The most wonderful of days: Korea 1

Today was the most wonderful of days.

It started off like most other days at my parents' house. There was coffee for breakfast, a little TV, an excited greeting from the dogs that somehow managed to forget I was home during the course of the night. The niggling beginning of a cold I'd felt yesterday was gone and for that I was quite pleased.

After breakfast we headed off to our individual showers to prepare for the day. After my shower I checked to see if any of my grades were posted yet. I'd been dreading this moment for so long now; in my heart I was certain the best I could scrape up this semester were C's. I had forgotten so much, left so much out during the finals. I hadn't even finished one final, something which had never happened to me before. 4 of 5 grades were there on the student portal. Three A's, one B. Included among the A's was the final I didn't finish.

I ate lunch with my sister, tried a new way of styling my hair, worked on my scrapbook. No matter what came in the mail later today had been a good day.

At 5 I finally headed down to the mailbox, just to see if had come. A little voice in the back of my head told me it wouldn't be there but I checked anyways. I was looking for something, something specific. To make today absolutely perfect, I would need to find a white rectangular envelope in there. The envelope would be addressed to me with a yellow forwarding sticker on the bottom right. On like all the other envelopes fitting this description--bank statements, credit card offers, insurance offers--this one would be different, special. This envelope would have a little black and white version of the Maryland flag in the upper left hand corner. Beside the flag it would say Comptroller of Maryland with the "of" in a curly script and the other two words in a simple, no-nonsense font. I was really just looking for that flag. None of the other white rectangular envelopes with my name on them would have that flag.

The mail had come for the day, placed neatly inside a folded Chico's catalog. There were several long white envelopes in there. 3 or 4 I believe. Was one of them mine? The first one was my sister's. Next was an identical one for Mom. Then there it was. That white rectangular envelope with the Maryland flag. I squealed and jumped, charging up the driveway like a high school senior holding a college acceptance letter.

What was in that little envelope completely changed my summer. Inside was a check. It was no small check either. No, this check meant so much more than just a new outfit. This check meant rent payments, bills and a little bit of breathing room. This check, more than anything, meant a round trip ticket to Seoul, South Korea.

I haven't packed for Seoul yet. In fact I haven't even made my "to pack" list, a task normally well on its way to completion by now. I leave a week from today.

When we returned from vacation I unpacked my suitcase. I left it on the floor, open but mostly empty, for days. Finally I emptied the last few things, put the smaller suitcase within it, zipped it up and put both away. To pack would just be too painful. I would rather pack hastily then unpack in brokenhearted tears.

But the check came. So now the suitcase can come out, the list can be made, the ticket can be purchased. My summer is settled now. I'm going to Seoul. My rent and bills will be paid. I will have an internship. I will get the credits I need to graduate in December. I'm going to Seoul. I leave a week from today.

Today was the most wonderful of days.