Pre-departure and Arrival

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Regions


Pre-departure

 

My First Day

I just arrived in South Korea last night! One of my close friends picked me up from the airport and took me to dinner, but since I was so tired I only vaguely remember the details.

I had planned to go to so many places today, but after 3 hours of being out I realized that I was not used to walking at all. In Texas, everything is so far away from each other that you need a car to get around. In Seoul, you use your feet to either get you to the subway station or bus stop and are constantly going up hills and so many stairs. I need to keep training my, so I’ll be able to stay out longer

I ended up going to Myeongdong in the morning with a new Chinese friend that I met at my hostel. Myeongdong is one of the main clothes and makeup shopping areas of Seoul. However, I just went quickly to exchange some of my money to Korean Won. Next time I go I’ll make sure to take plenty of pictures.

 

IMG_20150821_115401
Ehwa Women’s University

Then, I helped my friend visit the campus she will be studying at, Ehwa Women’s University. It’s right across Yonsei University, where I will be studying at, so I hope we can keep still meet up often once classes start since we’re going to be so close by.

Feelings/Thoughts

I forgot how packed the sidewalks are here in Seoul. Actually, everywhere is so packed. My friend was telling me about how his family moved out of Seoul because it was getting too crowded in the city. Personally, I don’t mind it. It feels good to be away from Dallas where everything is spread apart and seems so empty. That just makes me want to stay inside all day since everything is so far away.

Karen Conde

My name is Karen Conde and I'm a senior studying International Business and French at the University of Texas at Arlington. I spend most of my free time trying out new cooking recipes, walking my dog, and learning about the history of other countries. As a first generation college student and coming from a low-income family, nobody ever believed me when I said I would go study abroad. Well, I proved all those people wrong because this will be my second time studying abroad in South Korea! Next Fall I will be spending the last semester of my undergraduate career at Yonsei University, one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea. It is a goal of mine to work in Seoul someday and studying at Yonsei will get me two steps closer to that goal. I will be studying Korean and International business there, but I also plan to travel to historical sites, try all the delicious cuisine I missed out on last time, and share my experiences with everyone.