10 things I will NOT miss about Korea

10- The lack of choices. Although it makes life simple and is also on my list of things I love, it's also one of the things I will not miss! I can not wait to have what I need/want/etc at my fingertips, just a short drive to a store away! To have more than a handful of choices when it comes to clothing, stores, places to eat, etc will be so wonderful!



09- The driving. The speed bumps, the lack of order on the road, the traffic on the expressway, the buses and motocyles/scotters that take over the road, the pedestrians, the insanely long traffic signals, the turn signals (I'm so excited to be able to legally take a left turn on green again), the tiny parking spaces, the double parking, the metric speed limit/signs/etc, the absolute lack of road name signs and having to give all directions by landmarks alone, other road signs that I'm supposed to remember from the driving test but don't, only having one gas station on base and remembering to fill up for road trips during it's strange operating hours (off base if much more expensive), and having exits on the Interstate as opposed to just rest stops... and that's just to name a few of the reasons I can't wait to drive in America again!



08- The smells. I admit that when I lived off base, I became more accustomed to the smells and they didn't bother me near as much as they do now. Especially those little larva/bug things! Ugh! Those stink the worst and I've found they are one of the few smells in the world that will induce my gag reflex if I have to smell them for long. I'm also not terribly fond of Kimchi season (which is when we moved to Korea last year, our shared drains in the apartment complex had our house reeking all the time- if you don't remember Kimchi is basically fermented cabbage).



07- AFN. Before I complain let me say that I am also very grateful for AFN! For those who don't know, AFN stands for Armed Forces Network and provides TV shows to service members at installations around the world. It has "contracts" or something of the sort with most all of the major TV shows (Oprah, 60 Minutes, Hannah Montana, American Idol, and the like) as well as a few other channels such as CNN and Fox News. There are about 10-15 different channels on AFN that air these different shows at different times of the day, but it's still not the same as watching TV in America. It will be so wonderful to turn on FoodTV and watch ole' Paula cook something buttery!!! Oh, and I won't miss the AFN commercials. But, then again, those are probably a little better than regular commercials...



06- White Walled Apartment Living! This one applies not just to our time in Korea, but also to all the houses we've lived in since we got married! I can not wait to OWN a home that I can paint!!! Eeeek! And, in the case of living off-base when we first arrived in Korea, I won't (and don't) miss the crazy wallpaper, except for the times it was useful for a good laugh! And not just the walls, but it will be so nice to have a house and not have to worry about my loud little kiddo disturbing the peace in the surrounding apartments!



05- Garbage disposals. Or, should I say the lack there of! I heard one time that it is actually illegal to have a garbage disposal in Korea because the sewer system just can't handle it. I can't wait to have a garbage disposal again! And, because we now have a choice in the matter I told John that we will never again HAVE to live in a house without one! What a wonderful thing!!!



04- The craziness of base-life. No more getting trapped at the gate for 20 minutes while they practice locking down the base. No more getting trapped in the BX. No more having to stop and stand outside in the freezing cold to pay our respects to the National Anthem each day (which is a GOOD thing, just not so much fun when you're somehow managing 5 grocery bags and a screaming toddler and THEN have to stop). Oh, and no more exercises/plane noise/giant voices/etc!!!



03- John's work schedule. He traveled a lot and we'll be glad to hopefully have him home more with a new job!



02- Having a parking lot instead of a driveway. Self-explanatory... I can't wait to not only have a drive way (and a less than 10 foot walk to the door from my car) but to have a garage will be a true luxury!!!



01- The language barrier! No more frustrating conversations that seem to go around in circles as you try to communicate!!! And how wonderful will it be to understand every road sign, store sign, menu description, etc!!!