Here is a list of things I’m planning on writing more detailed entries about.

• Downtown Daegu Features. Specifically, my favorite spots to shop, eat, drink, and sleep.
• Plus Size Shopping. Following the documenting on my Instagram (@robyn.faith), I want to give some insight on what places are best for buying “big size” clothing when you live in the RoK (especially outside of Seoul).
• Gamcheon Cultural Village and my experience with it.
• My favorite things in Hongdae
• Boseong Tea Fields (if I get to visit there, obviously haha)
• Anything else? I’m not sure what else right now but if anyone wants anything specific feel free to leave a comment, I guess. I know I don’t exactly have a dedicated reader base but I know it’s always a possibility someone might find this blog.

So, now it’s July of 2020, and this month has absolutely FLOWN by. The first weekend of July, the weekend of the fourth, I gathered with some foreign friends (and friends of friends). I had promised my friend Terran that I would spend the first weekend of July with them, and had forgotten about it 😦 Terran, if you ever see this.. I’m so sorry. However, I think it all worked out. We stayed at Jin’s Hostel in Hongdae, a guesthouse that, while a little too warm, had a lot of charm. Terran and I got wings together at a well-known restaurant called Tom’s Pizza. We also tried the Hamburger Pizza. The food was delicious, but the atmosphere I’ll admit was a little strange. I definitely would go back, though. Afterwards, we found a pub (the name of which escapes me) and had a single drink before going back to the guesthouse (which we had to ourselves) to sing Disney songs at the top of our lungs. The following day, we went to a popup art gallery for an artist whose name I can’t remember, but it’s the gallery BTS’s RM visited and posted about on June 30th. We also went to a western style deli nearby after and had pastrami sandwiches (after like an hour wait) and it was so delicious. And then Kat (another friend) fell on the escalator in the subway which was pretty funny.

The next weekend, I stayed home, besides a day trip to Daegu to have a late lunch at Vasco with Maritza. After that weekend, I was FINALLY able to see my students again. This marked July 13 as my first time interacting with students in person since December 27, besides my small camps the second and third weeks of January. I was proctoring a speaking test I’d written for second grade, and preparing the third grade for a different speaking test I’d created.

That weekend (aka yesterday and the day before) I went with Charlotte, Sam, Terran, Carlynn, Ruwayda, and Kat to Daegu to meet with a local travel company called Enjoy Korea for a foreigner-based trip to Seongju lake. We did an inflatable on-the-water obstacle course, spent some time on various rafts pulled by speedboats (Banana Boat and Disco Boat, but others like Flying Fish and Hexagon and stuff were offered too), and went down a huuuuge inflatable slide into the water. It was a lot of fun. I warn you though: no one is being dramatic when they struggle with getting out of the water. I saw Run BTS did something similar and was shocked with how often they needed help getting out of the water… but it was a nightmare. Even my thin and athletic friends needed a helping hand. It took five people to pull me out, because I’m pretty heavy LOL. Also, the Disco Boat… my soul left my body for quite some time after that ride. It’s not for the faint of heart.

I only ended up a little sunburned, but it is now Monday and I am still extremely sore. Especially my arms. That said, I’d do it all again. After we got back to Daegu, a few of us went and had Korean barbecue. There’s a place on Barbecue Alley I really recommend if you can find it. The price is really reasonable at the meat is very well seasoned. Then, we had some drinks at Kiki’s and Who’s Bob. Some of us, not naming names, maybe had too much to drink… but it was a wonderful night nonetheless. The next day, a few of us visited a soup and salad place on one of the main streets between Banwoldang and Dongseongno that had an amazing chicken/avocado salad. They also had soup that Charlotte and I could vouch for (one Broccoli/Mushroom and one Bacon/Corn). We will be visiting there again. Finally, we went to a cafe called Lucid on Cafe Alley. I had the Sunrise Popping drink which was really good, and Ruwayda and I both think the cookies (especially Mint Choco and Smores) are worth trying. Then, we went our separate ways, with most of the group going to Dongdaegu to catch their transport home, and Terran and I going to Daegu. We had to basically run to make our train because we lost track of time. And we were sore from the whole lake thing, so I think it almost killed me.

Now, I’m finishing my lunch break and about to go to my last class of the day to hear their speaking tests. I’m planning my summer vacation that starts next week, and I feel excited about exploring Korea and spending time with my friends in a way that is fun and yet still responsible in terms of staying healthy and not spreading any illnesses. We’re thinking about Busan and maybe Seoul, and hopefully Boseong Tea Fields… but we’ll see!

If anyone’s taken the time to read any of this, thanks for doing so. I hope I’m giving you some insight to life in Korea.

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been wanting to update this blog, but the idea is a bit daunting. Each time, I’d be overwhelmed with what I’ve wanted to say and end up putting it off. The issue then became that each time I put it off, I’d end up with more I wanted to say the next time, and then I’d be even more overwhelmed. I will try to express my experience over January through June, good and bad, in this post. I apologize if it’s obnoxiously long.

January: I spent New Years in Seoul with my friend Charlotte. We stayed near City Hall and it was a wonderful trip. The food was incredible. We visited a museum, did a lot of shopping, and started 2020 off on the right foot. At the time, we thought we were setting the tone for the year. Directly after, I had my two language camps. 5 four-hour days with first grade, and then 5 four-hour days with second grade. We learned about music. We played games, had snacks, and watched movies. First grade only had five students, and second grade only had three, but we made the most of it. It was a great time. The Saturday after my second grade trip, I went to Incheon and flew home to America, for a surprise visit with my family. They were so surprised and it was so good to see them. I again got to eat foods I missed, spend time with the people (and animals) I loved, and take a bath. The day I landed, the first case of Coronavirus was announced in Korea. I thought it was just a fluke, but I still had quite a bit of anxiety during my journey back to my home in Korea.

February: The first weekend after my trip to America, I went to Daegu. There is a social event held every few months in downtown Daegu called the Peace Party. I went in August and was so excited to go again in February. I dressed up. We watched dance battles and listened to competing DJs. The drinks that we had were delicious. The next weekend, I saw the K-Pop group ATEEZ in Seoul. I learned the member’s names in line. I was practically second row. I made a lot of friends in the merch line, and I’m so glad I went. I really like the group now. By this point, Covid tensions were rising. No one with a Chinese passport could enter. We had to wear masks for the entire concert. We had our temperatures checked on the way inside. Still, it was fun. The following weekend, I went back to Daegu with a few of my friends I don’t see often. We had brunch at Schoron in Banwoldang. We saw Little Women. We ate dinner at Casa Bianca and had a couple drinks. At the same time, Patient 31, the Daegu Superspreader, was on the move, setting the ball in motion to exponentially raise the number of Covid cases in Daegu. The following days had me filled with anxiety. Each day, sitting at my desk at work, waiting for winter vacation to end for the students, I would check the coronavirus map websites and see the cases jumping up. 31 cases became 200, which became 500, which became thousands. I remember thinking to myself over the next few weeks: I had moved to Korea at the wrong time.

March: School starting was postponed. I was on work-from-home. This was a bleak time for me, as there wasn’t much work for me to do at home. I spent most of my days sleeping or watching Netflix. Around this time, I considered breaking my contract and moving back to America. I was incredibly lonely. I would make the occasional trip to the grocery store or convenience store, and I would call my friends from time to time just to be able to speak out loud. However, being the only English-speaking foreigner in my town had never been more troubling than it was for me in this moment. The last two weekends of March I ended up going to Seoul. Once, for Charlotte’s birthday where we stayed in Hongdae with a few local friends, giving gifts and eating food together. I will openly brag about the arrangements I made. I worked hard to give Charlotte a good celebration in spite of the pandemic. The second time, we went mostly to say goodbye to a wonderful friend named Camille. We stayed in Gangnam and cried when she left. Camille, if you ever read this, you are a joy and I hope we will meet again.

April: The first few weeks of April I stayed home. I tried not to travel for anything besides special occasions during the height of Korea’s outbreak. I spent time (still doing work from home) playing Jackbox with my friends back in America and trying to make Dalgona coffee. Around this time, work from home ended, and I was finally back to desk-warming. Still, students were not back in school. I began making conversational Youtube videos for my students to watch and comment on for participation credits as online school began. The weekend of the 17th and 18th, I went to Hongdae with Charlotte to meet her and Sam (and Carlynn, briefly) to watch Bangbang Con (the one livestreamed on Youtube). We spent almost the entirety of this weekend just in our guesthouse. Then, the final week of April, was our spring vacation. We were allowed to travel, and Korea was planning on lifting many social distancing bans the following week. We went to Busan for the end of April to the start of May.

May (part 1): Busan was wonderful! While we had to physically distance, monitor our temperatures in many businesses, and wear a mask for almost the entirety of the trip, it felt good to be somewhere new. We visited Songdo, Gwangalli, and Haeundae beach. We also went to the Busan Shinsegae. My favorite part was Gamcheon Cultural Village. The hill on the way to the village was an absolute nightmare, but everything we experienced once we were there was beautiful and the most fun I’ve had in Korea yet. We had other great food like some local tacos, Shake Shack, and some chicken from a place called OutDark (or Outdalk?) that I really liked. We also had some weird nachos at a pub that came with whipped cream. I do not recommend those. We came home with a positive energy, remembering why we moved to this country and why we stayed.

May (part 2): Charlotte, Sam, and I went to Hongdae to visit Dean at The Days. Charlotte got a perm, while Sam and I got bleaching. Simultaneously, Korea’s plans to relax social distancing measures were cancelled because of the infamous Itaewon outbreak. When I returned from Hongdae, my school (not so gently) requested that I self-quarantine. I was sent home from work and unceremoniously later picked up and tested at a local health clinic. While I was, am, and will always be happy and willing to do whatever it takes to protect my health and the health of my coworkers and students, and also their peace of mind, this was a really difficult time for me mentally and emotionally. I felt quite dehumanized. I wanted to be included in the discussions that were being made about me, even if the outcome would have been the same. My test was negative, but I was required to stay home for two weeks regardless. I got a switch and began playing Animal Crossing. At the end of the two weeks, students came back to school. I did not resume teaching (and would not, until after midterms). I missed Carlynn’s birthday that happened almost immediately after my quarantine ended because of transportation issues. It was quite upsetting. But that was May.

June: After discussion with my coteacher, everyone pretty much agreed it was safe for me to see my friends again and travel, as long as I did so responsibly. However, I still try to be more discrete about my trips because I am a little uncomfortable with the entire workplace knowing my business and discussing my social life under the guise of it being for health reasons. In June, I began spending time with Maritza, a teacher I’ve befriended in another nearby town. I introduced her to a lot of my friends, and I also got to meet Ruwayda, the new teacher in Charlotte’s new town. We visited Casa Bianca again, as well as a couple of other restaurants in Daegu. This includes Hoagie Day, a burger place that sadly closed at the end of June 😦 For those of you who are curious, Hoagie Day was delicious. Even though there is now a Shake Shack in Daegu, I’ll miss Hoagie Day 😦 The last weekend of June, I went to Seoul with Charlotte, and our friends Keighley and Anila (and Sam again). We had brunch at the wonderful restaurant Grain in Hongdae, tried a yummy cafe next door to Grain that had watermelon juice, went to Arc N Book (and did a lot of cosmetics shopping in Myeongdong… those BanilaCo girls know how to get me to buy things), and did an escape room at Seoul Escape Room in Hongdae (Hongdae2, I believe). We did European Spy and it was super fun!! We escaped with 15 minutes remaining.

As for this month, July… I’ll make a separate post. I’m sorry this is so long, and includes names and places with no explanation. This is mostly for my own memories, but I will probably elaborate on some things at a later time, or if anyone who stumbles across this requests me to. Overall, 2020’s been a true roller coaster thus far.

Did I succeed in tricking you with the title? Do you think I’ve found the man of my dreams here in Korea? That I finally have the fairytale romance that so many people wish for? Well, in spite of my best efforts, that is not the case. I’ll let you know if that changes. However, I don’t expect to actually find anything here. I’m not exactly desirable by any means. Why would a man court me instead of one of the many other, prettier, thinner, smarter, funnier foreign girls? Nonetheless, if my situation changes, I’ll be sure to make some record of it here that I can use to embarrass myself later.

Anyways, no. The love I’ve found in Korea is one I didn’t expect to find. I’ve realized I love my job. When I first began looking into teaching in Korea, it was because I wanted to study Korean language. Teaching just seemed to be the best way to get here to do it. This has been successful, to some degree. My language skills have (minutely) improved, and I’ve been able to go to concerts and see sights that I never thought I could. For a long time, I thought I’d be stuck in my home town forever.

One thing I was certain of before I moved here, was that my job would just be a job. It would be, like retail, something I smiled through during the day and tried not to think about when I wasn’t there. This was especially inspired by the fact that I’m not really fond of children. I have nieces and nephews and while I adore them, I don’t really want to be around them for too long. I dreaded knowing how many elementary schools EPIK would give me, and how I’d spend 22 or more long hours a week with them.

God blessed me with a single middle school, but even then, I was still nervous. I remembered what I was like in 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. I was a monster. I was rude, annoying, and sensitive. I was every negative thing a middle schooler could be, and none of the positive ones. I was certain that this was my karma. But then… it wasn’t.

I love my students – and that is the love I found in Korea. Like most kids in middle school they are rude, annoying, and sensitive. They never, ever stop talking. They ask me invasive questions, laugh at my Korean skills, and roll their eyes at my lesson plans. However, they are also brilliant. They make language connections that I can’t even consider. They work incredibly hard (and, certainly, that’s part of the culture, but that doesn’t make it less of a feat). They find time for hobbies in the midst of their studies and are incredibly talented singers, dancers, gamers, artists, athletes… whatever they are interested in. My students are kind – they visit my desk after school and use translating apps to have simple conversations with me – them always reminding me to stay warm and have a nice weekend. They are also incredibly funny. Despite our language and cultural barriers, we always make each other laugh. Even if none of my textbook lessons stick, I hope that the slang and jokes I teach them in English do. I hope the memories do. I hope they look back fondly on our classes together.

My students are my saving grace. Sure, I have problem classes. I have classes that make me want to pull out my hair and cry and question why I put so much effort into a class that many people say does not matter. Still, even when my lessons are planned last-minute and I think they don’t make sense, my students reassure me. For them, I want to show up and do my best. For them, I keep working hard even when I’m uninspired. For them, I argue with my stricter co-teachers about activities, rewards, and movies. I argue about test content and grades, when I’m expected to have input in such things. I fight for them, because they are my motivation here. They make every inconvenience and struggle I face here in Korea worth it, and I am so lucky to get such wonderful kids for my first teaching experience.

If you’re looking into teaching and you’re nervous about it for the same reasons I was, give it a shot. The kids might just surprise you.

It was hard enough not celebrating Halloween, which is, quite possibly, my favorite holiday. Most of my friends dressed up and went out the night that I went to see BTS – and while I wouldn’t trade my third BTS concert for a night of drinks in a last-minute costume, I still wish I could have done something.

Thanksgiving hits differently. Growing up, my mother wasn’t the biggest fan of Halloween, so she was never keen on celebrating. Once I got a job, I had shifts instead of festivities more often than not. However, I have always celebrated Thanksgiving. While I don’t really like the origins of the Holiday and remembering the terrible things my European ancestors did, I do enjoy eating my weight in ham, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

Luckily enough for me, I got instant mashed potatoes and instant gravy in a care package sent by my wonderful family for my birthday. However, the cranberry sauce and ham are not going to be on my plate this year. In fact, I’m saving the potatoes for Christmas.

Instead, I’m going to a cafe in my little town that I frequently order delivery from. Last Saturday, my friend Charlotte (who accompanied me to the BTS concert) and I visited in person. The cafe was very cute, and had a stack of board games to keep visitors entertained while they waited on their foods. We went for an ‘American Brunch’. Charlotte got a sweet potato latte, I got a blueberry smoothie, and we shared a plate of bacon, sausage, eggs, fries, french toast, salad, and fresh fruit. It was wonderful.

For our ‘Thanksgiving Dinner’, we’re going to be a bit unconventional. Recognizing that our traditional foods just won’t be happening, we’ve decided to settle for getting every western food that the cafe offers. So it seems like we’re going to have a buffalo wing, chili dog, and philly cheesesteak sandwhich mukbang. I can’t say I’m disappointed.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and I think I can do without turkey and stuffing for a year or two. It’s just the company that’s harder to be without. That said, here is my list.

I’m thankful for my family who loves me even though I’m far away. I’m thankful for my friends back home who still talk to me almost daily. I’m thankful for the amazing new friends I’ve made here in Korea. I’m thankful for my kind and helpful co-teachers. I’m thankful for my funny and brilliant students. I’m thankful for BTS. I’m thankful for EPIK. I’m thankful for alcohol at the end of a long workweek. I’m thankful for public transportation. I’m thankful for delivery.

I’m thankful I was born in an English-speaking country and given the opportunities I was to be able to get a degree and move to Korea, where I have a nice home and make decent pay with insurance, sick days, and vacation. I’m thankful for God for giving me these things and blessing me even when I may not deserve it.

I’m thankful for my life. I cry a lot and I complain even more than I cry but I am still thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, to my fellow expats, my one loyal reader, and anyone else who may stumble across this post.

I miss being able to talk on the phone for hours with my sister or best friend without having to worry about long distance charges. I miss being able to walk into a store and ask for help without having to run through a script in my head six or seven times. I miss driving to someone’s house that’s just 20-30 minutes away and being able to go home the same night and not having to worry about getting a bus or train at the right time in order to not miss work. I miss going to Taco Bell whenever I want. I miss Wendy’s. I miss how cheap meat was. I miss the grocery store selection in general. Where are the canned vegetables?

I miss my pets. I especially miss when I’d sit on the couch after work and Sofie, my orange cat, would leave her hiding spot to climb onto my chest and rub her forehead against my face. I miss my mother, and I miss talking to her every day. I miss making her drive me places. I miss watching my nephew play video games and going to my sisters’ house “for an hour” and ending up staying there all night. I miss going to Buffalo Wild Wings with my old coworkers to spend money I didn’t have on cocktails that weren’t strong enough. I miss D&D. I miss being able to find my size in clothing in person at the store. I miss taking baths. I miss bath bombs. I miss wearing shirts that were a little bit revealing. I miss showing my tattoos.

I do not miss my retail job. I do not miss the long hours and stress crying in the freezer. I do not miss Memphis traffic on Highland. I do not miss constantly eating like trash and never getting out of bed unless I had work and then crying about gaining weight. I do not miss depending on everyone else for every difficult thing in my life. I made the grades to finish college on my own. I applied for graduation on my own. I applied for EPIK on my own, and I got the documents on my own. I flew to Korea, I moved to Korea, on my own. In Korea, I shop, I travel, I learn, and I do so many things on my own that, for so long, I had been afraid to do. Not only has Korea taught me to start loving myself, but it has taught me to depend on myself. I do not miss the girl I was in Memphis, and I won’t go back until I am no longer that girl.

Because I still go too long without washing my hair, and my apartment’s mess would rival only that of my bedroom’s mess back home. I still have trouble remembering to hang up my laundry and wash the dishes and take out the trash. And it’s embarrassing to be such a mess… But I have to remind myself that I have come so far already. I shouldn’t beat myself up for my messy home right now, because so many other things about me have changed. Eventually, I will have to keep my dishes done. Eventually, I will have to stop ordering pizza or chicken or pasta and start cooking dinner more often. Eventually, I will get used to the script in my head when I’m checking out at the grocery store. The novelty has worn off, and that’s why the homesickness is here. But when the scary wears off, maybe the homesickness will too.

The week before I moved to South Korea, I found myself crying a lot. I consider myself a very lucky girl for a number of reasons, but the biggest reason is the circle of friends I managed to develop back home in Memphis. My best friend in the entire world is a girl named Katie. She, along with her boyfriend, Chase, and his brother, Cole, and her coworker, Bailey, became my circle. We played Dungeons and Dragons together, celebrated boring-ass American holidays together, went bowling, got drunk, and everything a twentysomething group would do. These people were the first group of friends I had to support me, care about me, respect me, and include me… with no exceptions, no made-up rules I had to follow. When I cried, which was normally in my car since that was where I spent most of my time, it was at the idea of losing these people. I met Katie freshman year of college, but we didn’t really get close until my junior year. I felt like I had spent my entire life looking for a genuine friendship and, now that I had finally found it, I was leaving it behind.

Katie was the one who drove me to the airport. We had brunch together, then stopped by our favorite coffeeshop, and then the agent who checked my bags was kind enough to give her a gate pass. She waited at the gate with me until about an hour before I was supposed to leave. We both cried. I’m crying now, as I write this. Even two months into my life here, Katie is still my best friend. I’m so grateful. Unfortunately, Katie can’t be my entire support system from so many miles away. Katie is a great friend, but I tend to rely on her too much. I knew from the moment I accepted my job offer that this experience would teach me to become more independent, both in making friends and just… surviving.

I held a lot of anxiety about making friends here, but I’ve found that they’ve come to me easily, and I feel lucky for the bonds I’ve garnered overseas thus far. I don’t know how things will look a year from now, as many people will be called to new adventures, but I’m going to enjoy what I have while it lasts. These friends have helped me learn to love myself in a way that I didn’t know I could. For the vast majority of my life, I built up protective walls with self-deprecating jokes and uncomfortable laughter. Friends that I had in middle and high school who didn’t have my best interests at heart tended to take their ‘friendly’ roasting too far and could only spare compliments that were backhanded.

Here, when I call myself annoying, ugly, or unlovable, my friends are quick to shut me down, in a way that both stops my negativity but simultaneously validates my feelings. Living here in Korea, my self image can be a roller-coaster. Some days, I feel cute, stylish, and unique. Other days I feel too noticeable, like I take up too much space and can not even do it beautifully. But, I have learned that I am not ugly, annoying, or unlovable. I am pretty, I am generous, I am a supportive friend, I am funny, I am flirtatious, I am wanted. I am a good person, I have discovered, after years of being told that I’m not.

My birthday was two days ago, but the celebrations began the first weekend of October, because Foundations Day gave us a long weekend. Wednesday night, I went to Daegu with one of my friends here in Korea, so I could go to a bar to visit a bartender I’m interested in. I don’t kiss and tell, but I do kiss and write about it, and it was a pretty good kiss. The next day, on the train to Seoul, I tried to tell a friend about it, giddy and high on the idea that maybe someone found me attractive.

He shot me down. “I feel hot when I’m drunk too.” “Yeah, sometimes guys can be pretty desperate.” This was a guy I’d been interested in for over a year, clinging to even after his feelings for me changed. A guy I would have given anything to make want me back, a guy I would’ve died for, moved mountains for, anything. And for over a year, I butted heads with friends who told me I was too good for him, that he was using me for attention, that I deserved better. That was the day I realized they were right. I cried on the train in front of strangers, but I ended the friendship that day. I missed him on his birthday (the tenth) and mine, but I’m not looking back.

My birthday weekend in Seoul was everything I wanted it to be and more. Thursday, I got my long-awaited Taco Bell, got highlights in my hair, went to a Sundubu Jjigae place I like in Sinchon, got drinks with some friends I don’t see as often as the others, and then went to a Noraebang with them. Friday, I went shopping in Myeongdong before visiting Star Avenue. I went to the BTS x VT cosmetics popup shop in the Lotte Department Store and got J-Hope’s perfume (with V’s standee, which I traded with my friend for RM), and ended up winning the entire hand creme set for free. We went to the Pink Pool Cafe, and then ate our fill of street food before going to Dongdaemun Design Plaza. After walking around the area, we went back to our hostel and called it an early night.

Saturday, we visited SMTown where I spent too much money on a BTS album, a Twice album, and a Red Velvet album… and a red-velvet cupcake… and a tea Red Velvet allegedly likes. Then we visited COEX, and after that, we headed to the Han River to watch fireworks. At the end of the night, I felt a bit sick, and my friends waited for me to feel better before we headed out for dinner. Sunday, at breakfast, we were joined by a boy I matched (and unmatched) with on Tinder… but that’s for another blog post.

And so is the information that happened the next weekend in Daegu. And what happened the weekend after that in Daegu.

But my birthday was Tuesday, and after getting many loving messages, two of my friends here took me out to dinner and then Bingsu, and I came home full of food I love and feelings of happiness and self worth.

Living here can be isolating, and it can teach you to rely on yourself. I think it’s something I needed (and still need) to learn… But I am also so grateful for the people I’ve met here, and I am so thankful I know them and that they care about me as much as I care about them. I am still learning how to love myself, but between the amazing friends I have here, and the BTS playlists I keep on repeat, I think I’m making progress.

And to my support system back in America, no one can replace you. I love you and can’t wait to see you again.

For Chuseok, I visited Seoul with several other EPIK teachers. Together, the lot of us nearly booked an entire hostel. One night, a lot of us went to a Seoul teacher’s apartment. There were nearly twenty-one people there and that wasn’t even all of us. For the most part, the holiday was lovely. I especially loved the days. I shopped for skincare, for little trinkets, and even visited a plus sized store near hapjeong station. For the most part, my money went to food and coffee. My favorite thing I ate all weekend was probably the street food – even though I wound up with teriyaki sauce on my white shirt. I loved visiting new cafes… but actually ended up just going to Starbucks over and over. We even went to McDonald’s twice, because that’s what being cultured is all about, I guess.

The night life wasn’t as fun for me. A lot of the people I spent time with are interested in going to bars, and that’s not something I enjoy doing. Sitting around and drinking has never been something I liked to do. I don’t like the taste of alcohol, and staying in one spot wasting my money on seeing how drunk I can get before I am completely miserable is like my nightmare. I’d rather get a bit too tipsy and then do something, like go to a noraebang or a club. Something more high-energy. So, after the first night making me feel a bit too bad about myself, I spent most of my evenings alone in the hostel.

Truth be told, it was a bit difficult. When I’m alone with my thoughts, I tend to sink into a negative place, and I found myself thinking about my body image. I compared myself to my friends and felt remarkably unpretty, and made myself rather upset. I’m still trying to recover from this funk and I’m having some trouble with it, but I am trying to keep my head up.

On the last day, a couple of us biked by the Han River while we waited for it to be time to catch our buses. After that, we had a short dinner together. At Lotteria. It was fancy stuff, I’m telling you. I was the first one of that group to leave, so I boarded my bus with some anxiety (knowing my bus wouldn’t take me as close to home as I wanted and that I’d have to catch a Taxi) because I still don’t have a phone plan and I was nervous about contacting people and nervous about navigating my way home. But I made it, and it really wasn’t all that difficult.

Now, I am teaching full time, and it definitely has its ups and downs. A class I had Monday nearly brought me to tears because they were so difficult. However, other students have given me small gifts like stickers, and photocards of K-Pop stars I like. My biggest hurdles to overcome now are getting a phone plan… and getting through my open class on Thursday.

Wish me luck.

I’ve tried to update this blog a few times (in the airport, during orientation, from my apartment) but for some reason I’ve been getting errors up until today. I plan on writing a longer, more in-depth post during lunch today, but I have a lot of nerves I need to get out, so I decided to type up something quick before I go to class. Orientation was a lot of fun, but it was also really exhausting. Between the classes, the drinking at convenience stores after class, and the lesson demo preparation, I never had trouble falling asleep at the end of the day. It took place at Konkuk Glocal Campus in Cheongju, for the record. There were so many hills there I think I lost like ten pounds that first week alone.

On the last day, predictably, we met our co-teachers. However, this was sooner than most EPIK bloggers, because this orientation was just 7 days instead of ten. I got ONE school… a MIDDLE school. My area is considered rural but actually, it’s a nice little town with plenty of businesses to provide me with entertainment and necessities. I also love my apartment. It’s not a one room (to my delight) and it’s got a pink accent wall which I thankfully love. It might be an issue if I didn’t like pink.

I don’t teach after school classes because I have so many classes during the day, I have no room to teach them (aka they just really don’t want me to get overtime??). The lunches are good, my co-teachers are friendly and polite, and travel is very convenient from my town. I’ve been able to visit cities every weekend so far. First downtown Daegu, then Gumi, and this weekend, Seoul, for Chuseok.

Anyways, I have so much more to say but I have no time to say it. My province, Gyeongbuk, gives us two weeks to settle in, prepare, and observe before we start teaching. Today, my time’s run out. I go to my first ever class to begin teaching in just 10 minutes. I’m shaking; I’m so nervous.

I’ll be back to update at lunch. If you’re curious about my journey, you can also find me on instagram! @robyn.faith (:

Goodness. I have been so busy I haven’t had time to update this blog, but now I’m finally sitting down while I wait on my food delivery to chat about me getting my EPIK placement. Let’s break down the dates before anything, because I can’t tell you how many times I googled “My EPIK Timeline” or whatever in the past few weeks to help ease my nerves about WHEN exactly I could possibly begin expecting placement. Please keep in mind throughout this post that the coordinators have asked us to keep some details of the hiring process private, and I am going to respect those instructions.

June 2018 – Watched a million EPIK videos on Youtube and decided I wanted to apply
December 2018 – Began looking into different TEFL Certification programs to find the best one that suited me
Jan 11 2019 – Purchased a 120 hour program with i-to-i
Jan 31st 2019 – (February 1st KST) submitted my application to EPIK at 11:37 am CST along with two pdfs of my recommendation letters and a photo of my tattoo.
Feb 8th 2019 – EPIK confirmed receipt of my application
Feb 28th 2019 – Received an email to schedule my interview with EPIK. I chose the earliest available date, which was…
Mar 14th 2019 – I had my EPIK interview via Skype at 2 in the morning CST
Mar 15th 2019 – Notified at midnight (well, 12:03) that I had passed my interview and was given instructions on how to submit documents
Mar 20th 2019 – Exact date uncertain, but around this time I submitted my final quiz, essay, and lesson plan to i-to-i for my TEFL course.
Mar 25th 2019 – Notified that I passed my TEFL course!

The next few weeks were a whirldwind of spending money and obtaining both placeholder documents and final documents. Ultimately, not much happened until…

May 1st 2019 – Went to the UPS store and shipped my documents through DHL. I paid 110 dollars under the idea that they were expected to arrive May 4th. Unfortunately, they actually didn’t arrive on that day.
May 4th 2019 – I graduate college with a degree in English!
May 7th 2019 – My coordinator confirms receipt of my documents and says everything looks good, except that I need my apostilled copy of my diploma and my final transcripts from school.
May 9th – May 12th 2019 – I am out of town (in Chicago) for the BTS Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour. However, I am still working on EPIK stuff there by contacting my graduation analyst and the head of the English department at my school to attempt to obtain my diploma early, as it can take up to 3 months to arrive, and I don’t have that much time because the deadline for documents is July 15th 2019.
May 15th 2019 – I pick up my diploma and get it copied and notarized the same day. I don’t have exact days but I actually had to take it to the county clerk to get the notarization verified before I could send it off for apostille. I also picked up my final transcripts while I was picking up my diploma.
Early June – Sometime during the first week of June I sent off and received my copy of my diploma for apostille.
June 7th 2019 – Members of the group app discuss an email that one coordinator sent out to their applicants sharing the news that the first wave of placed applicants will be emailed in about one week, with individual results being sent when the coordinators receive them after that.
The Next Week: Just torture and trying to distract myself and trying to stay calm.
June 13th 2019 – I worked a long shift at work during a big sale, got off work, stress ate, and started watching Kitchen Nightmares on Youtube. Around 7:20 pm people began announcing their placements in the group chat. I was really jealous because I hadn’t gotten an email yet. On a whim, I refreshed my inbox and BAM !!! At 7:22 I had received an email offering me a placement with the Gyeongbuk Office of Education! I accepted.
June 20th 2019 – Sent my coordinator my shipping information for where my contract should be sent.

So.. what’s next? I’m currently working on getting into a more managable financial situation for my big move. I am paying down my credit card, saving some money, watching flight ticket prices, and getting the required documents I need for my visa application. On June 27th, I will FINALLY be sending EPIK my diploma and transcripts. I also still need to purchase luggage and begin selling anything I’m not planning to store or take with me. Ultimately, there’s still a lot left to do but the biggest stress is out of the way because I FINALLY have been offered a job!

Sorry this was INCREDIBLY long & probably boring, but if it helps just one person or even just reassures them, I’ll be happy.