It's Christmas Eve here in Gangnam district, Seoul, South Korea. I'm in an AirBnb with a friend I met on exchange. She's never seen a lot of Christmas movies I think are crucial for understanding Western Christmas, so we're about to watch It's A Wonderful Life. We're spending the holidays together before I start a three week backpacking trip in Thailand and Bali. I think I was bit by the bug: I already have plans for a Eurotrip next summer with folx I met studying abroad.

It's surreal that the semester is over. In the latter half of the program I met a wild group that complemented a large part of my personality--the outgoing, raucous half. That half is very pleased. The other half is looking forward to a normal schedule--it's a rare night out that we go to bed before 6am, and more than a few times we're out past 10am. I'm excited for old people bed time. Though I will miss Korea. And at the risk of sounding like every kid who's ever spent a semester abroad, I utterly recommend it.

I have one more semester of college. Then a not inordinate amount of school loans kick in. Still figuring out what the next stage of life should be.