See You Soon, Seoul

Just as everywhere else I’ve been in my nineteen years of life so far, Seoul has given me many highs and a good handful of lows. There are many things I’m going to miss—billions of coffee shops in every direction I turn, train stations without exposed power rails, getting a full meal for $10—and there’s many I will not—bus drivers steering with murderous intent, staring at others for full minutes, hands reaching for my hair—but my experience overall was incredible.

Now that I am settled back into Chicago, I have only just begun fully unpacking my life from mid-February up until now. Even so, there are a few things I’m certain about:

1. Go outside even on days where you want nothing more to do than stay in bed. Take a walk in the direction that you usually never go. Stop in a restaurant that you’ve never eaten at. Go to a café and order the first thing that catches your eye. The days that you wander around with no destination in mind are the days you are going to find some of your favorite places in Seoul.
2. Don’t be afraid to reach out to and befriend people, whether they’re inside of your cohort or someone you cross paths with on campus often! I am a champion of solo-dates, but I wouldn’t recommend doing everything on your own for a full semester. On top of this, it’s good to have people to lean on the days you feel off. Because trust me, you’ll have at least one or two days where the sky is murky, the air quality is terrible (and I mean absolutely disgusting), and you don’t even feel like making your way to campus. Having someone whose door you can knock on is a necessity!
3. Live in the moment, and don’t get too caught up on how much time you have/don’t have left. Do as much as you can with the time you have, even if it’s a quick weekend trip to Asan with a couple of friends. The time is going to pass no matter what, so bask in every second!

My favorite professor from this semester asked on multiple occasions if any of us would be returning to Korea in the future. Each time, my answer began with “I would like to, but…” and spiraled into complaints about price of international travel, bones I had to pick on a socio-cultural level, or simply questioning what I would return for—school, work, vacation? Or worse, more school???

Looking back, though, I never once said no. And so, as I sort out all the thoughts I haven’t been able to express in my previous blogs, I want to sign off with this:

I had an incredible semester that taught me a lot, and studying abroad was one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself. Seoul is a place that I love, a city I need a break from, and a study abroad destination I think is perfect for those who enjoy chastening themselves and having a good time while doing so.

I don't know when I'll be back to Seoul, but I won't be mad at all if that time comes sooner than later.