Visiting Cathy in Seoul, May 2023

 "You know, Cathy lives in Seoul," one of the women who swam on the team I coached in the 1980's reports.  I had seen Cathy's enthusiastic Facebook posts about being a swim coach, traveling internationally, and connecting well with high schoolers. There's little that energizes me more than seeing a former student take on a role similar to one I assumed, especially when she excels and moves beyond what I ever did.  

Paul and I were traveling to Korea so he could participate in an international meeting in Busan. We were to fly in and out of Seoul, making our own way by train to the southeastern coast. It seemed like tacking on a day or two in Seoul could really happen.  I sent Cathy a Facebook message. Even though nearly thirty years had passed since I had seen her, I knew that we would jump right back into a friendship. 

She answered my message immediately and began making plans. 

Arrival at the security gate at the school, the official needed verification that I really knew Cathy and she knew me.  Indeed, when she showed up and there was the same level of squealing and hooting and hollering as there was when Fern and Emily met me at the San Francisco airport, the security guard said, "That's all I needed."  

We toured Seoul; we tried the public transport.  We ate lots of interesting food and climbed to the Seoul Tower. We posed together in a statue where it appeared that Godzilla was crunching us in his fist and about to eat us. 

Cathy opened the pool for us and lifeguarded while Paul and I swam.  She offered stroke technique. I'm sure I was glowing for all she has become.