First Full Day in Seoul

Postcard 003– Feb. 21th, 2024

We started the morning with a walk from the dorms to Korea University. Our program coordinator led the way, giving us our first real look at the Anam neighborhood.

Even in the rain, everything felt new and absolutely beautiful. The KU campus was massive with stone buildings that looked straight out of a fairytale. I was a little worried about getting lost, but mostly just excited to explore.

Our first stop was the Global Leaders Lounge for a “Welcome to Korea” session. It was part info session, part breakfast. We learned about safety, cultural etiquette, and what to expect in the coming weeks. There was food, which came in a bento box-style set.

Everything was delicious, from beef to crispy shrimp, fried chicken, rice (of course), kimchi, and so many side dishes. Not gonna lie, I’ve never had a breakfast quite like this! There was even a fancy cup of water and seaweed... plus something called western sauce (which was in fact ketchup, lol).

After that, we toured a bit of the inside of Korea University. We got to visit one of the school stores. I picked out a KU hoodie and tiger keychain (my first official purchase in Korea!). This campus is HUGE compared to my home school, but I loved it.

Literally right outside of campus, we were in the main street of Anam! Walking the streets felt surreal. I was really in Korea, seeing the subway stations, the shops, convenience stores and restaurants. And of course some classics like ArtBox, Olive Young, and Daiso!

We picked up some essentials:

• a pillow / pillowcase

• toilet paper and hand soap (lol)

• hangers

• mirror

• shower shelf and shampoo

• the cutest bath mat I’ve ever seen

After lugging everything back up the hill to the dorm we worked on unpacking. Then, it was time for dinner near Anam Station. As we left the dorm, it started to snow, literally something out of a K-drama.

We were all starving and ready to try real Korean food together for the first time. Our program director brought us to a local restaurant and ordered K-BBQ for us! From sizzling meat to side dishes everywhere, chopstick struggles, and getting to know everyone a little more... it was the perfect dinner for the first real day in Seoul.

I got to try pork belly, or in Korean, samgyeopsal (삼겹살) and beef galbi. It was so good. We also ordered cold noodles, known as naengmyeon (냉면), which... was not my favorite. Not sure if it was the texture or the temperature, but I stuck with the meat instead, lol.

The night was still young, and we were excited, so the girls and I decided to do some more exploring. The street signs were glowing, it was still snowing, and everything felt magical, another one of those "I’m really here" moments.

We stopped at Artbox, a store we’d end up going into weekly, and explored all the goodies inside. From stationery to K-pop albums, there wasn’t a single thing I didn’t want. I managed to control myself and only grab a blind box Smiski....my first ever, and definitely not the last.

We also popped into Olive Young again (a fan favorite on Anam’s main street), and to wrap up the night, we swung by the convenience store, CU, right next to our dorm and the infamous giant hill. We browsed a bit, already knowing we’d be back tomorrow.

Once we got back to the dorm, we opened our Smiskis in the common area and took some well-earned rest before another busy day ahead.

Until the next one,

Ashley 💌