Hello there! This is Willow Mills checking in from South Korea! I can hardly begin to describe how amazing these three weeks have been. It is my first time in Asia, but it definitely won’t be my last.
The biggest adjustment I have had to face has been the language barrier. It is fairly easy to get around Korea without knowing more than a few simple phrases, but sometimes it makes you feel like a child. I have to point at a lot of stuff and just say things like “water” or “this please,” and it makes me feel like a toddler trying to communicate with a patient parent!
The people in South Korea are amazing, though. I haven’t had a single bad incident during my trip with any of the locals. Everyone has been so kind, helpful, and welcoming! One of my favorite things to do is speak with people I meet here. From the people who work at the karaoke places we frequent or the tour guide, it’s fun being able to ask them questions about their life here and how it differs from America.
Classes here have been amazing too. We mainly have a “real experience classroom” where we visit different companies in our career fields, and it has been amazing. My favorite place we’ve gone to that’s related to my field is the SBS K-drama set tour. We were able to visit the set of the show “Taxi Driver” and it was incredible! We weren’t able to take photos because they are still filming season three, but it is an amazing experience that will live in my mind forever.
Something I’m starting to miss is the food back home. I absolutely love Korean food and was eating it consistently before I even got here, but I miss salt! Korean food mainly seems to consist of sweet and spicy items. As someone with a salty tooth and a low spice tolerance, I’m ready to have some American food again! I do love every meal I’ve been able to have here. We were able to tour a seaweed and kimchi museum and cooking experience while here, and I was able to eat them fresh. It’s one of the best things I’ve tasted!
The scenery here is stunning. The entire country is mountainous, and while I grew up fairly close to the mountains, these are so different. We’re currently in Jeju, and the beach and cliffs are some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Pictured below is me at Seongsan Ilchubang!
The clock is ticking down on my time here, and while I’m happy to go back home, I know I will miss this experience more than anything before!
