buckets

i’ve always hated the term “bucket list.” it sounds like a very impersonal, generalized, and soulless way to describe the things one would hope to do before kicking said proverbial bucket (incidentally, as of five minutes ago i learned that the term originated from this very expression). also, it is such an ugly image to associate with such a beautiful idea - the thought of putting one’s experiences in a cold, hard, metal receptacle that’ll one day tip over and spill them…where? wouldn’t it be nicer to think of the things you want to do as an extension of yourself, as parts of you that have yet to be realized?

anyways, over the past months and weeks i have been doing a lot of research (and, to be honest, maybe a lot more imagining) about the things i will be able to do in korea. i’ve compiled a lot of ideas, and these are a few of them:

i. if there was ever a time to release the inner chris mccandless, this would be it. korea is full of mountains, and while i don’t mean to climb ev'ry one of them, getting to the top of one would be amazing.

ii. have a “how it’s made” (or, really, “how it’s grown”) experience at the boseong tea fields. at any rate, have an entire day to wander through endless green tea fields and no longer have to just imagine how they smell.

iii. every fall, busan hosts an international film festival. needless to say, i’ll be there.

iv. visit as many beautiful temples as i can! i’ve got my eye on beomeosa, haedong yonggungsa, and samgwangsa, but hopefully i will get the chance to see many more.

v. see the lovely, colorful kaleidoscope that is gamcheon cultural village.

of course, there are many, many more things to do. museums to see, trails to hike, markets to get lost in. cat and dog cafes to frequent. what’s important is to keep everything as a goal, as a lovely idea to imagine and hopefully capture in real life, but nothing to cry about if everything does not go achieved.

and there are also larger, broader things i hope to accomplish over the year: be as amazing as i can for the kids i’ll teach, get to know Busan and its inhabitants, find my place in the city and enjoy and explore as much as possible. lastly, with any luck, also not getting lost so often. although it won’t really matter if it means i’ll see and do things i’d have never thought of putting on the “list.”