At Work

I’m sitting at my desk in my cubicle at work. The clock is ticking and time is moving slowly. The office is practically empty and it’s very quiet. I’ve caught up on all my work and would go home if it weren’t for an appointment this afternoon. I’m scheduled with the travel management office to work out the details of the shipping of my household goods and a vehicle to Korea.

This upcoming assignment will be a challenge to say the least. The location is very remote and the operations tempo is very high. Most people don’t realize that technically, North and South Korea are still at war. There has never been a formal agreement declaring an end to hostilities. Currently, they’re functioning under a ceasefire agreement that has lasted more than 40 years. The United States is there to protect it’s interests and help maintain the peace.

This won’t be my first time to visit Korea. I’ve been to both Air Force bases and have visited the Army base as well. I have a friend in Soeul and am looking forward to visiting him and his family. It’ll be nice to have a vehicle there. It’ll give me some freedom and will give me a chance to visit parts of the country I haven’t seen before.

While I’m there I plan to visit the demilitarized zone and pick up some barbed wire (a historical artifact) for my kids. Hopefully, my wife will be able to visit sometime during my tour. I’d love for her to experience the culture. The people are friendy, the food is great and the local beer is very tasty. The Korean’s are very entrepreneurial and can make absolutely anything! My wife would certainly love the shopping opportunity.