10 Things I’ll Miss About Korea

By the time this posts, I will be sunbathing in Hawaii. My family and I will have just PCS’d from Seoul, South Korea, after three very long years. The last 60 days before we moved were the longest two months of my life, and in that time, I reflected on all the things that I wouldn’t miss about Korea (Korean drivers, cost of electricity, being so far away from the people I love). I try very hard to see the bright side of things, so amid my complaining, I started to think of what I would miss about Korea. Well, I came up with ten things in no particular order. Why ten? Because there’s no such thing as a top nine list.

1. Bug-free living, baby.

In our time here, we have not had one bug in our apartment. Not. One. Bug. As someone who is awfully terrified of bugs, I can’t thank the universe enough for sparing me from Korean bugs. (Especially since I know people who lived on post who had cockroaches and centipedes in their home. *gag*  Off post living is where it’s at!)

2. Korean food.

You have not lived until you’ve tried bulgogi, galbi, and Korean chicken. Jeez. Just so much noms. And, oh my gosh, the waffles…

P.S. Buttons on tables in restaurants to call your server over? Genius. Pure genius.

3. WiFi.

Not only does Korea have the fastest internet in the world, there is free WiFi, like, everywhere, even on the subway.

4. Koreans’ love of children.

My son, now 5 years old, has spent more than half of his life here, and it has been an amazing place to raise him. Koreans love children, especially children of the blonde hair, blue-eyed persuasion. There have been times he’s gone to sit with strangers at a restaurant, and people have shared their food with him. People have given up their seat for him in the subway and have even pulled him onto their laps so he wouldn’t have to stand. If we were in America, I would have probably karate-chopped all of the people, but here, their love of children is apparent and remarkable.

5. Safety.

Okay, so let’s put a pin in the fact that South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea. Never have I felt safer. I’ve gone to midnight shopping markets by myself and never once felt threatened. No matter where you are, you have to practice some level of situational awareness, but all in all, I feel safer here than I ever have stateside.

6. Everything is so stinkin’ cute.

If you’ve gone to a themed café here, you know what I’m talking about. They love Hello Kitty, Pororo, and all things absolutely adorable.

7. Public transportation.

As a Bronx girl, I have a genuine appreciation for a comprehensive public transportation system. You don’t really need a car in Seoul, and you may not want to deal with driving because their driving skills leave a lot to be desired. Their subways, trains, and buses are extensive.

8. Shopping.

The tailors, markets, the knock-off purses, there is just so, so much shopping to be done here. It’s incredible, really.

9. Being in one place for three years straight.

As a military family, you know being in one place for more than three years with no deployments or TDYs is a blessing.  My family was able to stay together and explore another country. Some things are priceless.

10. Living in a city.

As I mentioned, I am from the Bronx, and it is so nice living in a city—a real city. Most of the places the military will send us will not be…this. The hustle and bustle, millions of people, the lights, the sights… It’s been an amazing three years, and I am glad we were here, together, to experience.

I’ll tell you what, though… I can not wait to be back in America!