I remember sitting in a cramped goshiwon in Sinchon, staring at job postings that all required “Fluent Korean” and a “Korean university degree.” I had neither. My bank account was screaming, and my visa was ticking. That’s when I swallowed my pride and shifted my focus to Itaewon—the expat hub of Seoul. It wasn’t glamorous, … Read more
I remember my first month in Kyungsung University area, Busan. I was fresh off the plane, wide-eyed, and convinced I’d land an English-teaching gig within a week because I saw “foreigner-friendly” signs everywhere. Spoiler alert: it took me two months, a lot of Korean coffee, and one awkward interview where I accidentally called the director … Read more
I remember my first week in Dunsan-dong. I was standing in front of a convenience store, sobbing into my phone because Naver Maps told me to walk through a solid concrete wall to get to the bus stop. The GPS was drunk, I was hungry, and I had no idea what time the last bus … Read more
I remember my first trip to the Seoul Immigration Office. I had my passport, a handful of photocopies, and a naive optimism that I’d be in and out in an hour. Three hours later, sitting on a cold plastic chair while a man next me loudly argued about his visa over the phone, I realized … Read more
I remember my first six months in Gwangalli, Busan. I’d sit at a cafe overlooking the Gwangan Bridge, sipping my Americano, watching groups of Koreans laugh and chat. I’d smile at a neighbor, only to get a polite nod and a quick walk away. The beach was beautiful, but I felt invisible. Making Korean friends … Read more
I’ll never forget my first trip to a Korean mart in Hyehwa. I was hunting for peanut butter—a simple mission back home. Here, after 20 minutes of circling aisles labeled in Hangul, I walked out with a bag of dried squid, a suspicious-looking jar of fermented paste, and zero peanut butter. The cashier didn’t speak … Read more
I remember my first year in Suwon, working at a small English academy. My boss kept my passport “for visa processing” for three months, and I didn’t get paid for two weeks of overtime. I was scared to complain because I thought I’d lose my job and my visa. Turns out, I had more legal … Read more
I remember my first apartment hunt in Daejeon. I was fresh off the plane, clutching a vague address from my university, and staring at a Korean real estate app like it was an alien artifact. Two weeks, three “contract fees,” and one very confused landlord later, I finally had a roof over my head. Let … Read more
— I remember my first apartment hunt in Songdo. I was fresh off the plane, wide-eyed, and thought I could just walk into a real estate office, point at a picture, and sign a lease. Six hours later, I was sitting in a *budongsan* (real estate office) with a translator app, a calculator, and a … Read more
I remember my first month in Suwon—staring at a convenience store kimbap and a 4,000-won Americano, wondering how I’d make it to payday without blowing my entire budget on overpriced fried chicken. The struggle is real, especially when you’re new and every sign looks like a mystery. But after a decade here, I’ve cracked the … Read more