Wow! Time is such an interesting thing. As mom of two, I always feel like I never have enough time in the day to get things done, even when time, most days, feel like it drags on forever. Yet, as I sit here to write my first post, I realize I first came to Korea for vacation in 2007, fell in love with the country, and then committed to moving here in 2009! That’s already 15 years ago! Now, I’m a wife and a mother of two? It’s amazing to think about.
Many people ask me why I decided to move to South Korea.
I think at the time, I had met so many International students at my university and became interested in all of their cultures, but especially, I got hooked on to Korean culture the most. I got caught up in Korean dramas and the K-pop music scene. I loved the food too! I surrounded myself with Korean friends and took interest in the language as well. So, when an opportunity to work in Seoul came up, I said “Yes!” at the speed of light. I searched also for a place to study Korean that led me to Yonsei University’s Korean Language program. It was great! I was prepared to go and super excited.
And honestly, at the time getting space away from my Chinese helicopter mom for the first time in my life seemed amazing. LOL.
Looking back, I was so young and spontaneous. I miss those days so much! Korea has changed a lot since then. 15 years ago, using only English here made it difficult to navigate the city. Knowing zero Korean, even getting out of the airport was scary. I remember taking the airport bus and not understanding what the workers standing next to the busses wanted from me. They wanted to know what my stop was and wanted to take my luggage to store under the bus, but I had no idea. I don’t even know how I made it out of the airport and to my target destination to be honest. (In a time when smart phones were just starting to become a thing…)
But, I made it!
I was lucky that a friend had helped me set everything I needed up before I arrived. Because I was a foreigner, even getting a cell phone and Internet service was not available to me. I had to get a Korean friend to help me set it up and pay using their name and ID number. My friends also helped me rent a very small one-room apartment. Oh, how Korea has changed within the last decade! It was definitely so different than what I was used to back in Oklahoma where everything felt so much larger and more spacious. Not to mention, the renting system here is so different than the United States as well! But I think I’ll leave that to another post!
Main point is,
I fell in love with S.Korea, moved to Seoul, and then met my husband! It seems ages ago. We officially started dating in 2011! So, we have been together for more than 11 years now! We had so many fun adventures together and tied the knot in 2018. We had our first daughter in December of 2020, and our second daughter shortly after in August of 2022. Living here in S. Korea is great, but there are so many challenges that I had to overcome here. I continue to feel homesick for sure.
Especially, after having children, I want to be around my family more. I have a younger brother who married early and now has two kids of his own, an 11-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter. I often wonder how different it would be to live closer to each other and to raise our kids together.
Some days, navigating this different daycare / school system situation without a clue seems impossible. When I talk to my friends back home about it, they often are confused as well. I know the U.S system isn’t perfect, but at least I know what to expect. It also helps that I have my nephew and niece to follow as examples.
But here we are! 15 years later! If anyone wants to share your beginning stories, please leave a comment!
