Roots

And no, not the kind with LeVar Burton.

Wherever I live, I love. I put down roots. I could comfortably call any number of places "home," really; Minlak-dong is one of them. My job might stress me out sometimes, and I might gnash my teeth a bit at things like lack of good bread or reliable American movie releases, but I still love Korea just as much as when I got here. I love the country but also I've made friends here, not just temporary "I need company in a foreign country" friends but friends. I'm over the halfway mark at my contract and the thought that I will have to leave this place and these people soon is depressing (much as I look forward to the familiarities of home).

This song has been in my skull all day, so I'm sharing it with the rest of you. The lyrics are a perfect encapsulation of how I think of my relationships and all of the friendships I've cultivated with people I may only see a limited number of times in my life:

Call my friends to share some wine.
To share some laughs, and last goodbyes.
My photographs of these years
Will make me laugh through the tears.
What are the odds, what are the odds
This ends and we don't meet again?
What are the odds, what are the odds
That I will miss your smile?

Take a while! Take a while! Take care and
Fly away and see the world.
Take a while! Take a while! Take time and
If you need rest, I'll keep your nest
Changeless.

Let fondness be our souvenir
To keep it warm, we'll keep it near.
Otherwise, with no heart to recall,
A memory's just a memory after all.
I will not leave this pulse alone
Though it may take the long way home.
I will not wait until the end
For my applause for you, my friend.

What are the odds, what are the odds
This ends and we don't meet again?
What are the odds, what are the odds
That I will miss your smile?

Take a while! Take a while! Take care and
Fly away and see the world.
Take a while! Take a while! Take time and
If you need rest, I'll keep your nest
Changeless.

The music is beautiful, too. If you're reading this on Facebook, I've posted the video on my wall. Otherwise, watch here: