I’m sure some of you were expecting this post eventually, and I didn’t want to disappoint! It’s been about 4 months since I’ve returned home from South Korea and there are many things I miss about it.

The first thing would probably be food. Korean food is amazing, and if you haven’t tried it before, I hope this helps convince you that it will be worth it to step out of your comfort zone to try it. I have been to an asian grocery store near my work, and a few restaurants since my return, but there are some things that I haven’t been able to find at these places. The first thing that comes to mind is 김밥, which is more of a instant or fast food option. Except unlike fast food options here, this was actually fairly healthy. It’s similar to sushi in the fact that it’s a roll with seaweed, rice, vegetables and some sort of meet. But unlike sushi, the seaweed is on the outside, and there is generally not raw fish inside. I used to eat 김밥 more often than I want to admit, since it was a small, cheap and tasty meal.

The next thing I miss about Korea is the culture. This includes not only the respect that people have for each other and older generations, but the function of public transportation as well. Because I don’t like in a large city in the states, it’s extremely difficult to find affordable and reliable public transportation. I also miss the fact that I didn’t have a car payment in Korea.

To tie into Korean culture, everyone, or mostly everyone was pretty health conscious, and led an active lifestyle. In one of my previous posts, I talked about how there were always people walking around, no matter what time of night or season. There were also many outdoor gyms that people could use free of charge, and that was where I saw a lot of grandmas and grandpas in the evenings or on the weekends.

The last thing (for this post at least) is that I miss the weather. Summer was extremely humid, but of course in your memory, things are faded and more romantic, so I miss it more than I probably should or would in reality. But in actuality, I miss the winter. It was very mild where I lived, because it was south, near the ocean. So last winter, while it snowed twice, the snow didn’t stick, and winter was over before I knew it.

I will always have the memories I made while living in Korea, and I know that it is a positive sign that I enjoyed it and miss it. So when people ask if I’m glad to be home, just know that my answer will always be complicated for multiple reasons.

Thank you for reading! Stay safe and stay happy. See you next time! 읽어줘서 고마워요. 안전 하고 행복하게 지내세요. 다음에 봐요.