Almost go-time!

School has started, so I have a lot of work to do between now and my departure for Korea: seating charts, assignments, and lesson plans for my subs. I have to say--it was wonderful to be back in the classroom. I didn't realize how much I missed it. I feel very at home at Chesterton Academy of Rochester.

Meantime, however, I'm working to get my stories filed for the paper ahead of the normal deadlines so that my editor can read them, and I can make any necessary revisions before I leave. Today I filed the longer of the two stories I'm working on, so that felt good.

Souvenirs from my visit in 2007 including
my old Tmoney card

I've been compiling my list of nitty gritty to do before the pilgrimage trip. Things like making sure I know where to get my Tmoney card - although I think I'll be getting a Korea Tour Card which provides the transpo function of a Tmoney card plus discounts to various sites. I have to do a little more research there. Also have to get an Esim for my phone, so I gotta research the best place for that. Both of these things I'll be acquiring in the airport after I collect my luggage. After 20 hours of travel, I hope I have a couple brains cells left to figure all that out. It's why I want to be prepared before I go!

I will have a 15-hour plane ride from Detroit to Incheon to figure out things like shot lists and a few other things like journaling and shifting into a different mode: traveling and pilgrimage.

The only thing I'm kind of anxious about (mildly) is getting food after I arrive in Myeongdong Wednesday the 18th. It will be late, and I will be exhausted. It would be nice to have a dinner companion to help me order food and in general be present to smile and welcome me to Korea. Know of anyone like that? Put him or her in touch with me, please!

But other than that, I'm ready. I mean, this is months in the making. Years, really, when I stop to think about the germination of this idea and my insistence on getting my passport last year.

Before I sign off for the night, here is one of the martyrs' sites I will be traveling to as a pilgrim:

"Haemi International Sanctuary is the place where more than a thousand anonymous martyrs were executed and the tomb is located."

"Three Haemi martyrs, In eonmin Martinus, Lee Bohyun Francis, and Kim Jinhoo Pio were beatified by Pope Francis on August 16, 2014. The very next day, Pope Francis not only visited Haemi International Sanctuary but also prayed and blessed the Sanctuary."

http://www.haemi.or.kr/about/history