I remember my first week in Gangnam. I was standing outside Exit 8 of Gangnam Station, sweating through my shirt in July, trying to figure out which bus went to my new apartment. My Korean was non-existent, my T-money card was empty, and I had just paid 15,000 won for a taxi that should have … Read more
I remember my first July in Pyeongtaek. I stepped out of my apartment at 7 AM to grab a coffee, and within thirty seconds, my shirt was sticking to my back like wet tissue paper. The air wasn’t just hot—it was thick, soupy, and heavy. Then, six months later, I was scraping ice off my … Read more
I remember my first week in Dunsan. I had a mountain of cardboard boxes from my new couch and a suspiciously large pile of broken plastic hangers. I confidently dragged it all to the curb, feeling smug about my eco-friendly intentions. The next morning, my cardboard was still there, but my hangers were gone. So … Read more
I’ll never forget the first time I moved into my officetel in Dunsan-dong. I had a mountain of cardboard boxes from my new microwave and a bag of takeout containers. I confidently walked to the curb and placed them next to a pile of bags. The next morning, my landlord was *not* happy. Apparently, I … Read more
I’ll never forget my first week in Ansan. I was standing on Multicultural Street, surrounded by the smell of lamb skewers and the sound of languages I didn’t recognize, feeling more lost than I had in Seoul. I saw a Korean ajumma drop her grocery bag, and I rushed to help her pick up the … Read more
I remember my first August in Seomyeon. I stepped out of the subway at Exit 5, and the heat hit me like a physical wall—a wet, suffocating blanket of humidity mixed with the smell of sizzling street food and exhaust fumes. My shirt was soaked through within 30 seconds. I stood there, melting next to … Read more
The first November I spent in Pyeongtaek, I nearly froze to death in my own living room. I had just moved into a villa near Camp Humphreys, the windows were dripping with condensation, and my bill for the month was a whopping 400,000 KRW. I was pressing every button on the wall-mounted thermostat in a … Read more
The first time my Korean co-worker added me to a 23-person group chat, I thought my phone was having a seizure. Notifications exploded like popcorn in a microwave, all in Korean, all at 11 PM on a Tuesday. I replied with a simple “okay,” and the chat went dead silent. I had just committed a … Read more
I remember my first month in Hongdae. I was fresh off the plane, buzzing from the street performances and the smell of sizzling pork belly, convinced I’d land a job in a week. I had a bachelor’s degree, decent work experience, and a smile that could light up a subway car. Two weeks later, I … Read more
— I’ll never forget my first week in Hyehwa. I was jet-lagged, lost near the Marronnier Park, and desperately trying to call my landlord. My international roaming plan had just died, and the local convenience store clerk stared at me blankly when I asked for a “phone number.” I ended up paying 50,000 won for … Read more