The volatility of being thrown into such a new environment, still trying to figure things out, and trying to maintain some sense of connection with my friends and family at home, has been a true wake-up call. Finding a way to make Seoul feel like "home" has been a process, but it has been plenty of fun!
In my day-to-day life, simply getting out and exploring my neighborhood and its surrounding areas was the best thing I did to get comfortable in Seoul. Also, living in such a big city, moments of solitude have begun to mean so much more, so I have found that my favorite pastime is visiting a park or museum. For example, Haneul Park is set on a mountain and has tons of hidden pathways to explore.
Another big thing to explore in Korea is festivals. There's one devoted to just about anything you can think of, from fireworks, to kimchi, to flowers. My friends and I went to the last day of a lantern festival in Jinju, a small city about three hours south of Seoul. It was incredible seeing how much attention to detail was put into the event, and seeing all of the lanterns was like anything I have ever seen before.
