Don't worry, be happy

My life is in his hands

It seems to be all the buzz in the States about North Korea and their dramatics and the way they are trying to claim their stance in the world. Due to my presence in this country I am also aware of these world affairs, and my loved ones at home are contacting me in worry and in panic telling me to 'please be safe over there.' Well I figured it was time to take a stroll down memory lane....

I have lived in many places in my life and visited many different countries. Many of the places I have lived have not been the safest, but there was a purpose as to my living there so I stayed and enjoyed my city. Well, many of these places were American cities and perhaps this is why no one was worried about my safety but in actuality I felt much more tense and in fear for my safety in those places than I ever have here in Korea.

I went to college in Greensboro, NC. The violent crimes rate was the highest it's been in 25 years during my college years there and I would see police all the time. Gang life was also very prevalent in Greensboro and you have to keep a low profile if you accidentally drove through the wrong part of town. My friends and I learned very quickly places to go and places not to go to, but I never once let my guard down. In a city with so many flashing blue lights, it's a constant reminder of what you don't want to get tangled up into.

I studied for a year abroad in Hull, which is a city about four hours north of London, England. Now I am half English in heritage and I love this country, but it is not without it's violent streaks especially when it comes to racism. Daily I would hear racial slurs spewed towards my roommates who were from India, as they would be called Paki's or other things I won't repeat. My boyfriend at the time was Cypriot and he got jumped because they thought he was a middle eastern man instead of from Cyprus. Also a guy got stabbed across the street from where I lived because of his race. LITERALLY across the street with a knife. Now, I loved Hull and had the best year over there, but as far as safety was concerned I had to have my wits about me.

Then after college I moved to Queens, New York. Do I really even need to explain here? It's New York people, you have to watch your purse, your bags, your everything especially if it's after dark because crime happens all the time. I would get off the subway and walk with my keys between my fingers ready to punch anyone who tried to come up to me during the 2 block walk I had to make to my apartment. Sometimes I would just saw screw it.....and just run from the subway.  I didn't just have my wits about me in New York, it was more like I was always on edge. A feeling of complete safety just was never in the cards for me up there. It's a phenomenal city, and was a great experience for a portion of my life, but I was happy to move back to NC.

Now even back in NC, the job I took was in the middle of section 8 housing. For those of you who don't know what that means, it's basically the projects. I loved my job SO much so the surroundings didn't bother me at all. Nor did walking through a group of huge guys in wife beaters with due rags on their heads who looked like gang members, just to get to my car bother me, as this sometimes was the case after a long day at work. I would often wave to the lady who I was pretty sure ran a crack house down the road and then say "excuse me" with a smile, and hop into my little white car. I always figured being really nice to them would mean they would have my back if anything ever went down in the neighborhood, so I made it my goal to be as friendly as possible.

I often would have to go into the projects as a developmental therapist, actually into the apartments to do my therapy visits with these kids and sometimes I wouldn't know what kind of situation I was walking into. Sometimes it was abusive, sometimes neglectful, sometimes drugs, and sometimes psychological trauma. But I did it anyway to help the beautiful children with special needs who needed therapy from me. I absolutely had moments where I felt unsafe, and days where I brought my purse inside with me because my mase was in the back pocket of it, just in case something went down. There were also days when I would get back to my school that I worked for and it would be on lock down because there had been a shooting in the area. One day I actually had to help with the aftermath of a shooting in the neighborhood as we scrambled to call parents and tell them everything was OK.

If I ever should have wanted to bail out of a location, run for the hills, and need my friends to tell me to 'stay safe' and 'watch out over there' it was probably when I was in my hometown in NC.

Korea is with absolute certainty the safest place I have ever lived. I walk on a crammed subway with a purse filled with money, my phone, iPod, and many valuables and never worry about someone reaching into it and stealing something. I walk around these streets at night and never once worry about someone following me or trying to kidnap me.....or worse. I never feel threatened and many days I don't even need my wits about me. Koreans are so trustworthy and trusting that if you drop your money they will run down the road to give it back to you. I have often left my purse in my chair at a restaurant to go and find a friend at the front door and never worried about returning to find it gone. Some people even go to the bathroom and leave their valuables unattended. My city of Seoul is safe, extremely safe, and I feel great being here. When I leave I will miss the absolute contentment that I feel in knowing I am not in harms way here.

Please don't let crazy North Korean's make you worry about me. Truly I am safe, and doing great and this is not the time to be worried about my safety. There were many more chances in my life where bad things could have happened to me and they did not, so the chances of a nuclear missile being dropped over Korea while I am here are slim to none. Sure it sounds scary and it sounds like a big deal, but so is getting shot, stabbed or jumped by a gang.....and I was surrounded by that and it DIDN'T HAPPEN.

So, let's all take a deep breath and see things clearly here. North Korea is off their rocker (fact), and has an extended history of talking a big game and never following up with it. (fact) If they did try something they wouldn't be successful because the US and Korean army is all over the situation (fact) so it's basically all hype.(fact, please believe)

So let's focus on this fact instead: South Korea is amazing and safe and my purpose here is not done yet. I've got 5 beautiful months left to play out and I intend on doing it well!

While Kim Jong-un wass busy trying to stir up some reactions by declaring war on South Korea this past weekend I was doing this.....

 Throwing paint on about 100 people on the beach at the Holi Festival in Busan. Do I look worried?

Don't worry......be happy, because I am!