Final post before Seoul

In under 36 hours, I will be on the way to Seoul.

My itinerary there has pretty much been set. The lack of privacy will prevent me from presenting as a woman, and will put a damper on the spirit of this trip. I will not get to stroll the streets and retrace my childhood steps as a woman, at least this time.

However, this trip does carry a lot of business promises, and if the business works out, I will be a regular in Seoul, allowing me to finally present myself the right way. By that point, the goal will be to have a passport that identifies me as Rachel.

Due to my presentation issues, I don't think I will be doing too many things related to Perfect Girl, aside from a stroll of the main drag of the Insa-Dong Antique District, where Sarah and two coworkers had a good lunch in 2003 (and Sarah made up with the Koreans - and shopped for Kirsten). When I am not presenting as a woman, and people interact with me differently as a result, it's just that much harder to experience Sarah's feelings. But, as mentioned, I will try to retrace my childhood steps, and that will be a big plus for my memoir. A possible day trip to Busan will also allow me to retrace my parents' childhood steps.

I will see how the trip unfolds. If there are things worth noting, I will note it on this blog. In the meantime, the blog will now be switched over to Korean standard time, GMT +9.