Honestly, I didn’t know much about South Korea before I moved here from the states. Suddenly, I found myself in a new country, with a new language, and a completely new culture. As I reflect on the last year, I feel an overwhelming amount of gratitude towards my new home. This hasn’t always been the case, as you can read about here. Either way, I feel like South Korea can teach the world a thing or two. It definitely taught me my fair share.
In early October I made my way back to Seoul for an extended weekend. Let’s be honest, I basically spent the entire weekend eating {as you will see}. Join me as I visit Myeongdong, Gangnam, and Yongma Land in my favorite city in Korea!
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Is it too early to start thinking of 2019? No, I don’t believe it is my friends. December is upon us, meaning the new year is closer than we {read: I} can process. I’m so excited to draft my annual New Years Eve blog post, but the real anticipation comes with my travel plans for 2019. I thought I would include some ‘off the beaten’ path recommendations for any fellow travelers getting tired of seeing the same shit everywhere. Continue Reading
One of the most Instagrammable places in Seoul, Yongma Land has become a photographers heaven over the years. Yongma Land originally opened in 1980 as a functioning amusement park. Eventually it closed down in 2011, leaving the entire park, and it’s rides, abandoned. Now a local business man runs the operation, allowing locals and tourists alike an opportunity to pose with the broken down rides. While a creepy, rusted amusement park might not sound appealing at first, I promise you it’s worth a visit. Continue Reading
It’s safe to say that my experience here in South Korea has been…a complex one. It’s been a year consisting of many different and connected parts. For once in my life I went through all four stages of culture shock: honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, and acceptance. My dear friend Ariel wrote about this earlier in the year, and it truly hit home with me. And after nine months of living in South Korea, I can confidently say I have reached the final stage. Continue Reading
Well we are rounding week four of being sick here in Korea… Eventually I couldn’t handle it anymore and went to Seoul over this past weekend. Although it was one of the best weekends I’ve had here in Korea, you can imagine it didn’t help in the slightest in terms of getting better. So, once again I’m laying in bed with my tissues and tea. I thought it would be a good opportunity to gather random footage I’ve taken these past few months and put it all in a vlog. Continue Reading
Well, it’s Autumn here in South Korea. In fact, if temperature is any indication of the season, we are already on the edge of winter here in early November. Autumn is my absolute favorite season in the world. That is, with the exception of the holiday season in New York City. Regardless, as fate would have it, I’ve been stuck in bed, sick, for the past two weeks… And while admiring the leaves changing colors from the window in my small studio apartment is less than ideal, I’ll take what I can get. Continue Reading
Before I leave for Southeast Asia, I wanted to give you guys a quick update on what I’ve been up to. My favorite South African gals came to visit once again {miss you already!}, planning summer camps has consumed my life {I will be putting together a full video on tips for planning summer camps as an EPIK teacher}, and it is hot, hot, hot here in Daegu! Continue Reading
There were many new cultural norms I learned after moving to Korea. I must pride myself on how well I’ve committed to avoiding taboos since I arrived in Asia. Diligent research prior to arriving definitely helped in with this. That being said, there are still a rare few that I find myself forgetting. Continue Reading
After 5 months of living in South Korea, I finally made it to Seoul. With only 48 hours to spare, I made sure to accomplish as much as possible. Overall, it was a fabulous weekend in the countries’ capital and I can’t wait to return {but maybe once it cools down a bit}. SPOILER ALERT – my Korean has not improved in the slightest as you will see. Continue Reading