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Going home. Thinking about that has been giving me anxiety lately. When I think of leaving SNU, I am just completely unready. I LOVE Seoul and I still have so much more exploring to go. I am staying for another semester and am so happy that I still have 6 months left at Seoul National. I feel like the first semester was just me getting used to living in Seoul, and now that I am more comfortable and confident I can really start to experience everything better. Many of the friends I have made during my first semester at SNU are leaving now or have already left. It was a great semester, and I’ll miss the people I’ve met; however I am also excited for the new people I am going to meet!

Coming here with no family and only knowing two people, I have really been able to learn how to better take care of myself as well as just explore on my own. I am the youngest person out of everyone I’ve met here at SNU and I have really been taking in everything I’ve been learning from people I’ve met here. I’ve had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and I’ve definitely become more confident with myself and more willing to actually go out and live my life. I am such a homebody and never really went out of my house ever, but these people were able to drag me out and give me pieces of advice that they had learned traveling to world. I am super grateful to everyone, even if they don’t think they helped me at all it was really great to meet people who where kind and took me in.

Almost all of the people who I have become friends with I met in SNU Buddy. I know I have already mentioned it in my previous post, but I really think it is one of the best things you could do if you are coming to Seoul National University. I never would have explored so much around Seoul, or gone on fun overnight trips, or even of had this many friends if I hadn’t joined SNU Buddy. I’m slightly overwhelmed because of it actually, because I don’t think I’ve ever had this many people to just go and hang out with whenever or had this much to do. I am definietly going to miss it when I go back to the U of U, and will have to join a bunch of clubs to make up for it.

With all of these people, I’ve been able to become more used to meeting a ton of new people and hanging out. I actually never really hung out with anyone before in the U.S. besides just going to the movies or to the mall, so I’ve been able to experience that here. Coming to Seoul has also made me more confident in myself. I’ve been able to do a lot of things I thought I wouldn’t be able to do. Even with school, I’ve learned how to study better and how to retain more information. Since so many people are studying around me, it’s really helped me stay more focused in order to build my own study habits. I finished the semester with actually better grades than in my previous semesters at the U of U, and this school is way harder. I am happy I am developing good habits here, that I can take back with me to finish school stronger than if I had stayed in my same ways at home.

When I went to Daegu, I traveled there by myself to meet my friend down there. I would have never traveled so far by myself to meet someone at a random guesthouse in a city I’ve never been to before. I was thinking about it while I was down there, about how I wasn’t ever worried or bothered about it. I’ve become more braver than before by studying abroad. I feel like this is a experience that I needed to have in order to grow. Here it is pretty much just me, without my parents or old friends to lean on. This is the first year I have had my own money and had to budget everything I have to last me my trip, and I have actually been doing pretty well with it!

I am beyond grateful for opportunity I have had to study abroad at Seoul National University, and everything that I have been able to explore, learn and grow. I am so excited for these next 6 months, and hope that my ‘going home’ won’t come too quickly! Thanks a bunch! If you have any questions about SNU or studying/living in Seoul please feel free to ask! ~MJ

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Hello (^-^)/“ I thought I’d write about public transportation today. I love being able to really go anywhere I wish in and outside of Seoul for cheap. The first thing I did after dropping off my bags at the place I was staying was go to a convenience store and purchase a T—Money card. You can charge it either in the convenience store or in a subway station. The reloading machines in the subway have instructions in english, so if you can’t read Korean well it is available for you. One important thing I would like to mention, is that you can only reload your T-Money card in cash. Same in Daegu as Seoul as well, so make sure to have some cash on you! With the T-Money card you can pay for the subway, buses, taxi’s, and sometimes purchase food or even make online purchases.

If you are wanting to travel outside of Seoul to other parts of South Korea, the most common options are taking either a train or a bus. I recommend you purchase or reserve your tickets early, because especially during holiday seasons they fill up fast. When going to Daegu, I only booked by tickets online a few days in advance and I had very limited choices. I took the KTX train down which is the fastest way to get anywhere. It only took 1 hour and 40 minutes to arrive in Daegu versus 4 hours it would take on a slower train, however since it is faster it cost more. Next time I’ll make sure to book more in advance so I can get a cheaper seat.

For Taxi’s I would say to definitely take them if you need to get somewhere a little off the beaten path, don’t feel like taking the subway or bus, or if your in a group of 3 or 4 because it is not as expensive as you might think! Just make sure to not take the black taxi’s, because they cost more than the orange or silver taxi’s. The orange and silver ones start out at $2,500 to $3,000 KRW. A 30 minute taxi ride from Gangnam to SNU cost me only $8,000 KRW plus extra for a bag charge. Just make sure you have the address with you if it is not a well known place you are going to.

In the subway there are arrows and maps everywhere also written in English underneath the Korean, so just make sure to look around if your feeling lost. Also inside the subway it will also announce the stop and what side to get off in English. I do recommend you learn how to read Hangul though before you come to Seoul because sometimes it’s easier to find your way around and in the not as popular subway lines, they sometimes don’t say anything in English. Inside the subway there is a screen letting you know then path of the subway as well as maps above all of the doors. On the end of each car there is a smaller sitting area, which you will notice is for the elderly. Do not sit in this area, unless a nice elderly person waves you over to sit in the empty seat next to them. In some of the subway lines these day, I’ve also been noticing more pink seats which are for pregnant women or with people with small babies. Also in some subway station there are shopping areas, my favorite is Gangnam station which has a good amount of stores.

I hope this helps you become more familiar with the public transportation in Seoul. If you are at all worried about it, I promise it is a lot more easier than I was thinking. I’ve riden the Metro in NYC, and this is way different. The stations are open, clean, and bright. Everyone lines up nicely to enter the subway, and I’ve never felt scared or the need to hold onto my belongings for dear life. If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask! Here are some websites for public transport that I use often.

https://www.smrt.co.kr/program/cyberStation/main2.jsp?lang=e

http://www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/EbizbfForeign_pr16100.do?gubun=1

(P.S. A tip for future exchange students at SNU the busses to the campus from the station are in front of the Mc Donald's, I recommend the 5511 rather than the others. And the one from Naksongdae is out exit 4, past the car wash, turn left towards ‘Pomato’, the right at the bakery, and there is the bus stop! I got lost when I first got here… So I hope this helps!)

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Thinking of Studying Abroad at Seoul National University?

I just finished my first semester at Seoul National University! It was definitely an intense semester; and I am so happy I decided to not only go to SNU, but that I decided to stay here for a year. I couldn’t imagine even being close to being ready to go home if I had only chosen to stay a semester. In this post I want to give three pieces of advice for future attendees of Seoul National University(or perhaps this might apply to another university in Seoul?), from stuff that I have gathered from experiences as well as chatting with other exchange students.

Be prepared to adapt to the different ways of teaching as well as new projects or requirements. SNU took a lot of time to get used to for me, because the teachers and courses require a lot more than what I have experienced so far in the United States. I have never had to do a group project, and this semester I did 3! In all of the classes I took, I had to spend a good amount of time prepping for them by doing a ton of reading, as well as just doing a ton of revision. In one of my classes, the professor told us that we should be spending about 8 hours outside of class at the very least to prep for class. I dislike not being prepared, so I spent a lot of late nights in my dorms study room.

Another thing that I had to adjust to was the fact that most of the classes were mostly just the teachers giving us facts, with no discussion. I am someone who relies on the class discussions to remember and understand better what is being taught in class. I’m not very good at just remembering a bunch of facts, so I had to spend more time out of class revising what I learned and trying to apply it to things in my life or read articles about it in order to understand and remember it better.

Travel around. This to some might seem like something you would do anyway, but as a pretty big homebody I didn’t think to go out travel around Seoul that often. I would stay on campus for like 2 weeks without going out. There is so much I missed out on, and during the last half of the semester I tried to go out more frequently. The SNU campus is actually pretty far from the subway station and is located on the side of a mountain, about a 25 minute walk or a 10/15 minutes bus ride. So keep in mind when choosing from Universities in Seoul if you don’t mind being away from almost everything, if you do mind I would recommend a university closer to the Han river or north of it which is where schools like Ehwa and Hongkik are.

If you look around, Seoul always has something for you to do. There are neat traditional places to visit, cool exhibits, lots of live music, and a TON of wonderful food. This city doesn’t really sleep, and even at 3 a.m. you can get Korean barbecue or even a delicious American style breakfast. It is also really easy to get around! I haven’t had to travel far from the subway station at all to get to where I have needed to go, and if you don’t feel like taking the subway the Taxi’s here are pretty cheap. Cheap enough, that if you are going somewhere with friends and there are 3 or 4 of you it will be cheaper to grab a taxi rather then each pay for a subway ride depending on how far you are going. When going out, I just make sure to have map screen shots on my phone so if I am not around wifi I can still find my way.

Join SNU Buddy. I am on the more quiet side in big groups and was almost not going to join the SNU Buddy group, but I’m really glad I did! If I can only give one piece of advice to a future SNU exchange student, it would be to join SNU Buddy. It is like a built in group of friends from all over the world, and the Korean buddies are super awesome and can help you adapt to Seoul. I also know that other universities in Seoul have organizations similar to SNU Buddy, so if you are going to another make sure to look into those groups.

I once got my card stuck in an atm around midnight on the weekend and I messaged my group because I didn’t know what to do, and one friend came to the atm to wait with me while another Korean Buddy called the company to send someone to get my card out. Besides being super helpful, if you join you will have a few fun things to join every week. My group met up for lunch almost everyday, dinner around twice a week, went to events around Seoul, and then all of the groups get together for “Office Pub” which is hanging out together every Thursday. Also, with my buddy group I was able to visit towns on both the east and west coast on fun overnight trips. At SNU it is quite difficult to meet new people without being introduced to someone, so I think SNU Buddy is the perfect way to begin to meet new people and make good friends.

These are just three big pieces of advice that I thought might be important to mention. I hope that this is helpful to future exchange students in Seoul, and if you have any other questions please ask! Hope everyones having a happy holidays! ~ MJ

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Adjusting to Life in Seoul

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Here is my first vlog in Seoul!

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Hello (^-^)/”

I thought I’d take a break from finals, to show you how I took another break from finals (lol;). I went with some friends I met through SNU Buddy to a Cat Cafe in Myungdong on Thursday after I turned in a paper and took a test. I honestly wasn’t expecting much and almost didn’t go, but I’m glad I did! You pay a little under $8.00 to stay there however long you want with a drink included. However, your probably going to want to spend more if you want to feed the cats. . .  And your going to want to feed these cats, because they are more likely to come to you if you have food. We ended up staying there for about 3 hours, talking and playing with almost all 40 cats. Yes, 40 cats. Your probably a bit worried like I was, but it didn’t stink at all and neither did the food! 

We all agreed after 30 minutes of being there, that there was nothing better we could have been doing in between finals (besides studying;). Being there with the cats seriously lifted our spirits. I wasn’t thinking about finals or stressing at all while I was there. It was so nice and relaxing! I definitely recommend this Cat Cafe if your in Seoul and interested in going or just stressed. And if your not a cat person don’t fret, there are dog cafes as well. This Cat Cafe however is located on the alley on the right after the massive Uniqlo store which is located on the bigger main street where all of the food stands are located, pretty close to the subway as well. 

~ MJ

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Photo Diary Entry Two:

Just studying away lately. I went with JoJo Unnie to get American Breakfast after our midterms ended. I’ve been doing a lot of Shopping in Gangnam recently, getting ready for the colder months ahead. Gangnam is one of my favorite places to shop in the Gangnam subway station itself, and then out exit 10 and 11 is where a lot of the clothing and make up stores are. I went to the National Museum of Korea today, and it was super pretty. Just like Kyungbokkung Palace, there is a subway exit that leads right to the main area. 

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            One of the things I love about South Korea, is the FOOD! I love Korean food, and will miss it dearly when I go back to the United States. Even last week, I went out to eat with friends to a Lamb Skewer place that wasn’t Korean and everything felt wrong to me. There was no delicious, warm, and salty soup for me to enjoy while the food cooled down (everything comes out steaming hot in Korea, so be carful not to burn your tongue). There wasn’t kimchi or any sort of gochujang sauce for me to dip whatever I’m eating in. No Banchan in sight (Banchan is what you call the side dishes)! The table was mostly empty, instead of overflowing with food and sides. I actually had to ask for some rice because I was literally about to cry because of how cold this meal felt. Korean food to me is warm, tasty, and feels like I’m being surrounded inside and out in homey goodness. 

              Some of my favorite Korean foods that I have tried so far are Korean Barbecue, Dak Galbi, Bingsoo, and Kimbap. You can eat Korean Barbecue here for as little as 8,000 won a person, which equals $6.96 US dollars of meat, kimchi stew (a must, especially when it’s cold out), rice, and all the Banchan you could ever need.  Dak Galbi is spicy chicken, rice cakes, and vegetables in this delicious sauce where if you so choose, you can have mixed with ramen or you can DIP it in cheese fondue. Yeah, thats right. Nice melty cheese that balances the spiciness so nicely! Oh my goodness, I crave this stuff almost non stop. Bingsoo is a shaved ice dessert topped with fruity or savory (or both!) stuff drizzled in sweet and condensed milk. Kimbap is really amazing, and is definitely something I want to make for myself a lot when I go back to the U.S. It is a roll full of rice, vegetables, egg, and meat; and the best thing is that this satisfying roll only cost around $2.60 for someone to make for you. When I have lots of studying to do, I will just take one of these to go and I’m good! When my kids go to school in the future I am going to send them in their school lunches a kimbap roll, some banchan, and a treat. 

                 When you come out of a subway station in Seoul, there will almost always be at least 3 cafes (coffee is massive here) and a Baskin Robins. I LOVE Baskin Robins! When ever I go out for dinner my friends and I will either go get Bingsoo or ice cream at Baskin Robins. I know Baskin Robins isn’t Korean, however I see it more of a Korean thing since it is so popular and different versus the ones in the U.S. After bad days, I will just take a bus to Baskin Robins, even if it is like 10:00 at night. I just really love the ice cream there, and it is more of a fun sit down and hang out type of place versus the smaller stores in the U.S.

                 Food here in South Korea is for a good part affordable, spicy, warm, and a great way to really experience a massive part of Korean culture. It sounds a bit odd for me to say, but Korean food for me is very homey. Going out for barbecue after a long day is so wonderful, and literally makes my day like 60% better. I get really sad whenever I think about when I have to go back to the U.S. and how I won’t be able to eat this food that I am just so in love with whenever I please. When I first came here, I didn’t like a lot of the flavors and hated seaweed soup. But now I love seaweed soup and the warm happiness I feel when I eat it along with these other flavors. I am definitely going to have to try and learn how to make some of these foods at home, because I feel sick imagining my life without rice and kimchi everyday.  

~ MJ

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Photo Diary Entry One:

My trip to 경복궁 (Kyungbokkung Palace). I loved seeing this amazing Korean architecture first hand at the palace. I went with my SNU Buddy group to visit the palace and then go try on Hanbok in Insa-dong (인사동). Afterwards we went to go eat dinner in together. While we were waiting, JoJo Unnie bought me a rice waffle with cream cheese in it since she found me a delicious gluten free treat! It was so GOOD! Here in South Korea there are not a lot of gluten free street foods, so when I had this I was ecstatic to have a waffle. 

Prices:

The ticket to get into 경복궁 cost about $2.00.

Dinner cost $8.71

Waffle cost around $1.31

Hanbok for 1 hour cost $4.35

Palace Website:

http://www.royalpalace.go.kr/html/eng/main/main.jsp

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Hello. (^-^)/” I am in Seoul, South Korea! My trip to Seoul though long, was so exciting, and I’ve been loving everyday I’ve been here so far. The flight was soooo long, but thank-fully Delta and Korean Air feed you a lot and you have a bunch of movies and tv shows at your disposal. I was actually a bit sad when they announced that we were about to land in Korea, because I hadn’t finished my movie yet. But.... Not that sad, just a tad. I wanted to do this post to talk about a few things that I think might be useful to people traveling/ moving to Seoul, or moving abroad in general. 

The first topic that I wanted to discuss is what I did pre-departure. A week before I left I went through all of my clothes, and decided what clothes I loved so much I couldn’t possibly part with and which ones I could just pack up in a box or give away. Then 2 days before I left, I tried packing my bag and failed miserably. Haha, I couldn’t fit anything! But thank heavens! All was saved because my Grandma had actually bought me a travel pack of these Ziploc Space Bags. These literally saved my life! It got my 2 plush pillows down to about an inch and a half after my dad vacuum sealed it. What I did when I packed my suitcase was filled the space between the bars with rolled clothing, then put a Ziploc bag on top of that, then more clothes, and then finally another Ziploc bag. In the end, I ended up with a large suitcase, a backpack, and a large duffle bag. 

My flight was leaving around 8:00 a.m. and what I decided to do was not sleep the night before as well as not sleep on the flight. I did this, because South Korea has a 15 hour time difference and I was worried about adjusting to the time well since I had school starting up soon after I landed. I did get pretty tired, but I came prepared with a book - “The Cuckoo’s Calling,�� and watched about 5 movies on the flight. My plan ended up working out great, because I got to my place around 9 p.m. and went to bed around 11 like I usually do. I woke up like normal at 9 a.m. and never had a problem. I think that this was one of the key things that helped me adjust to Seoul. 

At the Incheon airport, I was lucky enough to be able to have my Unnie meet me so that she could help me with my bags and getting me to the place I was staying at. The Incheon airport is incredibly nice, and honestly if you can’t have anyone meet you there you will be totally fine. Just have the address of the place that you are going to written down or what bus you are suppose to take, because I only got the wifi to work for like a minute while I was there. I took a bus from the airport, and it was so nice! It cost me just under $40.00 for 2 tickets. The driver helped me store my bags, and then took them out for me when my stop had arrived (Which let me off right in front of the studio I stayed at!). 

If you don’t feel comfortable taking a bus, take a taxi! Seriously! The taxis’ are so cheap here! It cost me $7.80 for a 30 minute ride plus a bag charge for my 2 massive suitcases. It will still cost a bit though, depending on how far you are going. Just make sure to not take a black taxi (I heard these are expensive), and keep an eye on the meter because I’ve been told that some drivers will over charge you if your a foreigner. I haven’t had that happen to me ( the times I’ve rode alone I spoke in Korean and kept an eye on the meter), but if your worried and have data get the Kakao Taxi app so that you won’t get over charged. 

The last thing that I wanted to speak about was the place I stayed at! I booked it 2 months prior to my departure so that I knew for sure I would have a place to stay before I moved into the school dormitory. I booked it through Airbnb, which I am grateful I did because I was able to read reviews, get a cheaper price versus a hotel, and I was able to speak with my host Jenna. Jenna was a GREAT host! She recommended me places to visit around the area, made sure I had arrived safely, and answered all my questions with an immediate response. I even left my headphones at the studio, and she kept them and met me at a cafe during her work time to return them to me! The studio I stayed at was in Gangnam, about a minutes’ walk from the Gangnam subway station, which was amazing and really the perfect location! The place was so nice, and had everything you could need! It was literally a dream, and I wish I could have stayed there for my whole time in Seoul. If you are traveling to Seoul, I would really recommend you stay at the “1min** Gangnam Perfect Location”.(https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6487269?s=BhK7ytkx) 

These were the few things that really helped me in my move from Salt Lake City to Seoul, that I thought were worth mentioning. If you have any questions about these, or any other questions about living in Seoul that you had please feel free to message me about them! You can also see more pictures and updates about life in Seoul on my other social media platforms @kenzielupin. 

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           I got the opportunity to have Salt Lake City as my home for the past year, and absolutely loved it! It is an urban city, and has a lot to offer with a wide variety of restaurants, shops, and activities. It is also nestled beside beautiful mountains that provide places to get away from the bustle of the city with only a short drive or walk. During the winter you are also able to try out skiing, snowboarding, or just building a snowman with the “best snow in the world.” While I’m not super outdoorsy, I do enjoy driving up in the mountains and then exploring on foot. It is quite peaceful, and is a good place to breath some fresh air and clear your head.  

            While all of that outdoorsy stuff is fun, I spend most of my time in the downtown area of Salt Lake City. One of the best things- well in my opinion, about SLC is their UTA public transportation. I use the Trax and buses almost everyday. The Trax can drop you off too some of my favorite locations (pictured above), and for free too! As long as you stay within the free zone, which is pictured on their website. Another form of transportation that you can use is Green Bike, which is a non-profit bike share. Pretty cool right? For a day you pay $5, and for an annual pass you pay $75- plus you get a helmet! Quite a nice way to get around when you want to enjoy the weather.

            One place that I found which I love is Eva’s Bakery. It's this cute little french bakery, that offers delicious breakfast and lunch. I mean doesn’t just the name of “Stuffed French Toast” and “Shiitake Mushroom Croque” just sound enticing? I promise they taste as wonderful as they sound. Make sure you buy some pastries to go! Just a short walk north from Eva’s Bakery you can visit one of my other favorite places in the downtown area, the City Creek Mall. The mall is beautiful, and full of neat shops and places to eat! For food, I would definitely recommend either The Cheesecake Factory or Mr. Sushi. Depending on what time you go, what sort of atmosphere you want, and how long you want to spend eating.

            All in all, Salt Lake City is a great place to live and visit too. It is extremely visitor friendly, between the people and the unique landmarks you’ll surely be able to find you way around. You will especially love it here if you are like me and don’t have a drivers license; because you can literally get to everything you need without one. This city is one that you can feel very comfortable in quite quickly, and one that is easy to make your home.  I wish you the best in all your explorations, and if you have any questions about Salt Lake City feel free to ask me here anytime!

MJ

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Hiya! I thought I would share my pinterest board I created for my pre-departure to Seoul. It just has a lot of packing help, lists(I love lists!), and neat hacks. 

Wishing you well,

MJ~

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            Hello. MJ here, I’m writing this blog to document and share my adventures as a Seoul National University Exchange Student. ^^ I am coming from the University of Utah. (^-^) I will (hopefully;) be leaving sometime mid August of 2015 to Seoul, South Korea. I will be abroad there for 10 months! I think it will be interesting, because my birthday is August 31 and I will be in Korea already! I won’t be able to stay out to late though, because the first day of school is September 1st! I will be turing 19, however my Korean age is 20! That’s just crazy for me to think about!  

           Here on this blog I am also going to share the application process with the school, and the dormitory; as well as getting set up in Seoul. So hopefully I’ll be able to help those of you wanting to visit or live in Korea for awhile. I’m starting this blog before I go to Korea, so I can share the process from pre departure to after I come home. 

Thank-you,

MJ~!