Where has the time gone?
Really. It felt like January had 100 days to it and February was only 5 days long.
It really didnโt occur to me that I skipped a week of blog post, and I am truly sorry for not providing documentation to my life. I was on my winter break and enjoyed it while it lasted. Now itโs time to tackle Spring.
A lot of my conversations with my friends during this break included me saying this: Sad days are over! And Iโm hoping for that in the meantime. The overwhelming sadness I felt during the Fall semester is a feeling that makes me afraid to go back, but it wonโt be like that this time. I will go to new places, meet new people, become more fluent in a different language, and so forth. I will reach my goals, but also experience situations that will challenge me. And I am ready.
I talk big game, but itโs good to stay confident.
Other than that, Iโm actually leaving in a few hours to Seoul. Itโs a ~16 hour flight and Iโm pretty good at sleeping on airplanes, so Iโm hopeful that itโll be an easy ride.
I learned a lot about packing in my first semester, so why donโt I just share some of my ideas? There are lots of articles on what to bring to Korea, but some things on most peopleโs lists, I disagree on. This is designed for 4 months stays, so itโs a bit different than a week or so.
What to/not to Bring:
1. BRING Toiletries. Things like shampoo and soap, you can definitely buy in Korea, but why would you buy it there when you can bring some? Toiletries are things you bring there and donโt bring back, so I believe itโs cost-efficient and luggage-space-efficient.
2. DONโT BRING Towels, bowls, utensils, etc. All of those you can buy at Daiso, which sells a ton of home appliances for $1-5. Buy some chopsticks and a bowl for $3 and just leave it in Korea afterwards.
3. BRING Oatmeal. Or any foods difficult to find in Korea. I had deep regret not bringing oatmeal last year, so Iโm bringing two bags to make up for it. A lot of American snacks and popular candies are available in Korea, but itโs best to do some research on that.
4. DONโT BRING Clothes. This one is debatable, but for me, I like to leave clothes back at home. The free luggage space is more opportunity for me to shop more and add to my wardrobe. I donโt shop very fancy in Seoul; a lot of what I buy is under $10. So I think itโs worth it to only bring your favorite items, and explore the shops in Seoul.
Thatโs my short list on what to pack for Korea. I think itโs also a way for me to remember what Iโm bringing and leaving at home. Since my flight is in a few hours, next time youโll hear from me, Iโll be in Seoul.
And hello.