I swear, it feels like I’ve only been living here for a few short months but in reality it’s been one year.
Exactly one year ago today, Bryan and I arrived at our new home in Seoul and it was torrentially down pouring, we were jet lagged and starving, couldn’t go out because of the rain and couldn’t order food via any delivery apps because I didn’t have a Korean phone number.
I still get a pang of the loneliness I felt when I was here alone and Bryan hadn’t officially moved yet, especially now that the weather is getting a little bit of that autumn chill in the morning and evenings. When I see the morning light stream in around 6:45am when I’m leaving for work. When I pass by the restaurants I ate at multiple times a week alone after work.
It’s still crazy to think that it took me a year to get used to certain things, like getting up around 6am or earlier everyday for a long commute (I’ve only missed the company shuttle bus once!) and the insane system Korean e-comm sites have for shopping online. Banking and managing credit cards online here too — it’s the most complex system I’ve ever seen but also feel that it’s pretty secure so I can’t complain too much about it (though I did a lot for awhile).
It’s also so interesting to realize how at home I also feel here. I’m keenly aware I’m a foreigner, yet feel more comfortable here than I think I ever did in NYC. Though that also might be attributed to now being older and wiser, but I’m not sure. The small routines I’ve carved out for myself help make me feel like this is home, like weekly self-care and pilates.
Work still has it’s challenges but in different ways than before, and I’m happy with the small changes I’ve made to my thought process to help me cope with work culture. Overall, shifting my goal posts constantly has helped and staying true to myself and not lowering my standards for good work is starting to pay off in small ways, and hopefully I can impact change in these little tidbits.
I miss my family and friends insanely, and I look forward to when we go back to the US. But for the time being, I’m going to keep basking in this time as much as I can.
xx
Esther
