Traveling to Busan

I have arrived for my newest adventure in South Korea! I am now on my third day here. It has been a whirlwind of feelings and activities. For this post I’ll describe the journey to Busan and my first apartment. I’ll save the adventure of the second day for a different post.

I left Minnesota on July 24th horrendously early after getting about 2 1/2 hours of sleep. My parents took me to the airport at 4:00am and stayed watching me through security, which honestly helped a lot as I was feeling very emotional about moving to a foreign country without actually knowing anyone for the first time ever where I don’t speak or read the language (Who thought this was a good idea again?? Oh right. Me.). I made it to my gate before the Caribou was even open, which honestly I needed to be even sorta awake but also because it would be my last time having one of their chai tea lattes for 5 months. (I obviously waited until they were open to get my chai.) My friend Shannon happened to be traveling to California at the same time and came to visit with me at the gate before we left which was a wonderful coincidence! Maureen, a fellow teacher headed to Busan with me, found me at the gate and we began our journey! We arrived in Seattle around 8:30 and headed immediately to the McDonald’s cause I was deeply craving a Mcgriddle. We also got Starbucks because I needed more caffeine. At which point we found our gate and literally just read. Both of us were super tired and just wanted to chill. Finally we got on our flight that would take us to South Korea! My seat was in the second to last row of the plane but I got a window seat! And there were no babies on the flight!! I read on my phone, listened to some music, and attempted to sleep during most of the flight. Finally with about 3 hours to go of the 11 hour flight I attempted to watch a movie but my screen wasn’t working. I was getting more and more frustrated and hopeless(mostly due to lack of sleep) when I accidentally turned on the call for the flight attendants and they fixed the screen! I watched “Midnight in Paris” which I was hoping was going to be a good movie but was like just ok. I am over the weirdly autobiographical fantasy life thing that Woody Allen does…but that’s a totally different post.

We made it to Seoul a little earlier than expected and got ready to board our final plane to Busan!! Somehow in spite of Maureen and I booking our tickets at the exact same time we ended up on different flights to Busan. As a result I boarded my final plane by myself which meant I would be truly stepping into this new adventure alone. This required my last stores of courage honestly but I slept most of the 40 minute flight and woke just in time to see the gorgeous mountains that surround Busan. By this point I had had approximately 5 hours of sleep over 2 days and was beyond exhausted. I went through security, waited what seemed like 20 years for my luggage, and headed out to meet Lauren, one of my administrators, to travel to my new apartment. I had arrived before it was totally dark which meant I could actually see my new city. It looked like nothing I had ever seen before. The buildings stretch 20–30 floors up and many are residential. The streets are lined with cars and mopeds. Many of the street signs are in both Korean and English. We finally arrived at my new apartment, which is in Joogong Apartment complex in building 405 apartment 204. So I am on the second floor on the 3–4 side of the building. There are 9 buildings in the complex each with about 20 floors. I am so so thankful to be on the second. It’s not as hot and I don’t have to wait for the elevator. My apartment is adorable you guys. The couch alone sold it for me.

My bedroom on the left. I have since moved my bed in front of the window. In the middle is my extra bedroom (off of the kitchen/next to the bathroom). On the left is my amazing couch/living room. My bedroom is behind the living room (where the chair is in the picture)

My bathroom which thankfully has a tub! It’s to the right of my bedroom. In the middle is my kitchen(straight out from my bedroom). On the right is my office space(off of the living room)

Another picture of my bedroom/the beautiful windows. On the right is my wardrobe which fits all my clothes!

The verandah off the kitchen. It has my washing machine and one of the drying racks. On the right is another view of my living room. Note the wallpaper. The thing in the corner is an air conditioning unit cause it is HOT rn.

When I arrived at my apartment I was so tired that all I could do was admire the gorgeous couch, drop my luggage, find a tank top in my travel backpack and pass out. I had made it to 8:30 that night. The next day would begin my first real day in my new city and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet.

Next post will describe my first two days of adventure here in Busan. And let me tell you, they were filled with adventure! Love to everyone back home!