I remember my first trip to a Homeplus in Seomyeon. I was standing in the produce aisle, staring at a single, perfect apple wrapped in Styrofoam and plastic film, and I had no idea how much it cost. I ended up buying a bag of instant ramyeon and a six-pack of beer because I was … Read more
— I remember standing outside the Ansan Driver’s License Test Center, clutching a stack of documents that felt heavier than my car keys. The rain was pelting down on Multicultural Street, and I was soaked, frustrated, and wondering how I’d ever navigate this bureaucratic maze. If you’re an expat in Ansan, you don’t need a … Read more
I remember my first attempt. I walked into the Daejeon Dunsan Driver’s License Office with a thick stack of papers from my home state, fully expecting a simple exchange. Two hours later, I was drowning in Korean bureaucracy, my foreign license was deemed “invalid” for direct transfer, and a kind ajumma behind me was trying … Read more
— I remember my first week in Hongdae. I was jet-lagged, lost in a maze of indie boutiques and fried chicken joints, and desperately trying to FaceTime my mom. The free Wi-Fi at the coffee shop kept cutting out, and the data I was burning through on my home carrier’s international plan was costing me … Read more
I remember my first month in Seomyeon. I was staring at a 12,000-won bowl of naengmyeon, mentally calculating that this single meal was 1% of my entire monthly stipend. My wallet was crying, and my pride was too stubborn to ask for help. After a decade of trial, error, and a few truly desperate ramen-only … Read more
I remember my first month in Jeju, thinking I’d nailed Korean culture because I could say “thank you” in Korean. Then I accidentally poured my boss’s drink wrong at a company dinner, and the silence was so loud I could hear the ocean from the window. That’s when I realized: Korean culture isn’t just about … Read more
I remember my first week in Gwangalli, staring at the glowing Diamond Bridge, thinking, “This is paradise.” Then I walked into a convenience store, smiled, and said “Hello” to the ajumma. She didn’t smile back. She just grunted and pointed at the price tag. I felt like I’d broken some unwritten law. Turns out, I … Read more
I’ll never forget my first week in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon. I was proud of myself for sorting my recyclables, only to have my Korean landlady knock on my door, holding up a half-empty banana milk carton like a crime scene photo. “You must wash this,” she said, not unkindly, but with the firmness of a drill … Read more
I remember my first trip to a Homeplus in Haeundae. I walked in, jet-lagged and hungry, grabbed a basket, and spent 20 minutes trying to find a simple jar of pasta sauce. The answer? It was next to the kimchi, not the pasta. And it was sweet. I swore that day I’d either learn the … Read more
I remember my first winter in Gwangalli. I was wearing my best North Face jacket, thinking I was invincible. Then the wind from the sea hit me like a frozen brick, and I spent the next three months crying into my electric blanket. Welcome to the coast, where the seasons don’t just change—they attack. Surviving … Read more