The barista was pretty…in that small, wide eyed, innocent Asian way. You avoided looking at her and instead focused heavily on the big, dark green menu board, most of which you couldn’t read. It didn’t help that the text was all in some kind of handwriting font, further proving that you really weren’t that great at hangeul and only serving to cause yo

The aroma of cooking chilies and peppers permeated your small apartment, getting into your hair and clothes, saturating every article of furniture, and hung in the air like a spicy curtain. 

  You had been excited to own your own fashion boutique. In Paris. Paris, France. You couldn’t believe how much money you had earned on your first day open, but the clothing and accessories had gone over well with the tourists and even most of the locals (although the Paresians were far more choosy when it came to the new shops).

  It was your third month of your study abroad stay in South Korea. Seoul was nice, but you were used to the big cities from home, and another big city was just that. A big city. You got permission from your host omma to take the subway across the city and then a bus to the COEX Aquarium. It was the only theme-oriented aquarium in Korea. You had to see it.

The cool breath of air from the ocean caressed your face in the gray early morning light. You leaned precariously on the edge of the ferry’s deck and watched as the dark water slid way under you.