I still remember my first three months in Pyeongtaek. I was living near Camp Humphreys, surrounded by great food, cheap soju, and a ton of people—yet I was lonely as hell. I’d walk around Anjeong-ri, nod at the same shop owners, and go home to an empty apartment. I assumed that because I was in … Read more
I still remember my first week in Haeundae, standing at a bus stop near the beach, sweating through my shirt because I tried to pay for a bus ride with a 10,000 won bill. The driver just stared at me, waved his hand, and pointed at the card reader. I had no card, no change, … Read more
I still remember the first time I walked into a clinic in Suwon with a fever and a throat that felt like sandpaper. I stood at the reception desk, mumbled “I’m sick” in broken Korean, and watched the receptionist’s face cycle through confusion, pity, and mild panic. She handed me a clipboard full of medical … Read more
I still remember standing in the sweltering heat outside the Busan Nam-gu licensing center, clutching a folder of documents I was sure were correct, only to be told by a clerk that my alien registration card wasn’t sufficient and I needed a specific certificate I’d never heard of. After three wasted trips and a lot … Read more
I remember standing in my first apartment in Daegu Dongseongro, holding a bag of stinking garbage, staring at a wall of five different bins with signs entirely in Korean. I had no idea where the chicken bones went, if I needed to wash the yogurt container, or why there was a specific bin just for … Read more
I remember standing in a crowded subway car in Incheon during my first week here, holding a heavy bag of groceries, feeling invisible. I was exhausted, grumpy, and completely misread the room. I thought people were being rude by not making eye contact or offering a seat. It took me a humiliating amount of time … Read more
I remember standing in front of a real estate office (Budongsan) near Ansan Station, staring at a window full of listings that looked like cryptic hieroglyphics. I had just arrived in Korea, my Korean was limited to “Hello” and “Thank you,” and I was terrified of getting scammed out of my entire savings. The agent … Read more
I still remember standing in line at the Yongsan Driver’s License Examination Office, clutching a stack of documents, sweating through my shirt, and realizing I had forgotten my passport photos. Again. If you live in Itaewon or anywhere in Yongsan-gu, you already know the struggle: the subway is great, but trying to haul groceries from … Read more
I remember standing on Haeundae Beach during my first summer here, sweating through my shirt, holding a trash bag full of empty beer cans, and staring in confusion at a group of middle-aged Korean men in matching hiking gear doing lunges on the sand. I had just been yelled at by a beach vendor for … Read more
I still remember the pit in my stomach the first time I had to report a change of address in Korea. I had just moved from a tiny one-room in Seoul to a slightly larger place in Suwon, and I thought I could just update my address online. I spent three hours fighting with the … Read more