As my semester at Korea University is coming to a close, I can’t help but reflect on the past couple of months in Korea. I recently was in a taxi late at night on my way back to my little apartment, and the drive felt similar to my first taxi ride in Seoul the morning I landed. I remember feeling anxious about being in a new country with a language I could barely utter a few words in. I also remember sitting in my new room at the time, feeling so out of place and already missing my room back home. But now, almost four months of being in Seoul, I have a routine. I wake up later than I plan to and hurriedly get ready to go to class Monday through Thursday. I have a daily bus route I take to and from campus. I also have a designated lunch place to meet a friend whose schedule matched up with mine.

Perhaps the biggest part of my routine is how much I’ve come to love my room here. After a long and tiring day, I look forward to going back home. While it’s not my room back home full of trinkets I’ve collected over the years, it’s become a comfortable place that I miss when I’m tired. I recently also visited Namsan Tower for the first time since being in Seoul, and the view of Seoul from up there was stunning. Looking out towards the city put things into perspective for me and left me a bit sad about leaving. While I miss my friends and family back in Missouri, I can’t help but wish for time to slow down just a bit so I can truly enjoy my last two months in Seoul. So now my goal is to form new routines outside my now comfortable one and explore more of Seoul, spend more time with the people I’ve met, and eat as much Korean food as I can before I head back to Missouri. I’ll miss my little routine, but before I allow myself to be sad, I have to remember I still have plenty of time to enjoy it.

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