The Three Amigos

Sacrifice, Selfish and Selfless. 

These are interesting words.  When people hear them, myself included, I tend to think toward the negative.  You know, sacrifice my shoes to walk in the mud, or a cow or pig sacrificed itself so that I could live.  Some people don't understand that sacrifices could also be in the form of a parent saving the life of a child by giving a kidney, giving blood to someone who is in need, giving a needy person or family money that you would have blown on an I Pad, latte, or a trip to New York City.  

We are feeling a bit like we are making a sacrifice in being in Korea.  It isn't good and it isn't bad.  It just is.


We feel like part of it is good because here we are in this great place, meeting very interesting people and doing interesting and fabulous things.  We are paying off debt which we would never have been able to make a large dent in at home.  We are traveling to fabulous and beautiful areas of the Orient and for a very good and inexpensive price as well. 


We feel selfless in that we are here to pay off student loans and that's awesome. But...here comes the selfish part. 
We want our friends and family back home to be able to share in our laughs here, our adventures (hello blog) and in our cultural experiences.   

I suppose one could just as well call these feelings homesickness, but I think that is too general.  Joseph and I don't really miss the material aspects of being home, but more the immaterial aspects such as our people.  Although a good salad....yum.  No olives though.  Eww.  

We can't just hop in the car and take a trip down I4 of I75 to whoever we want to visit who is no more than a few hours away.  Everyone is over 25 hours away now by plane.  To expect family and friends to put off events and to try and include us in these events that are taking place is ludicrous and we would never suggest such a silly and terrible idea.  Everyone does what they do and that is great.  We just really wish we could be there during these events and things going on.  It would be so easy if we could jump on a plane and be there for a weekend thing and return by Monday at 1pm here, just in time for work. 

Told you it was selfish.  To not be able to hug our brother and sister in law, to not share in their joy, to not be able to celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving with them or our grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.  To not be present when my cousin comes for a visit.  Makes me/us sad.  This isn't even the end of the first year...


Please make no mistake, we are enjoying our stay here for as long as it will be.  We are here and we will enjoy and are enjoying ourselves, regardless.  We just wish for our loved ones, family and friends alike, to know that they are missed and that they are no less loved, talked about or thought about because we are not on the same continent.

To put this blog post in perspective, a friend knew I was writing a blog about this and copied this quote to me: "Being here feels like I've died and now I'm watching you all as you go on with life without me, and I'm baffled by your ability to do it."  LOL.  Made me laugh anyway.   

So I leave it to the Reader:
Sacrifice, Selfish and/or Selfless?