Being in South Korea has been an incredible experience and I have loved every moment of it (well, almost every moment because living abroad isn’t without challenges). Since coming to the Land of the Morning Calm, I’ve had new misadventures and discovered an interesting culture completely different from the Japanese one I had become accustomed to. This past year was a year of many firsts and adventures. My expat experience in Korea has been so different in comparison to Japan and I would never give it up for the world.
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I FINALLY Have a Boyfriend
This is definitely one of the biggest differences from my expat experience in Okinawa. Single time in Japan helped me develop new hobbies and work on my Cross Fit, but it was still lonely as I always failed on the dating game in Japan. I don’t like to talk a lot of crap online, but I’m completely honest when I say I’m not the only girl who had a hard time trying to meet someone. Okinawa was devoid of committed men and it isn’t easy for foreign women. Here in Korea, I can honestly say I’ve met the guy who is the bacon to my pancakes. I love him so much and he’s made my time in Korea even more special. He shows me his country the way he knows it and gains a different perspective by watching me be amazed.
Lovey Dovey Couple Things
If you didn’t know already, Korea is the romance capital of the world. Almost every place caters to the dynamic duos from bff to romantic partner. I loved getting matching couple rings with Aaron and going on illuminated dates to Everland and Garden of the Morning Calm. Funny story, we went to Gyeongbukgong with our couple shirts and people mistook me for a Korean.
Hanbok During Chuseok
It was a brand new experience for me to dress in hanbok. The traditional clothes of Korea are alive with vibrant colors and patterns. With my newfound wonderful friends we had a photo shoot at Gyeongbokgung. If you haven’t been to this palace, it’s awesome and you must go when you visit Korea. My friends and I received so many compliments and it was really fun to feel like a princess for the day.
Jeonju in Autumn
This was probably one of the cooler things I’ve done. My Korean big sister took me out for a fun trip with her friends and we ate delicious Korean food and drank to our heart’s content. I got to wear hanbok again and walk around traditional hanok villages.
Sea Parting in Jindo
I thought this festival for Grandma Ppong was a great experience and it was actually fun getting up before the ass crack of dawn and walking the sea with a torch. I’ve never done anything like this before and it was exhilarating to try and make it back before the tide.
Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam
Have you ever had a visual hangover? I’ve experienced it a few times since starting my life abroad. I’ve got one word for these places and it is, “Wow.” Every country I’ve been to is lovely in it’s own way. From the Land of Smiles to Halong Bay, I can’t say I’m disappointed. Each temple I’ve visited, every moment I smelled the sea air or each food I’ve tried has left a beautiful memory behind my eyes.
Mountain Hiking
Having lived on Okinawa, I was freezing in the winter and spring. A good friend of mine was training to hike Kinabalu in Indonesia and asked if I wanted to join in on the fun. I thought, “Why not?” and up we went. It was hard and grueling, but I never regretted those views once at the top.
Buddha’s Birthday
I knew nothing about Buddhism before I lived in South Korea. Japan isn’t very religious save for Obon where they threaten the forgotten ancestors will pull you down to Davy Jones’ locker if you swim. Hollywood, I’m pitching a great idea to you! After a cold winter, South Korea sprang to life in Spring with colorful lanterns and azalea festivals. The parades that accompanied them were great photo opportunities and I got to work on those photography skills. I even got to make my own lotus flower with a paper cup, tissue paper, and glue.
Sailor Moon
For those of you who have followed me anywhere on social media or know me in real life, I love Sailor Moon. I’m 100% weeaboo trash and I collect the proplicas. No, seriously, I own almost all of them. I’m just missing Neptune’s mirror and the Cutie Moon Rod. It has always been my dream to put on my favorite heroine’s uniform, fight evil by moonlight, and win love by daylight. I loved transforming into the pretty soldier of love and justice. I even had my own Tuxedo Mask man candy this year. #missioncomplete #iamaloser
So far, so good. Korea has treated me great and I look forward to another year in Korea. Have you done any of these things on the list? P.s. I started a new job! 🙂
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32 Comments on Celebrating One Year in South Korea
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You did quiet a lot of things in this one year 🙂 happy to see that you found a nice guy in Korea! To another great year and good luck with your new job!
Cheers Mika
Thanks, Mika! I hope my next year in Korea will be fantastic as well! I’m looking at it more positively!
Woohoo! Happy Korea-versary! You definitely seem to be enjoying yourself. What’s your new job?
Thanks, Rachael! I love my new job! I got a job as a teacher at another middle school. 😉
Wow 1 year already! You have fit a lot in the past year both in Korea & outside of it. I love your sailor moon costume! do you have any costume plans for Halloween this year? I just ordered our family panda bear costumes…I hope they arrive in time!
Hi Hannah! Thanks so much! I was really excited to be Sailor Moon last year! And this year, I’m planning on becoming my other favorite scout, Sailor Neptune! I think I may just cosplay all my favorite scouts until I get it out of my system! I would love to see your family’s panda costumes! It looks so fun!
It looks like you really have made the most of your year in South Korea….and it sounds like you are really happy where you are! Your trip to Jeonju sounds like so much fun with your sister. I would love to dress in a hanbok and walk around the local village. And oh my goodness – I love the matching t-shirts with your boyfriend. So cute! Ahhhh he is the bacon to your pancakes – so cute! I hope I’ll get to revisit South Korea again…now much older hehe. Last time I was there was like 1994!
I think if you loved South Korea in 1994, you’ll love it even more now! It’s so much more modern and more fun! If you ever visit, me, you and Linda should get together for some karaoke! I love our couple t-shirts as well! They make me so happy!
Congrats on the new job and for finishing your first year in South Korea! I absolutely love your Sailor Moon consume hahaha ❤️
Thanks so much! I had so much fun making the details to the costume! It was a lot of work, but totally worth it!
I’ve been thinking about teaching english in Korea for a while now. I lived in Kyoto for 2 years teaching and loved it, but now I’m back, I can’t stop thinking about Korea! This post has almost turned me to 100%!!! It looks like such a great time, and I’m glad that it was so different than Japan for you. I was worried it would feel too similar. Oh screw it. I’m off to google teaching jobs in Korea right now…!!
Kyoto is awesome! I envy that you were there. I loved Kyoto and went back like three times! Korea is super fun and awesome. I would definitely recommend coming over here to teach! Let me know if you need any advice with coming over here! Would love to help!
Looks like an awesome year! Glad you found someone you can love and be comfortable with. I wish I knew you came to Thailand, would have been cool to meet up!
I watched your youtube also, you look very happy. Great to see! All the best for the future.
It would have been so awesome to meet up! I can’t believe I found someone. I honestly thought I would sing the forever alone tune. Thanks for tuning into my YouTube! It means a lot to get support!
It’s interesting to see how much we grow in just a year or two — especially when living abroad. I’m finishing up year 2 next in Korea this October and it’s been such an adventure.
I’ll bet it’s been an amazing adventure! Where are you in Korea now? Will you be leaving after this year?
It looks like you had a great year in Korea. Do you plan on staying a few more years? That’s very easy to do for expats because they end up loving it. I never ended up doing hanbok, but always wanted to do a hyperlapse through one of the palaces wearing one.
Omg I want to be Sailor Neptune for Halloween. Have been wanting to for years! Maybe I will now. Happy you found your bacon to your pancakes. I need to start eating bacon with pancakes now.
I want to be Sailor Neptune too! She’s one of my favorite outer Sailor Scouts! I hope you do cosplay her next year! It’ll be so much fun! I always want bacon and pancakes!
Now Korea is home. There are so many memories that you have built and some really beautiful ones. Here is to another lovely year for you in Korea.
Thanks so much! I hope I can experience even more awesomeness by living in Korea another year!
Good to see you are totally embracing the Korean culture, in every way! The pictures are wonderful and you look so happy, which is just wonderful. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Korea.
Thanks so much! I definitely feel a lot happier here than I did in Japan. I’ve been working on my photography and I hope that will improve in the coming year!
Looks like you’ve been having a great year! I love how living in a new place gives you the time to do all the ‘tourist’ things gradually and really get to enjoy them, but it’s the things that make you feel like a local that are really special. Good luck with the new job!
Thanks so much, Cori! My new job is awesome and I love it so much! Learning the language helps me feel like a local and I like staycationing sometimes. When you live in a country, you can experience it like no one else can.
What an amazing year! I can’t believe that was ONLY a year. You really packed a lot in 🙂 Congrats on your boyfriend! That’s so sweet and it’s wonderful that he’s showing you the real Korea. You make Korea sounds absolutely amazing!
Thanks so much! I really do love Korea and all the awesome things we get to do here are because of him. He helps me navigate a lot and he does things he would normally never do! There’s always something going on in Korea! 😀
What an exciting year! I loved your post on Buddha’s Birthday and I’m sure that being in a couple did totally change the way your year went! I’m glad you had a great year and cheers to many more!
Thanks so much! I hope that I was able to clarify and help others know the significance to his birthday. I most certainly had no idea before I moved to Korea. Having a partner abroad definitely makes your experience 10x better!
Congratulations for the seemingly great stuff that you’ve managed to do in the past one year and especially so for finding a partner. Companionship is so underrated! Best of luck for the next year as well!
Companionship is awesome when you’re in a healthy relationship. I hope this next year will be just as awesome as the last!
What Fun! Sounds like a productive and incredible year. How long are looking to spend in Korea? It seems like it suits you perfectly.