I have such vivid memories of my flight from Detroit to Seoul. It wasn’t until I was sitting in my seat, scrolling through the possible movies I could watch during my 12-hour flight and adjusting my dorky neck pillow that I thought, “wow…I have no idea what to expect when I land.” It was like flying to a new planet. I had only seen one picture of the home I would be living in for a year. I had researched my university, but found very few pictures or information in English. Even the information I found on Daejeon, the city I am living in, was very limited.
We rolled up to the house at about 12am, over a day after I departed from New York City. I was eager to see my home, Hannam University (where I would be taking my classes), and the surrounding Daejeon area.
The entrance to my new home!
I was so lucky to find that my home and Hannam University were even better than I could have imagined. My personality, being as it is, thought it would be best to have the lowest expectations for my accommodations. So basically, my expectations were blown out of the water. We have a full kitchen, three bathrooms, three bedrooms, a full living room, and a laundry room. I share my home with four other people, and my room/bathroom with one other person (shout out to my wonderful roommate, Rachel Crilley). Our house is situated right on campus.
A panoramic view of our kitchen and living room from the dining room table (ft. Lauren Fiske, one of my housemates)
My bedroom
Hannam University has about 15,000 students and is full of green spaces. Since fall has begun, every morning I walk through courtyards and gardens full of changing leaves of all colors. This is especially uplifting on the days when I have no motivation to go to class.
Another common space on campus is the track and field area. Its equivalent is easily Bowman Field at Clemson University. This is where I go running, but also where tons of students meet with friends for pick up games and hanging out.
Entrance to track and field area
Nightly zumba class held at the track (a personal favorite of mine)
Just like many schools in the United States, Hannam University has a typical “college downtown.” Almost all of the shops are restaurants, coffee shops, Karaoke spots, and cheap stores fit for students. One thing that I love about Korea is the use of space. Most buildings are at least three stories and each level is something different. For example, in one building the first floor can be a restaurant, the second floor can be a coffee shop, and the third floor can be a game room. You can spend your whole evening in one building if you want to. That also means that there are a ton of places to try new foods. I have been here for about two months and I have barely made a dent in the coffee shop scene (which, if you know me, you know I love).
Like I said, Hannam University has been a wonderful home for me. I haven’t had the chance to get bored because there is always something new and fun to try. As the months go by, I am excited for this to continually grow more normal and comfortable for me. Although I love that there are a ton more coffee shops to try, I am also excited to find my favorite one that I can call “my spot.” I cannot believe it has already been two months, but I am more than excited to see what the other ten will bring.
Colorful banners hanging around campus that read, " I love you" and other common phrases in the many languages represented at Hannam University