Spring Happiness / Forgot to click 'publish'

Some co-workers and myself went out on Thursday night to enjoy some beverages prior to our beginning of the month, school spirit day. Although this is typically a monthly thing, I missed out on the previous outing due to having that awful flu. It was great to finally talk to my co-workers, without having the topic be at all related to work. As I suspected, all of them are genuinely friendly and interesting. We began our night in Gangnam, at a bar called King's Tap, moseyed our way to The Bulldog Pub, and landed at my favorite LP request bar, Woodstock. Now, despite the fact that I was horribly tired and hungover at work the following day, Thursday night was too much fun to regret. I am getting a little too old for drink-till-dawn marathons, yet that particular evening/morning is going to receive appreciation for as long as my memory allows.

After attempting to rally through my workday, I was hugged by my bed at 8pm. I woke up the following day to meet Patrick and Michael for a trip to Costco, and was pleasantly surprised to see an old friend, Brie, pop around Michael's hallway to greet me with a nice embrace. We wandered through the crowded aisles, frequently getting grazed by the locals – annoying at first, but you become familiar with the lack of personal space that is all too common here. I stocked up on 129,000 won ($105 usd) worth of goodies. I parted ways with Patrick, Michael, and Brie because I had to head to my side of Gangnam. When I hopped in the taxi, which was operated by a sweet, elderly man, I came to realize that Spring was finally here. The driver had all of the windows down, and there was a nice mix of warmth from the sun and a cool breeze from the wind.

Once I had appropriately unloaded by Costco booty, I went for a 3 hour jaunt outside. It was unbelievably perfect outside – low 60s, sunshine, and shade from the massive buildings on one side of the block. I walked all the way to Coex Mall, the massive underground shopping center at Samseong Station. It took me 40 minutes each way, and led me through some busy areas that once only made sense under ground. I have come to realize that I didn't actually explore this city much on the street level during my previous contract. There is something to appreciate about everything that you see and smell while walking for fifteen minutes, which otherwise goes unnoticed when you take the subway. Instead, you are in a sardine can with hoards of people, subway maps, somewhat tattered seat fabric, handrails, and the overall interior of a subway car. On a nice day, it's worth it to take the extra time, and travel on the surface.

To be continued...