I'm back. Let's try this again.

It's been a long time since my last post. I had good intentions of blogging my entire 2nd year in Korea. I had plenty of amazing experiences that I should have shared too.  I lost my travel companion, my three-legged kitty named Lucifer, on October 13th, 2012 and it really rocked my world. In a bad way. RIP little buddy

Lu and me getting ready to head to the airport on our first move to South Korea.

Chilling in his seat during our cross-country U.S. road trip.

So now I'm back, two years later. Many adventures have taken place since then. Many solo backpacking adventures in Asia which I will post-blog about as I find the time.
This entry is about being "home". The dreaded four-letter word that I strongly dislike.
Coming home after travels is hard. Anyone who backpacks or long-term travels will tell you that the readjustment period is rough. You'll battle the demons of reverse culture shock, nostalgia, and the feeling of not being interesting anymore. This blog by Nomadic Matt sums it up very well:  http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/the-culture-shock-of-coming-home/
So while dealing with all of those feelings, I did some bouncing around in my home country, worked a few odd jobs, commuted back and forth from Baltimore/D.C. to Orlando, to Nashville, ran away for a month in Australia (also to follow in more detail), and then ran out of money in my procrastination of figuring out where to go next if not back to the R.O.K.
I had to get a job.
So I'm working. In retail, in food, and on the side for an app as I try to save money in a country that seems to swallow all of your earnings just as soon as you get them. I'm trying to stay motivated and positive. I'm so very lucky to have parents that are happy to share their home and let me "crash" as long as I need to. And redecorate the guest room, and eat their food, and being a new little travel companion into the house, Luna. As well as a larger one who is the motivation behind getting back into blogging, not taking anything for granted, and looking at my expensive home country as a long-term travel opportunity that I can explore piece by piece.