She had other plans for me that weekend; I still tilt my head in bewilderment as to how I survived the weekend anyway.
Let's just reminisce our little journey, shall we?
With my pack stuffed to the brim with my swimsuit, beach towel, books (nerdy power), sunscreen and casual wear [simple girl], you could say I was more than excited to embark on a destination birthday weekend with my closest and somewhat newer found friends. In all the excitement, someone suggested we should get "roadies," as we like to call beer here in Korea, since you can walk and drink almost anywhere. Even though I had Vodka tightly packed in my backpack as a reminder to conserve money, to drink responsibly and conservatively [joke's on me], I still chimed in for my friends to grab me an Asahi [favorite Japanese brew] anyway. After all, when in Korea.... have a good time.
Now, fast forward through all the boring travels en route to KTX [super fast rail in Korea], we had arrived and were finally united as a group in our train car. Of course some of the girls had created a truth or dare game that somehow turned into a drinking game [as do most games in Korea]. While stifling giggles and recklessly chugging our beers, we were bound to 'get turned up,' and not turn down for anything, or anyone [sorry to all the Koreans who tried to sleep en route to Busan]. Somehow in all the excitement, my fellow MN friend and I decided we were going to play 'pass the vodka,' and become even more 'turnt up.' Bad idea. Just a bad idea.
Moral of the train ride? Don't get turnt up. Eat dinner before traveling. Limit yourself and do drink responsibly while traveling. Here's further proof in case you aren't convinced:
As we arrived to our destination, our group hastily grabbed our belongings and made the trek towards the exit. While people before me gracefully stepped off the train, my body had other plans....
Instead of stepping down like a normal human being would, I decided to just step off the train, completely forgetting the car is elevated. We all know the laws of gravity; I am not weightless and so I fell hard onto the pavement. Tuck and roll style. With the bottle of Vodka in tow. Laughter ensues. A few bruise marks and pride completey shattered, I just kept trucking on.
In case the sheer embarrassment of falling off a train isn't enough, add in the slurred communication with our taxi driver, later vomiting in the restaurant bathroom and then getting lost near a fountain..... This trip felt like a bust from the very beginning....all due to my poor choices, of course.
However, as I was settling back into the hostel upon being found near said fountain, I made the semi-sober realization I was without my camera. My beloved camera, that which I had bought specifically for traveling abroad, was missing. Gone. Vanished. No more. My heart sank into my stomach. My pictures were all stored on one memory card because my trusty MacBook had decided to hit the can a month prior to our Busan departure. So, of course, the hit to my stomach was a double force. Actually, triple force since I had just bought my dream lens a week prior and dropped at least $300. Awesome! Crushed by my poor decisions, I vowed to limit my drinking the rest of the week. Major blow.
The rest of the weekend was a blur; I couldn't bring myself to really enjoy the beach, pay attention to conversation, or let myself relax. My mind was in a constant state of panic and forced recall of what I had done wrong to allow my camera to be misplaced. To add to my misery, there was a huge under-sight of the original hostel we were scheduled to stay at, and because of poor communication on the hostel's part and the new website, I was slammed with a hefty cancellation charge. Perfect.
Deep breath. Things happen all the time. I was lucky to at least have a job where my finances could be somewhat repaired. I had to continue to look for the silver linings throughout my weekend: I had my health, my friends, a family who loves me, and my memory is remarkably sharp as to where I can still remember my journeys and adventures in my mind without a photo to stare at. Not to mention, the reason for being in Busan was to celebrate my closest friend, Stephen. There was no reason for me to remain in a funk for my losses. I had all of these good things in my life, who cares about a silly camera, lens, and a cancellation charge?
There is beauty in loss, as it forces us to be grateful for the things we often take for granted. Material possessions come and go, but friendships, memories, love, and adventure can and will last forever.
Luckily, my camera on my iPhone had magically started working after a sweaty hiatus while running, and it allowed me to capture some of our adventures and antics in Busan.
**Many thanks to Allison's Samsung Galaxy IV as well! (Seriously, Apple fans need to convert)
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