10 Things to do Before Leaving Korea

Now that my time in Korea is coming to a close, I've been thinking about which things to prioritize. For this list, I've been asked by a friend to share my personal 10 things to do before I leave.

[These are in no particular order]

1. Go to SpaLand in Busan. Jjimjilbangs are one of those strictly Asian things (I'd say Korean, but the Japanese onsen is very similar). Getting naked and scrubbing and soaking til you're utterly relaxed is one of my favorite things to do, and the best place for it is SpaLand.

2. Eat everything. Jjimdalk, bibimbap, samgyeopsal, hoddoek, japchae, mandu, bossam (and those are just my favorites). This could easily be a whole separate list, but I've talked enough about my love for Korean food. I plan to eat nothing but Korean food for the next 6 weeks.

3. Go ice skating/roller skating. Something I can also do at home, but in Korea it's relatively cheap and therefore easy to convince my friends to join. The fact that my favorite skating rink is next to a beautiful historical bridge certainly doesn't hurt!

4. Go to noraebang. Ah, noraebang: the experience of singing til you're hoarse and looking like an idiot in front of your friends. Drunken or sober, it's a great night of fun that I will feel so very empty without.

5. Buy cosmetics and skincare. For myself, or as gifts for friends and family, it's going to be hard to leave the diverse set of cosmetics stores and products. I'm absolutely sending some scrubs and creams ahead via post.

6. Get color contacts. Why not? I think I'd look great with green eyes. Given how popular they are, they're definitely cheaper than I could get them in the US.

7. Look longingly at hanbok shops. As beautiful as they are, I can't quite convince myself to buy one. The cost for a high quality hanbok outweighs the rare occasions I'd be able to wear it. I can, however, stare through the shop windows and mentally design my own.

8. Take a million pictures with my students. Well duh.

9. Visit a board game cafe. Such a great idea, and I really hope it catches on (or maybe it has already? It's been two years, what do I know?) in the US. Getting together with a group of friends and playing any of the dozens of games available always spells out a great evening. Games that demand hours of intense strategy and concentration, or 5 minutes of Jenga, a good time is had by all.

10. Learn how to cook. This one is contingent on my ability to sweet-talk my coteachers to teach me. We've discussed it for the last two years, but now that the clock is ticking, it's time to make my move. Some ingredients will be difficult to find, but I'm hoping that learning the basics will help me to find appropriate substitutes when available. Japchae and jjimdalk are at the top of my list!


And there you have it! Is there anything I missed? Want more info? Leave a comment or send me a message!

Til next time!
안녕!