In contrast, I found Korea to be one of the safest places in which to live. There are many fun things to do in Seoul like go to cafes, attend K-Pop concerts, visit museums and explore palaces. What makes Seoul great for travelers is that every part of the city has its own personality, so there is something for everyone who visits. A tip I can give for dealing with homesickness is to find your favorite spot that makes you feel at home. For me, it was a nice cafe in the Edae area of Seoul. I also enjoyed visiting other nearby University campuses while striking up great mini-conversations with the students there using the limited Korean skills that I gained.
The thing that I will miss the most about my time studying in Seoul will be all the friends that I’ve made here. They have been with me since the beginning, from our first meeting at the airport in Korea to our teary final goodbyes in front of the school dormitory as we parted ways going back to our home countries. One of my favorite memories with my best friend in Korea was when we went the wrong direction from the place we originally planned to go, ended up at an empty train station, and had to figure out a way back to Seoul. We ended up discovering a new city near Seoul and spent the day as the locals did by enjoying jokpal (pork) on the side of the road with friendly senior citizens. We then proceeded to try cold noodle soup at a random restaurant. It gave us a fun memory to laugh about now. Every time we mention cold noodles, we remember the time we got lost at the train station.
Traveling and going with the flow will make you feel connected with the people and the land. I was surprised at how welcoming Koreans can be to foreigners.
