Last Month in Seoul: Making the Most of it

It’s that time. I’m haunted by visions of my bed at home as I lie in my mattress-topper-less bed at SK Global. I have started to crave the familiar flavor of my mother’s soup as I translate another restaurant menu. It being Thanksgiving season right now too doesn’t help with the homesickness. But at the same time, I have less than a month left of my time in Korea! Balancing my excitement to be home but also my sadness at leaving Korea so soon has been a bit of a challenge and an emotional rollercoaster. I've found that the key to making the most of this time is to be intentional. Here are some things I've been doing to make sure I make the most of my time so that I’m ready when it’s time to go home:

Call home regularly

It’s important to honor whatever homesickness you may be feeling. And everyone's relationship with their family and friends is different! I have friends that call home every day while I call my family once or twice a week and update my friends every few weeks over call or text. I'm the type of person that enjoys keeping my head where my feet are. However, my heart is also back home in the States! What I did was I found times that my family/friends are usually free during the week that also line up with my free time and set that as a recurring event on my calendar. This way, I have a set time that I can make sure I can reconnect with my loved ones and keep them posted on what I’ve been up to in Korea. 

Say yes to plans!

Sounds a little cliche but it's so true that some of the best memories you'll make are from last-minute plans! Remain flexible, open, and ready to say, “Omg yea!” to a proposed plan.

Ex. 1: I and some friends got dinner and watched Wicked a bit ago(great movie!)This plan was made that same day hours before the movie showtime we caught.

Ex 2: My roommate saw this cafe online and we ended up going on a random Wednesday for lunch and it was such a great time! Still one of the best cafes I’ve visited in Seoul. Amazing food, pastries, and vibes!

Be a Community Builder!

In addition to remaining flexible and open to plans, don’t be afraid to make plans as well! If there's a cafe or restaurant you want to check out, or an activity you want to see or do, after doing the research and finding a window of time that works for you, feel free to text someone you might’ve met through CIEE, or elsewhere and see if they would want to join! 

Ex. I run Track & Field at my home college so I was looking for ways to stay active but also break the monotony that can come from having set routine workouts. I let my friends know I'd be doing the hike and invited them to join! It was my first time hiking and it was more challenging than we expected but it was so much fun! We got lunch after and got a sweet treat at a cool cafe after!