It’s the end of my second week in Seoul and I’m finding that I’ve adjusted to life here decently. Last weekend I decided to go on a weekend solo trip to the city Gangneung, which is known for its beaches and seafood. Unfortunately, the day I chose to go was cloudy, so it wasn’t as photogenic as I hoped. I still had a lot of fun though!

I’m really enjoying Seoul’s cafe culture. Every cafe I’ve been to has had a wonderful atmosphere, good decoration, and very lively. The pastries have all been very good as well. I’ve noticed that places in Korea don’t open until 10 or 11 AM usually, but everything stays open very late. I really like that a lot. The city feels so alive at night.

I also decided to go on a run by the Han river the other day. I really appreciate how much greenery the city has despite how big it is. I was planning on only running three miles but the river was so pretty I ran four miles downstream and had to go all the way back.

I’ve also been trying a lot of new food! I had rose tteokbokki for the first time last weekend and I thought it was good, but it didn’t taste like what I imagined it too. Korean fried chicken is also one of my favorites. I’ve picked up enough Korean to be able to order in restaurants and cafes on my own, which is good. I can only understand a few words of what my coworkers say, though.

The way my internship is structured is incredibly hands-off. I meet with my supervisor on Fridays at 3 PM and we review what I did this week and he gives me assignments for the next week. None of my coworkers are fluent in English, and the work culture is very different in the sense that there is not a lot of talking around the office. I essentially have nine hours to do my tasks for the week, budgeting my time however I please.

I try to keep a consistent workflow and pace myself. My tasks aren’t very detailed (for example, I got told “make content” for my second week). To do this, I decided to write a script, film my content, and finally edit it myself. This process took a few days, so I broke it up into writing – filming – editing. I was also a little concerned about the lack of tools provided to me, especially with something like social media content. To be proactive about it, I used the Canva pro my on-campus job at Pitt provides to make some content as well as free resources.

Although I’m capable of the work and budgeting my time, I think the mental aspect of it is a lot harder. I don’t really have a sense of direction or connection to the work my coworkers are doing, which combined with our language barrier can feel quite isolating. I do like my coworkers, though. They’re very kind to me and we go out to lunch almost every day. I like getting to know them and seeing the work they do. I’ve tried a lot of new foods there.

I’m working in Yeouido, which is Seoul’s finance district. There are a lot of salarymen that work there as well as the tallest buildings in the city. I really enjoy the neighborhood! It is right near the river, and after work I’ve gotten into the habit of walking along the bridge admiring the views.

Looking forward to the next six weeks! There is a weekend trip planned and we’ll be going to see traditional Korean villages. I think the architecture of the temples and gates is especially pretty. It really is a work of art. I like to hike, and when I’ve been hiking I always stop at a shrine to admire it.

Honestly, I think my favorite part about Korea is being able to see the mountains from wherever I am in the city. They’re rocky and beautiful, and it’s really cool to be able to see them right beside a skyscraper. Temples and mountains seamlessly exist alongside modern city life in this country, and I really like that.

I’ve been starting to feel homesick recently, but I’m trying my best to push through. Excited to see what else this country has in store for me.

Sydney