One Month of My Life In South Korea

"I need to buy eggs," I think without opening my eyes. Somewhere outside my window a bird tries to sing louder than both the six am construction hacking away at the sidewalk and the workers melding to creation new high-rise buildings across the street.

"Eggs," I think again, making a list, "bread, bananas, tomatoes."

And I kind of want kimchi fried rice for dinner later today. But it's Saturday, the fifteenth of September, and I'd already made plans to meet with friends at a brewery in Gwangan around seven.

Finally, the construction dulls to a quiet hum and I can hear that stubborn bird breaking into chorus.

"Eggs." I try drifting to sleep, get a few more hours in before my Skype "meeting" at eleven. "Bread. Bananas. Tomatoes." 

That morning of the 15th marked my official one month anniversary of moving to Korea. I hadn't realized it until the day after, a sleepy Sunday before the start of a new work-week like any other Sunday in any other part of the world.

Do I give the whole shebang of a life-update? Tell you exactly how many friends I've made, sights I've seen, and epiphanies experienced? Or do I photo-dump and peace-out, use the rest of my current mid-term exams desk-warming time to brush up on my Korean?

To be honest, I think this post will read more like a diary...

The Honeymoon Phase

I forget which blog I'd read it on, but there was something someone said about your month-long honeymoon phase with Korea.

I had that. I arrived in Seoul for a five-day whirlwind of dazed exploration. From the moment I landed, to the day I boarded my Busan-bound train, all I could amaze at were the amount of people, the variety of friends, the moments of peace in early hours before a chaotic morning rush. Everyone was so kind and everything so new! 

I had spent sleepy mornings in still-waking-up cafes, and long hours meandering the streets of Itaewon, Gangnam, Hongdae, and Bukchon Hanok Village. Taken drawing tours and visited K-Pop museums and lingered over all the samgyupsal I could fit. Dancing in rooftop hiphop clubs--sharing life-stories in chic wine bars--relaxing with cold brew beer. 

The honeymoon hadn't disappeared in Busan either! Orientation felt a lot like my freshman year of undergrad with friends from all over comparing accents. Kept busy by staff in mornings and afternoons, we booked it downhill for soju and billiards after dinner. Together, we experienced Busan for the first time, searching Haeundae for street-food and learning traditional dance from a performance at the Gugak Center. When we finally parted ways to meet our schools? The honeymoon grew. We loved those kids, our new apartments, our quiet little lives budding into adventure.

Beer festivals and dinners with co-teachers. Finding our favorite spots in the neighborhood and building a home out of the sparse furniture we'd been given. Not everything was perfect, but that seemed to make it better.

My First Vacation

One of my options in moving to Korea was accepting a position in Geoje-do. I turned them down after much deliberating on my part and the personal circumstances that prevented me from accepting with enthusiasm. 

I was worried, to be honest, because the island was beautiful, the school amazing, and all that nature only an hour and twenty minutes from Busan!


​I was worried I'd been giving up something great.

Finding My Routine

But here's the reality: life slows down after the first month. You find your routine, like you would in any other part of the world.

Your favorite cafe may change from the beautifully-themed, rooftop chocolate-decadence in the center of town with it's $5 coffee, to the homely, cement-walled corner shop with four tables. 

You may have spent all your free time visiting the nearest city, getting out of the Korean boonies as soon as possible; but now you're too tired to make an hour and a half trek every other day, choosing instead to take a long way home from work, passing briefly by the river that snakes through town.

My own routine built itself without my noticing: Friday night language exchange and beer with friends. Weekend morning runs, before the afternoon rush of people waking up with hangovers. Studying Korean when I'm desk-warming, writing in coffee shops on Monday and Wednesday nights. Monthly Skype meetings with my friends-turned-illustrators, so we can discuss my novel.

And climbing on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Admittedly, the climbing got to me. The climbing broke my honeymoon phase.

Don't get me wrong--everyone at the gym continues to prove the hospitality I've been shown so far! The owner understood I was still new to Busan and said I could pay when I'm able to; the usual climbers who frequent the wall converse with me in our odd mixture of English-Korean elementary school sentences and friendliness; oh and the music's awesome too.

It just makes me miss my old gym, miss my goofball friends and the Chipotle burrito runs after closing the wall. Makes me miss my Tolkien scholars--my best friends--when someone mentions they love Lord of the Rings. Makes me remember the first time I gave sport climbing a try, with my two oldest friends the day before we all left for college.

Climbing here brings with it a melancholic joy. Is that oxymoron possible?

I'm happy, maybe still fuzzy with the honeymoon, and it's all a little bittersweet. 

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So for this Chuseok I planned a four day hiking trip to Geoje-do. The weather is supposed to be 70 and sunny the whole time I'm there (let's cross our fingers) and I've already made a list of trails to trek. After an easy week of Chuseok lessons and desk-warming post-grad decisions, a month of city and city and more city, it's time to go home to the mountain air! ​

Seoul Photos

I feel like these pictures match the vibrancy and energy that overwhelmed me in Seoul. Everything is loud, from the colors to the movement, to the way each every-which-way line gets your eyes moving up, down, side-ways, and diagonal. I'm by no means an experienced photographer, but I'm happy to say the tone of each picture matches how I felt adventuring through Korea's capital city!

Busan Photos

Meanwhile in Busan, my constant business and movement feels tinged with warm fog, catching the tails of typhoons and overcast days. 

I've been spending a lot of time in Gwangan. My friends and I have found a group of people who play beach volleyball practically every Sunday. While I'm not much of a player I can't say no to lounging in the sand, watching them jump around screaming and cheering until it's time for dinner nearby.

​I'm a bit further away from all the Busan action, but I have to say--I think I've got the best cafes in the city! Either a twenty minute hike up the mountain or a ten minute bus ride gets me to Choryang 1941 and Choryang 845. The first is a Japanese style cottage that had been built in 1941 (hence the name) and had also been the filming location for episode 6 of a K-Drama called Just Between Lovers. The decor offers patrons rustic comfort, and when I went with friends, we had sat nestled in a nook of tatami mats. Choryang 845 is right in front, providing spectacular views of the city below as you enjoy your brunch, lunch, or dinner.

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