The first week in Seoul, South Korea, has been one full of challenges but also one full of fun memories. I finally got to meet my Korean friends that I made last semester at Mizzou while they were there as exchange students. I’ve also had the chance to make new friends that are also here as exchange students for the semester at Korea University. In addition to that, I’ve also had the opportunity to explore a little bit of Seoul by myself, with my Korean friends and with the new friends I’ve made. While I may not know the Korean language fluently, being here has forced me to find ways to communicate when speaking to natives who don’t know any English. It’s been stressful but its also been a fun challenge that has filled me with confidence in my abilities to adapt in a new environment. This, along with making new friends, has eased my initial worries about potentially feeling lonely or isolated as a foreigner living in an ethnically homogeneous country. The hope is that as time goes on and I figure out more of a routine that works for me, I’ll come to fully appreciate the beautiful city of Seoul. So far, it’s been an amazing time getting to explore and I can’t wait to see more, eat more and experience more. I hope to continue to make more friends as well. So here’s to a pretty great start of my five months abroad in Seoul, South Korea!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Korea University