Leaving Korea was quite an undertaking, since I'd gone with cheaper flights, I'd ended up with a rather crazy path to the boat. My first layover was in Malaysia for 20 hours, so I made a trip out to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, for the night. I got to see the PETRONAS Towers, which are some of the tallest buildings in the world, and experience some local cuisine and culture. In Bali, my second layover, I stayed at the airport and chatted with a Malaysian man. By the time I got to Darwin at 3 AM the day after I'd left, I was ready to put down my bags and stay for awhile.
Darwin has actually given me a bit of culture shock coming since I've been in South Korea for half a year. Suddenly everyone speaks my language again, I don't stand out and no one stares. Joining the crew has been quite a change as well. I've gone from entertaining and teaching Korean kindergarteners to provisioning for crossings, repairing the boat, learning how to run the dingy and the various boat appliances, and exploring a brand new country. I'm still trying to break my Korean habits- people look at you a little funny if you bow your head when you are introduced and exchange money with your left hand on your right forearm.
One thing that has been constantly reminding me about my new home is the constant swaying motion. After only 7 nights on the boat, my inner ear has adjusted to me getting rocked to sleep by movement of the waves. This means that when I'm on land, everything gently rocks. It's a bit alarming to be stretched out on a lawn and feel like the ground beneath me isn't stationary. The rest of the crew says I'll get used to it, so now I'm just hoping that happens sooner, rather than later.