I now only have one more week left in this beautiful, wonderful, awe-inspiring city that I have began to call home. Granted, the fun won’t be ending then because I’ll head to Japan for a few days before my long flight back to the States, but still… I can’t help but reflect on this past semester.
My sister said something that really helped me the other day. I was upset because this week is a mixture between endless studying for finals and squeezing as many goodbyes in as I can. I told my family “There are too many ‘lasts.’ Life is too sad. You meet too many great people who can only stay in your life temporarily.” To which my sister replied, “But you’re better for meeting them.” 🙂
So, instead of sitting around moping about my limited time in Seoul and with my friends, I’ve decided to name my top 10 BEST moments of study abroad!
10. Seeing Epik High Live
Epik High (에픽하이) has been my *favorite* korean rap group since 2012 when I first discovered Tablo’s solo album. The amount of times I’ve listened to them while doing work or walking to class or in need of a pick-me-up or while hanging out with my friends is probably embarrassing. Never, not in a million years, did I ever expect to see them live. Never did I expect to be just a few feet away from the people that had such a huge effect on my college years!
9. Akaraka
The huge school festival that I attended last month. Good performers, good cheers, good company, good memories. You can read my full experience here!
8. Namsan Tower Lock!
Namsan Tower is a huge tourist spot. I went to it the very first day in Seoul. It overlooks the entire city and is incredible. There’s a part where couples will leave locks expressing their love for each other. So, instead, my study abroad friends and I left a lock with all our names on it. Now our friendship is forever. (Totally not corny at all…)
7. Trying on Hanbok
My friend Jiwon’s aunt owns a Hanbok store in the city, so about a month into the program, a group of us went to her store to try them on! Hanbok 한복 is Korean traditional dress, and I’ve always thought they were beautiful and longed to try them on one day. His aunt was nice enough to let us play around in the store for a few hours and take enough pictures to last us a lifetime, bless her soul~
6. DMZ
I’ve been very, very interested in North Korea for the past few years, and even started a club at Penn State that raises money to rescue North Korean refugees. So I was beyond excited to visit the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone – border between North and South Korea). We could see over to the other side, and were even able to cross the border and “stand in North Korea.” It was an experience I’ll never forget, to say the least.
And now, for dramatic effect, I’m going to put my top 5 memories under a read more~ Continue reading