Category: Advice for Living Abroad

I have been captivated recently by Donald Miller’s insistence that our lives are stories waiting to be told. As we all know, some stories are better than others. Don gives four key elements of what makes a good story. A Character Who Wants Something And Overcomes Conflict To Get It Think about it. Run any…
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During the time I’ve spent in Korea, it’s been easy to point out all the differences from my own culture back home. Whilst some differences I wouldn’t mind living another day without experiencing – like jumping out of the way of a crazy ajumma riding her motor scooter on the sidewalk – there are some things Korea does that I think are fantastic.

After living in Korea for 10 months, I’ve gotten pretty used to all the little idiosyncrasies. There are a few though that still stand out when I think of how much they differ from my own bringing up back home. This list is a small compilation of the differences that stand out to me the most, but I’m sure the list would look different written by another expat. We all observe the world as it relates to our own personal little worlds. Here is my list of 5 Things Korea Does Differently. Enjoy!

I love hearing people’s stories of why and where they travel, and how traveling transforms who they are. I sat down with my friend Drew, a seasoned traveler and student of wisdom, to talk about his life journey thus far.

I’m not the first, and I know I won’t be the last foreigner who will leave home for a few years to occupy a small space in Korea as an English teacher. This method of travel has been around for sometime now, and I’m sure it’ll last for years to come. When I decided to make the move to Korea I never fooled myself into thinking that anyone’s lives – student or otherwise – would be forever changed after I moved on.

Wanting to make sure that I was fully prepared to immerse myself in a brand new culture, I scoured countless blogs, websites and forums looking for information pertaining to the big move. The number of articles I stumbled upon was overwhelming to say the least. Thousands of blogs and pages popped up, and all of them had at least one article carrying the self-proclaimed title “Everything You Need To Know About Moving To South Korea!”

Our lives follow the circular seasons of creation, sometimes in the spring of new beginnings, sometimes in the barren brokenness of a deep winter. As travelers, these seasons are enunciated by the constant decision-making of our daily survival. Where to sleep, what to eat, how to spend this day, when to go to the next country. These decisions are guided by priorities and held in check by tensions felt and unseen.

I had to do a bit of polling and stalking various expat groups on Facebook to compile a list of what boys should bring for their big move to Korea. I think I’ve got a pretty good rough outline, but I think asking perhaps other male expats and doing a bit more research would be wise – unless, of course, you trust me completely, dear friend. I’d never steer you wrong, anyhow! I did my best to compile as much information as I could about what guys should bring to Korea. Happy packing!