My Study Abroad Blog.

City Hopping | FUN TIMES | New Friends - Post 5

Exploring South Korea, first time using the transportation system, and having a great time ;) ^ Finding k-pop posters everywhere you go!...

Sep 2, 20212 min read

Registration | Classes | Offline - Week 4

Cheers to officially becoming an exchange student in a Korean university <3 ^ In front of the famous Ewha's ECC Building ^ ^ Taking a...

Aug 30, 20214 min read

Freedom At Last - Week 3

Breaking out of Prison x2 (Twice) LITERALLY :( Me in front of my dormitory room, taking selfie since I didn't know how to use the key...

Aug 27, 20214 min read

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A long overdue post…finally!! ✎ᝰ.ᐟ⋆⑅˚₊

It’s been awhile since I last updated my travel blog but I wanted to share that I reunited with my exchange friends (❀ˆᴗˆ)(•́ᴗ•̀✿) ✈︎ જ⁀➴ ⛰︎ #winterbreak2024❄️☃️

One of my study abroad goals was “creating everlasting memories” and I achieved that thanks to my gorls 💗🫶🏻🫂 It’s truly amazing how our friendship has gone the distance and stayed strong through the years! Til now, I always encourage others to study abroad and seize travel opportunities—you come back with great stories and memories you’ll never forgetᵕ̈

Life Updates🔔⚠️: we’re all thriving in our own ways — some are still pursuing their studies or traveling, others have graduated and begun their careers, but all of us are continuing to work hard in the paths we’ve chosen 𐙚‧₊˚📒✩ ₊

Huge thanks to everyone who made this trip possible and took the time to visit me 💌📸🫂. I love you all ς꒰• ε •.꒱ and can’t wait for the next time we’re together! Here are some photos from the trip…⊹₊❀[ ◉¯]❀₊ ⊹

#friendsreunited❤️ #missingyouallsomuch❤️ #myhome❤️

HAPPY NEW YEARS, 2023 let’s go🎉🎉

As promised, I was going to post if I actually receive the letter in the mail. AND I DID🥳💌📫!! From South Korea to Hawaii, the letter has made its way to my house a year later. I still remember how exciting it was when Elise and I did a day long adventurous friend date to make the most of the time we had left in our study abroad. It truly was a memory that I’ll always look back on and reminisce how great it was 😆☺️!

Update: I still talk to my roommates regularly and we still keep in touch today. Whether it’s sending each other memes, re-tweets, Tik Tok videos, and little chats: we still maintain a strong connection. It goes without saying but I MISS THEM AND KOREA SO MUCH 😭💓🥲💔👯‍♀️

My 2023 goal is either have a reunion in Europe or meet in the middle at Korea. Either way, I will try my best to see them again, catch up, and have lots of fun together!!! 📝✈️🌍

If you see me posting again, then I probably have achieve my goal 😁🥅 so be on the lookout…

#thespacefilledwithyou #finallyinthemail #lettertoyourself

Saying goodbye to Seoul today…🥺🇰🇷

I posted this on my main page but I wanted to end my travel blog with the same message.

“Bittersweet that my study abroad exchange has come to an end but I’m so grateful for all the memories + friends that I made. I want to thank Anna, Elise, Freja, Lili, Landis, Louise, and Sydni for making my time here so special. 여러분 사랑해요!”

Korea in 2021 is a time in my life that I will never forget ♥️

#할수있다 #loveandmissmyfamily❤️ #thankyouforeverything

2021/12/24 Incheon Intl Airport🛩

Tips:
- Always go to the airport at least 3 hours earlier if international and 2 hours for domestic 🛂
- Pack wisely or you’ll end up with too many luggage like me 🛄
- Weigh your luggages ahead of time to ensure it meets the requirements 🛅
- Make copies of your forms, have your passport ready, and ask for receipts if you purchase something 🛃

#incheoninternationalairport✈️ #traveltips #sayinggoodbye

My last night scroll in Hongdae 🌃😔

#nightwalks🌙👣 #seoulsouthkorea #missingitalready #sad

Ewha Womans University 💚🤍🌸

If you didn’t know, I studied abroad here in the Fall 2021 semester. Ewha is a private school located in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea near Yonsei and Sogang. The only males that attend the school were exchange or graduate students, so you’ll rarely see any guys 😂. It was founded in 1886, is one of the largest women institutions in Korea, and ranked approximately 13th nationally. Overall, this university was not the best but the people I met, the courses I took, and the memories I had made my experience 💯 better.

Pros:
- Located in Seoul and near many places
- Beautiful campus scenery (ECC)
- English-taught courses
- Diversity (the people you meet from all over the world😁)
Cons:
- Fierce competition during course registration (you might not get any of the classes you need / want to take)
- Late announcements from the international office and academics (Professors don’t set concrete assignment dates on the syllabus and assign work last minute)
- Uncleanliness of the dormitory
- Unorganized for the ARC process and National Health Insurance periods

Advice: Apply to the SKY schools first, then research what other places you would be interested in 😅

#studyabroad2021 #exchangestudent #worthwhilemoments

One last event cafe…IU Christmas🎄

To highlight my favorite IU content:
- Songs: BBIBI, Blueming, Palette, and Peach
- Kdramas: Dream High, Hotel Del Luna, and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

An all-rounder idol + artist + celebrity 🙌🏻💜

##온_세상이_물든_크리스마스 #IU #merrychristmasinadvance

New Rules = STRESS 😩😤😦🥱

According to the CDC website, it said “Traveling Internationally? Travel Requirements have changed. Starting December 6, all air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1 day before travel to the United States.”

I spent my last full day in Seoul: getting tested and waiting 4 hours at the airport for my PCR test. In order to board the plane and enter the US, I had to present a negative covid result when checking in. Hawaii only accepts two testing partners, which was Yonsei Severance Hospital and Incheon International Airport. You can either take an antigen or PCR but double check on what your country and airline accepts. The first option was fully booked, so I had no other way but to get tested at the airport. It took me an 1 hour + 30 mins to get there then waited around 4 hours for the test, and another 1 hour + 30 mins to get back home. 🙃

Be prepared for departure requirements if you study abroad during a global pandemic!

#incheoninternationalairport #cominghomechallenge #covid

FREE…wuttt??? 🩴😯

When you’ve been to the luggage store 3 times with 3 different people and a purchase was made each time, you get FREE slippers 😂

Funny Story Time: My roommates bought their suitcases on different days and I went 3/4 times. The store representative remembered us, so on the last visit, she gave us complementary gift. The kindness she showed us every time we met was genuine and we were appreciative for the service + the slippers ☺️!!

#homeplus #americantourister #freegiftswithpurchase #kind

The day before Anna left, we took a final trip to YongSan 😶

We both felt mixed emotions throughout the day since we were sad about leaving Korea soon yet so excited to be going back home. To me, it was sad that I might not see my new friends for awhile but extremely grateful that I even had the chance to be here. Everything happens for a reason, so I am truly happy for what I got to experience in Korea last year (omg it’s 2022 🤭)

Lesson learned: Given the opportunity, take a risk + chance + odds that something good might happen from it 🙂 It’ll all work out in the end…

#yongsankorea #onelasttime #sayinggoodbyesucks #missit

MORE Happy V Day for Dec 30 21 🥳🎂

#happyvday💜 #kimtaehyung #btsarmy #yongsanpark #btsv

Roasted Marshmallow Ice Cream 🐉🔥

#dragonfire #desserttime #marshmallowicecream #hongdae

A friendship that I’ll always cherish 🐯🐭

When living in Hongdae couldn’t get any better, we live near a cafe where you can make rings! To commemorate our time here, we spent the afternoon creating our own rings from scratch💍🥰. It called Banji Cafe and you can book a reserved session online! You can do it alone but it’s better if you do it as a pair or a group of 4 😊

#banjicafe #ringmakingclass #friendship #hongdaesquad

“Cheese”cake 🧀

It all comes back to Tik Tok but man, that app has so many good suggestions! This is a hidden gem, located behind my host university (Ewha) and near Yonsei University. I would suggest buying one and sharing it with your friends because we all struggled trying to finish one each 😅

Information:
- Studio Wup
- 539 Seongsan-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 서대문구 성산로 539)

#studiowup #cheesecake #koreacafé #tiktokrecomendation

When Landis told me “let’s get Hanwoo beef 🐮🥩”, I was not expecting it to be expensive😂😶😮

It was 49,500 KRW per 150 grams 🤑 BUTTTT let me tell you that this meat (if cooked properly) melts in your mouth 😮‍💨🤤🤭 I wish I could go back in time and enjoy the food again!! It was soooo good that I would buy 2 slices next time.

P.S. Treat yourself to some fine dinning, even if it breaks the wallet a bit or a lot…😎

#mapletreehouseseoul #hanwoobeef #expensivemeat

HOTTEOK before the first snow fall in Seoul ❄️

When the forecast said 70% chance of snow, I wasn’t expecting anything. I had a Guy Hagi moment, where I underestimated the weather. So I was freezing that day but was excited to see snow for the first time! I always have a umbrella ready in Hawaii but in Korea, always wear warm clothes + gloves + hat + hot pad 👍🏻

#hotteokkoreanpancake #perfectfortheseason #firstsnowfall

DISAPPOINTED…could not enter the museum☹️

On December 16, 2021, the Korea government establish a new rule where foreigners need to be vaccinated within the last 6 months, register vaccination status to obtain a vaccine pass, and/or have the chance to get vaccinated.

I only had less than a week left, so I didn’t want to wait in line at the health center to register my vaccinations. However, I did not met the requirement of “within” 6 month timeframe because I got vaccinated in March 2021 and was restricted to many activities. Given that, I was rejected and could not enter 🥺 certain places.

If I could give myself or others advice before their exchange abroad, it would be to do things ahead of time or when you have the time. Regulations and circumstances during the global pandemic are constantly changing, so always be present in the moment. 🙃

#koreangovernment #newrestrictionsnowinplace #nocando

Soufflé 🥞 >>>

Landis, my other adventure buddy took me to a great Soufflé Pancake cafe. A little expensive for 23,000 KRW but well worth it. Located in a alley filled with cafes in Jongno-gu, so make sure to visit the area if you can!

If you ask me, 🧇vs🥞
- Waffles or Pancakes? WAFFLES
- Waffles or Soufflé Pancakes? SOUFFLÉ ALL THE WAY
What would you choose? 🤔🤔

#wafflesorpresa🧐♥️🥞🧐 #soufflepancakes #dessertlover

Donghae + Eunhyuk = D&E 💙💗

Not all cafe are for birthdays, I got to celebrate the Dream & Endless album collab of two Super Junior members. Zero and Beautiful Liar are great songs to listen to 😉 Another day of supporting the fandom and becoming more broke…😂

#lovinidol #dreamendless #donghae #eunhyuk #superjunior

Animate, the best store to go to if you are an anime fan living in Korea🇯🇵!

Without realizing we lived so close to Animate, we finally went and ate at a restaurant that resembles foods you might see in an actual series. I wanted to buy manga books for a friend but I forgot that it would all be in Korean 😬😅 Good thing I asked before I bought it hehehe

Highly recommend, Goemon Restaurant near Hongik Station Exit 4.

#animatehongdae #anime #goemonrestaurant #crèmebrûlée

If I got 1,000 won for every BTS or K-pop related ad I saw in Korea, I’d be rich 🤑👀😂…jk maybe

V is one of my biases in the group, so I was glad that I was able to celebrate his birthday before I left. Happy 30th and go listen to “Christmas Tree” OST that is featured in the ongoing �“Our Beloved Summer” kdrama 😁 I’ve just finished watching episode 9 and waiting for 10 to drop! ☀️🌞

Are you watching the show too?

#btskorea #btsadvertisement #btseverything #btschristmas

Marketing at its finest! 📢📇

Hawaii doesn’t have subways, so I usually see ads on printed newspapers and online press. In California, one unique way of marketing that I saw this summer was flying blimps/airplanes with a poster attached to the end. 🏷✈️While in Korea, promos are EVERYWHERE (I mean all over the place) on products like the paper on soju bottles, in/outside the subway stations, bus stops, passing cars with loud speakers 🔊, completely ad-covered buses, etc. As a business major, it’s cool to observe how each country markets their business to customers!

#koreaadvertising #adseverywhereyoulook #marketing

🎶🖤BLACKPINK in your area💗🎶

Only one stop away from Hongik to Hapjeong station, I finally got to visit YG Entertainment. My favorite artists are Big Bang, 2NE1, and Psy (when they were still active and together😅)! Another advantage of studying in Korea was having the opportunity to see where dreams were made and how the K-pop industry works.

P.S. Super cool to be living less than 10 minutes away from YG 🤯

#ygentertainment #kpopindustry #ygacademy #seoulkorea

Merry (late) Christmas Post🎅🏻

Would you believe me if I said…I ran in the rain to capture how pretty this place was?!

In the spur of the moment, it stopped raining when we got here so maybe it was fate🤔🤗…Still, super cool at how many Christmas trees I’ve seen in Korea versus the only ☝🏻 big tree from Hawaii’s city lights that I see annually. I love how festive they are here ❤️🎄💚

#koreacityhall #iseoulu🇰🇷 #happyholidays #spontaneoustrip

2021/12/14 Bucket List Fun Day (cont.)

MORE night shots of the view 🏙

#namsanseoultower🗼🇰🇷 #seoulcitylights #nightmodeon

2021/12/14 Bucket List Fun Day (cont.)

A Namsan Tower Nightlife🌃🗼💫

Nothing beats a visit to the tower, day or night since you can see how enormous Seoul actually is. It’s similar to the Tantalus Lookout in Hawaii, where one can see the mountains connected to the cities and down to the ocean. Our last activity was to watch the sunset but we missed it 😅 and the air quality was bad anyways… We instead enjoyed a nice Korean “European” style dinner with Tonkatsu and Garlic Fried Rice 🌝 Hope you enjoy the Seoul city lights photos!

#namsanseoultower🗼🇰🇷 #nightview #seoulatnight #citylife

2021/12/14 Bucket List Fun Day (cont.)

Alarm…snooze…I lost track of time and didn’t finish my final postings 🙃 BUTTT Happy New Year🥳 It is the year of the Water Tiger 🌊🐯

This post relates to 2022 because our next activity was writing a letter to our future selves📝 I saw this cafe on Tik Tok and I had to go!! A year from now, our letters will be mailed to us, which costs around 4,000 KRW plus an extra 2-4,000 since it’s international shipping. The experience was heart-warming as I reflected on my time in Korea and what I hope to achieve in the new year.

I’m making a promise that if I do receive it in the mail this year, I will post about it. I tried to mail postcards at my university yet they were no help. So, I’m praying that my letter will makes its way to Hawaii ✍🏻😇!

#thespacefilledwithyou #lettertoyourself #seeyounextyear

2021/12/14 Bucket List Fun Day (cont.)

MORE Samoyed content🐾

The admission fee was 11,000 KRW and there’s a self serve drink bar. I never been to a dog cafe before and it was so cute ☺️!! They look like cotton balls or clouds of snow running towards you for a treat. Definitely worth the trip and petting the sweetest doggies🐶🤍Put this place on your list!

Location Information:
- Gyeoul's House Cafe
- Address: 19-5 Wausan-ro 17-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Operating Hours: 1:00pm - 10:00pm everyday
- Directions: Sangsu Station (Subway Line 6) Exit 1.

#samoyedcafe #dogcafeseoul #cutenessoverload #doglover

2021/12/14 Bucket List Fun Day 🪣🤩

To celebrate the end of the semester, I started to make a list of what I wanted to accomplish in my last week and 1/2 in Seoul. In my planning, we would start at the dog cafe in the morning, then write letters to our future selves, and end with watching the sunset at the Namsan Tower. Elise joined me for the festivities and we had a blast + #oneofthebestdaysever

Nothing always goes as planned since I did have more activities to do but I forgot about the commute time it takes to each place. Nevertheless, we still made the day trip our own and the best! Going with the flow can sometimes make the day great without knowing it. Note to self, remember that you can either start earlier or do less…we did option two since were both heavy sleepers who like to sleep in 🤗👻😂

#bucketlistadventures #samoyedcafe #cutedog #firststop

Another day, another birthday cafe🥳

SHINee is one of my old time favorite K-pop groups that I could talk about forever. Anna and I always talk about how SM Entertainment has some of the best vocalists in the industry and we got to celebrate Onew’s birthday while being here. The shawols who hosted the event were very kind and gave us additional gifts! I will missing going to events like these but my wallet won’t😅 Time to save my money again hehehe

#shineeworld #happybirthdayonew #happybirthdayminho

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