it was one year ago today when i arrived here in Korea. it doesn’t seem like that long ago actually. i remember being a bit worried when i first came here; will i be able to find an apartment? will i get all the school stuff figured out? will my friends be at the airport to pick me up? well, everything worked out after i arrived. my friends were at the airport and they helped me get set up with an apartment, bank account, Visa change, etc. i’m very thankful for the friends i’ve met here who have helped me get adjusted to living here. actually, there wasn’t much of any culture shock when i came here. maybe it’d be different if i had moved to the more country parts of Korea, but here in Seoul it’s very similar to the big cities in the US (except for the big language difference).

the time passed very fast. i’m not too great at the Korean language yet, but i can communicate somewhat with people better than when i first started. i’ve gained some good friends from language exchange and English tutoring, and also met many from my church at different events and dance practice. it’s been a good experience 🙂

learning Korean is taking a bit longer than i thought it would. i had to retake the level 2 course, and might have to retake the level 3 too. i’ll probably be here for another year, and then i’ll be looking for a job where i can hopefully use this language i’ve been learning. i’m earning a little money from the English tutoring, but it’s not enough to cover the bills i pay here, so i’m going through a lot of my savings. hopefully it’ll work out after i finish 🙂