Comfort Zone

By Steph

I had always considered myself an avid traveler, taking courageous leaps and bounds traveling to countries other members of my family had never been to before. South America, Central America, the United Kingdom! All glorious places sharing one advantageous factor in common: I could speak the native language.  How easy it for ignorance to turn in to arrogance when the language barrier is not an issue. I could hear the proverbial breaks screeching in my head as I stepped off the train at the city I would now call home, Daegu, South Korea.

“Ok, stop looking foreign,” I told myself, “The email said to take a taxi to Camp Walker where I’d be dropped off within walking distance of the lodge.” Easy enough.

I followed the herd of passengers outside the train station and made my way to the taxi line. No Americans or anyone other than Koreans in sight. Stay cool; surely my cabbie will know where to take me. This must happen all the time.

“Camp Walker?”

“Eh?”

“Camp Walker?”

“No, no!”

He starts to drive. I hope that somehow “no-no” means, “No sweat! Comin’ right up!” We drive and drive for what was probably fifteen minutes but felt like entire lifetime. We’re at what appears to be the end of Korean civilization. It’s rice patties and mountain ranges as far as the eye can see.

“Cam Wakka?” I ask one last time, hopeful that a slight adjustment to my syllabic intonation will confirm that this is in fact my destination.

“Yea, Yea, Cam Wakka, okay okay!”  Before I could figure how what had just happened, he zipped the shiny Hyundai Sonata around on a dime and headed back towards town.

Deep breaths! Phew, almost lost it. Cue the ok to lean back in the cool plastic covered seat. Cabbie has funny, white gloves on. His steering wheel has a diamond studded knob.  I laugh. Why had I begun to panic? I can do this! This is the beginning of my greatest adventure yet.

I turned my head to the right and watched the glowing sun set. Same sun, same cardinal direction, ready and impervious to language barriers. Tomorrow, the sun will rise again and so will I. We arrive at my final destination. I find myself out of my comfort zone for the first time, but left to my own devices for survival in a new land.

Ready, go.