Hello and welcome to my first blog post. I’m your host, Jacqueline Hibbard. In today’s episode we will be discussing how my friend Manny and my trip didn’t go exactly as planned.

It was a dark morning at 4AM when Manny and I left for Memphis International along with my parents to make our first flight, that would begin the amazing trip to Seoul, South Korea we had planned months in advance for us to study abroad. We had booked the best flights with little to no layovers and good seats. Little did we know things would soon start to slowly go down hill, or for me fall off the edge of a cliff. Arriving at the airport in plenty of time, we said goodbye to my parents and began our journey. I would like to start by apologizing to Manny for my extreme energy, for I’m sure I looked crazy bouncing around the airport at four in the morning, and for talking his head off as I simply could not shut up I was so excited – and had had a Celcius on an empty stomach, but that’s besides the point. We got breakfast and waited for our flight to board. Halfway through boarding the desk worker announced that any rolling bags to be brought on the plane henceforth were to be checked – the first step to my demise. I had already checked two bags and now they were going to take my carry-on, but what could I do? So I boarded my flight to Atlanta along with Manny and nothing but my backpack.

The flight went well, only being less than an hour. So we make our way out of the plane only to find out we have to go from Terminal A to Terminal F, quite literally the other side of the airport. But, it isn’t too bad as we find ourselves there in around 10 minutes after walking a quarter of a mile, taking three escalators, and the tram for five stops. When we arrive at our next flight, boarding had already begun. Though we still had plenty of time before the plane took off. With no more than three other people still trying to board the flight, we got our papers approved and walked onto the plane for what would come to seem like the never ending journey.

Fourteen Hours. 1, 4…14 hours!!! That’s how long we were gonna be on this plane, and if you know me, I can’t sit still for more than five minutes. Sitting between Manny and another young man, I attempted to get comfortable because I knew this was gonna be a long flight. The first hour went by fast, with food being served not too long after – an amazing meal may I say. But I still had 12 more hours to sit and do basically nothing. My phone would not connect to the plane’s wifi, so I had no choice but to watch movies and TV shows on the small screen in front of me (see what I watched with comments and reviews at the end). I did sleep a bit. I believe in total maybe two to two and a half hours in small spurts, but definitely not enough. I got to where I could sense the food was coming, wishing it was – because I was starving and bored out of my mind. Anything to break the monotony of staring at a screen. They did feed me two more meals both of which were truly top tier – though that may be the hunger speaking. Side note: NO ONE would open the windows for more than 30 seconds in fear of being shamed by everyone else on board. So, I kinda started to feel like I was in a coffin or stale box, but I digress.

Finally, our flight lands, and god was I happy to stand up and walk around. Which is good cause little did I know, I would be standing for another hour and then some. We love customs/immigration… anyways… So together Manny and I went through all of the booths, spoke to all the tellers, and got all of our quarantine apps and papers in order. We then finally make it to the baggage claim. Walking to the conveyor belt on which our bags were to appear, we both bounced with excitement because we were finally here, finally in Korea. Though within a matter of moments that all came crashing down. Within seconds of walking up to the conveyer belt I saw a sign riding around that stated, “If you name is on this list please go to the baggage service desk.” And low and behold was my name “Hibbard, Jacqueline” typed out in a large font. Mortified, I walked over to the desk. Now… had I checked on my Delta app where my luggage was and noticed it said Seattle… yes… but did I believe it… not until that very moment. They told me my luggage had been sent to Seattle by accident, and as I look to Manny he is walking towards me with the same look on his face, his had also been sent there. So after filling out some paper work, with an unconfirmed address for them to bring it to, we moped our way to customs. You should have seen the look on the lady’s face when I walked past her after she confirmed I had nothing to claim and she asked “You don’t have any luggage?”

So we made our way to the airport lobby where we were to go to the international student’s desk, where we would then be taken to our to quarantine location. We walked up to two men who asked for our confirmation numbers. I did not know what mine was, but even in my sleep deprived and anxious state I knew it had to be somewhere in an email. Somehow, I found it listed under my name in an email I had sent, as if it was my student number in an email written to a professor, and presented it to him. He ushered me into a small waiting area set aside for those of us being sent to the quarantine facility. But, when I looked back Manny was being taken to another side of the building. I figured I would see him after he got done talking to the people at the table. So, I went to exchange some money – because if I didn’t have bags I was at least gonna have cash. I then talked to a woman about a SIM card, which I only ended up getting after much consideration and no questions – long story short it is only a data SIM card, no calls or texts, but we get to that part of the story later. I then return to the waiting area only to find triple the number of people there who all seem to be apart of the same program, making me the odd one out. More importantly there is no Manny to be found.

We end up waiting for a while to then be ushered into taxis to make the hour-ish drive to Seoul from Incheon to arrive at our quarantine location. When we get out of the taxi van another pulls up behind us. A guy that I saw at the waiting area in the airport gets out, and walks up to me asking if I am apart of the same program as everyone else, and when I say no I see nothing but relief overtake his features. I ask him where he is going to school, and he says Ewha Women’s University. It was then my turn to be overtaken with relief. Telling him that I am also going to Ewha and figuring out we were in the same group message, we stuck together as we walked into the building. It turned out he was on the same flight as I was from Atlanta, and his bags were also sent to Seattle, though he still at least had his carry-on.

We walk into the hotel that is our quarantine facility and find nothing but chaos. They separate us. There are problems with getting us into the correct rooms. A girl swears they told me she was supposed to be in the same room number that I had been told, to which I told her I didn’t believe she was right – in the end I was indeed correct. So I finally get settled into my room. It’s a nice place, but everything had been so stressful. I was alone, hadn’t heard from Manny, and had nothing but my backpack that contained nothing but stuffed animals, electronics, and books. So, I cried. Only for a minute, but I did. After my brief moment of vulnerability I realize I’m not in such a bad place, the hotel is pretty nice. I try to contact some people and soon find the internet doesn’t work too well and goes out often, sometimes not coming back. But I’m still optimistic. Then I get a call on the land line in my room. I answer and all I know is it is a man on the other line, but he sounds panicked so I just talk to him. He can’t get the internet to work at all and has no way to contact anyone. I soon find out this person is my neighbor and they decided to call the room next to theirs, aka mine. Then I find out it is Seth, the guy from outside at the vans. We called multiple times throughout the night to check in and report back on what we could learn from bugging the people at the front desk – who are not even hotel workers but students and a single manager, and are most definitely tired of the two of us. We decide it is best if we both get some rest, and call it a night.

THE NEXT MORNING, OUR FIRST REAL DAY OF QUARANTINE. I had been able to contact some people the night before as my internet was working in spurts, this included emailing the baggage people to update them on my actual address and land line number so they could bring my bags that night when the flight from Seattle got in, since I was indeed sent to a different place than originally listed. But when I awoke the internet wasn’t working at all. It was 4AM when I woke up. So deciding to make use of the international plan I was paying for I decided I would call everyone back home to inform them of what happened, mainly my parents, but I needed to hear my friends’ voices to make me feel better as well. So, I spent my time that morning from 4-9 calling people back home. It brought me some peace in a situation in which I felt like my world was falling apart. Then I called Seth. Which somehow led to us figuring out we had to go get a PCR Test since we arrived to late Thursday night to go get one. But since neither of us had internet we did not receive the Kakao messages the people downstairs sent us, so they called us on the land lines.

We arrive downstairs and find out we get to leave and go to the testing center in Seodaemun-gu!!! We were getting out, and Seth and I were going together. We even went with another girl who happened to be staying on our floor and also going to Ewha this semester, all becoming quick friends. Being out meant South Korea’s free public wifi, which meant all three of us could finally contact people freely, free of charge!!! I was so excited. I was happy. Things I hadn’t been since I boarded that flight from Atlanta. I was sending snapchats, Kakao messages, Whatsapp messages. I was going through social media. I finally felt like this was what I was waiting for, being in Korea, a place I’ve dreamed to come for so long. Even getting my nose swabbed wasn’t going to bring me down. We met a nice girl from Austria outside as we stood to wait for our tests and talked for a long time. It was what we all needed, a break to realize what an amazing place we were in. Even after we got back in the taxi to go to the hotel I was still on cloud nine… until I walked back into my room in the hotel. To find myself with no wifi cut off once again from my friends. So I called Seth, to find both of us sounding sadder than the moment we said goodbye at our doors. The biggest problem with us not having wifi was not that we would be bored out of our minds or cut off from the people we love, but that we realized we could get in trouble with the government. Why you may ask? Well, simply because everyday twice a day, we have to update an app and a survey form for our University on our COVID symptoms!!!

After talking to him I called my parents. The people at the desk said they would fix the wifi and i could only pray because MOST IMPORTANTLY – even more than the COVID reporting – the LOONA concert was that afternoon and there was no way I was missing it. Remember that SIM card? Well, here is where she comes to play. After talking to my father and trying to figure out the internet situation, he mentions a hotspot. Now, why I didn’t think of this I don’t know. You see I have two phones, my personal one and the one I got to use in Korea with a Korean SIM card. Well, this second phone – a Samsung that I can barely use – now has this data SIM card from the airport in it. AKA it has been working this whole time, and I was using it solely for Whatsapp for a number of reasons I won’t bother you with. BUT THIS DATA WORKS WITH A HOTSPOT!!! So connecting my iPhone to it, I suddenly received all of texts and notifications I had missed. I was back in business!!! I could talk to everyone and not get in trouble for things that weren’t in my control. But more importantly I could watch my concert!!!

Needless to say my day got better, and I made Seth’s as well as I told him the password for my hotspot and allowed him to use as much as he would like, especially since the SIM I had purchased is unlimited. So I showered and geared up to watch my concert which so far has been the best part of my quarantine experience. It was amazing and the girls preformed so well. STAN LOONA!!! Anyways *clears throat* now that I had wifi, I had also received an email in response to my own saying that they would be sending my luggage that night. So after the concert ended I waited in anticipation for the final step to arrive to save me from the cliff I had fallen off of on my way here. My luggage arrived around 10 last night and I was ecstatic. The smell of my clothes, the face wash and toothpaste I had been living without, and just the idea that all of my things, the rest of me, had made it to South Korea made me feel like I was really here. I had made it.

So, as a quick update for today, I’m doing pretty well now and so is Seth. I’ve contacted Manny and as you can all see from his blog post he is also alive and well. Meals here are pretty good and a friend of mine dropped off some amazing snacks for me. I still have a number of days ahead of me stuck in this room by myself, but there is no way it can be worse than the last two days have been. If you read all of this, thank you and I hope you enjoyed my dramatic but not exaggerated telling of my trip into South Korea and the start of my quarantine. I’ll catch ya’ll later! 😉

Movie Reviews (what you’ve all been waiting for):

• Steel Rain 2: Summit – 8/10 – not as much action as the first movie, but kept me entertained for two hours
• Diana: 7 Days That Shook the Windsors – 7/10 – I do not know why i felt so compelled to watch this at the time other than the fact that I love Princess Diana – AS I SHOULD – was a good documentary, but was just that… a documentary
• Dune – 10/10 – I get the hype, it did get boring at some points but was still good none the less
• Tom & Jerry – 100/10 – I needed to take a break from serious things and was tired and wanted something could fall asleep to so this was the obvious option and I loved every moment of it – it did indeed allow me to fall asleep
• The Princess Diaries: 15/10 – a classic loved every second of it even though I have probably seen it at least one hundred times, plus who doesn’t love Ann Hathaway?