It's been a really quick month! The first day of camp was nerve racking, filled with worries about if I'd be able to understand all the directions with my low level Korean. I soon found out that there was no need to worry, but rather I would have to have the patience to endure through all the bullshit that was going to come my way during my month of boot camp. There was scheduled training each week, ranging from hikes with ruck sacks, M16 marksman certification, and combat simulation. It was all fun, especially the running in the morning without a shirt on in negative degree weather! I felt like one of those guys on the Army posters and ads that you see here in Korea minus the 6 pack lol. All of my squad mates were really cool and fun and our instructor was a chill guy too. It wasn't all smiles through training and there were times when I wanted to kill some people for their stupidity. There's nothing more infuriating than being punished for someone's idiocy over and over again. Let's just say I'm a beast at pushups now :)
In addition to training, we were assigned individual maintenance jobs in the barracks, along with jobs assigned to each platoon during training. My favorite was the mess hall because we got to eat before everyone else and munched on whatever was left over from service. My individual cleaning job was separating the trash from the whole company by material type for recycling. That had to be the worst of all the jobs assigned. For the majority of the trash runs, I chose to pull the heavy, rickety ass, broken wheel car while the rest of my fellow trash slaves helped push it down to the recycling center. Why? Because I'm awesome, and everyone needed to know, that's why! Another one of my memorable experiences had to be night guard duty. If you were lucky you'd get the very first or last shift, anything in between is torture. Imagine finally achieving the deep sleep you've been yearning for all day and then being abruptly awoken by the voice of the annoying sentry telling you it's your turn to stand guard. In a sleep deprived, drunken haze you stand still in one spot until it's the next, poor bastard's turn.
Overall it was one of the most fun experiences I've had in my 24 years of life on this Earth. Something I would've never thought of doing and probably wouldn't have done if it weren't for the maelstrom of entropy we call life (like the nerd reference, eh eh?). Since I've been out, I've started my public service job for the government. All I can say is honey hole. This gives me plenty of time to read, browse the internet, read the news, study, etc. The job consists of patrolling the premises and occasionally inspecting certain things that my boss tells me to. The rest of the time we just hang out in the break room reading or using the computer. February 15, 2014 is the date I'm done with my obligations in Korea and I foresee that I'll be back in the states sometime late spring or summer of 2014. Also, I get 15 days of vacation every year and as long as my boss approves of my travel arrangements, I should have no problem taking a little respite in the lush, green sanctuary I call Fayetteville. Until then, I'm going to soak up as much of Seoul as I can and savor this journey until the next chapter presents itself. I miss all of you so much and I can't wait to see your smiling faces again.
~Much love, JK
