be too hard on yourself if you screw up...take it as a learning opportunity. Observe. Learn. Reflect. Start again.
    • Positive Attitude: Smile, laugh, and have FUN EVERY DAY. No matter what happens do not sink into sadness, loneliness, bitchiness, IHATEKOREA-ness, or anything of that sort. Remember that a positive attitude goes a long way. Be respectful, flexible, but never be a doormat.
    • Relax: It's okay if you screw up, have a bad day, make a mistake, or just feel down once in a while but you must remember to: enjoy each moment, day, and experience. Don't get lost in thoughts. Don't try to always have it planned out. Go with the flow, be spontaneous, and let yourself enjoy EVERYTHING and EVERYONE!!!
    • Growth: Be flexible, learn, and positive change. Try new things, meet different kinds of people, and just take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Don't forget why you are here.
    • Acoustic Guitar: Buy a left-handed guitar and find someone to give you lessons.
  • Seoul
    • Do everything on my list of things to do and places to go within the next year. Every week explore/discover something new about Seoul.
  • Money
    • Save at least $7000
    • Pay off my credit card before my 23rd B-day (9/19/2010)
    • Spend more on traveling, trying new food, than clothes or accessories.
  • Culture
    • People: Learn as much as I can about the history and customs of the Korean people. Don't always think I am right and they are wrong. Remember to be flexible, open-minded, and understanding of the differences between us.
    • Food: BE OPEN-MINDED and try everything once!!!
  • Language
    • Take a Korean Class
      • Practice Korean for at least 30 minutes everyday
    • Find a reliable Korean Conversation Partner
I feel like these are reasonable goals for my journey to Seoul. I will print them out and place them somewhere I can see on a daily basis so I don't lose track of my goals. Well this is the last blog entry in the Journey To Seoul series. Thanks for reading!!!

Be Blessed,
Lola O.