Where has the time gone?
Really. It felt like January had 100 days to it and February was only 5 days long.
It really didn’t 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 it’s time to tackle Spring.
A lot of my conversations with my friends during this break included me saying this: Sad days are over! And I’m 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 won’t 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 it’s good to stay confident.
Other than that, I’m actually leaving in a few hours to Seoul. It’s a ~16 hour flight and I’m pretty good at sleeping on airplanes, so I’m hopeful that it’ll be an easy ride.
I learned a lot about packing in my first semester, so why don’t I just share some of my ideas? There are lots of articles on what to bring to Korea, but some things on most people’s lists, I disagree on. This is designed for 4 months stays, so it’s 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 don’t bring back, so I believe it’s cost-efficient and luggage-space-efficient.
2. DON’T 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 I’m bringing two bags to make up for it. A lot of American snacks and popular candies are available in Korea, but it’s best to do some research on that.
4. DON’T 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 don’t shop very fancy in Seoul; a lot of what I buy is under $10. So I think it’s worth it to only bring your favorite items, and explore the shops in Seoul.
That’s my short list on what to pack for Korea. I think it’s also a way for me to remember what I’m bringing and leaving at home. Since my flight is in a few hours, next time you’ll hear from me, I’ll be in Seoul.
And hello.