18 Sep
The Big Move!
After months of anticipation, the day finally came for my big move to Seoul. My flight departed Richmond airport at 7am on Thursday, August 8th. The night before, I spent 3 hours with my family figuring out which of my clothes to bring to Korea. That moment was so bittersweet, but here I go: I’m flying to Korea!
Saying “See you later!” to the people you care about most can be really hard, but I try to remind myself that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I won’t regret. After saying a slightly tearful goodbye the morning of my flight, I completed my luggage drop off at the Delta kiosk and handed off my checked bags.
TIP: Make sure to check-in for your flight on the airline app BEFORE you are there. You can choose how many bags you’re checking, skip the check-in line by using a kiosk, and select what seat you want. It will make your life so much easier!
The Layover
I arrived at the Atlanta airport around 9am and my layover was only an hour. Not only was my flight to Incheon across the airport (Atlanta is HUGE), my flight from Richmond landed 20 minutes late! Needless to say, I sprinted through the airport and hopped on the plane train as soon as I could.
I made my flight with 15 minutes to spare. This was my first long haul flight and I made sure to pack my personal item bag with all of my essentials (toothbrush, blanket, pillow, eye mask, headphones, etc.)
TIP: Make sure to have easy access to a map of the airport where your layover is to reduce stress! Flights are delayed all the time, and the second leg of your flight is not going to wait for you.
The Main Flight
Our flight finally took off at 10am and within the first hour we received our first meal. I chose the spicy pork rice bowl and it tasted delicious! Unfortunately that was our only full meal on the 14-hour flight. Our other meals consisted of different types of pastries and yogurt. Check out all of the food I ate on my flight here!
The rest of my flight consisted of watching my current hyper-fixation show (“From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke“) and sleeping A LOT.
TIP: Make sure to DOWNLOAD whatever entertainment you wish to watch on your device. Most international flights you need to pay for wifi, and the wifi will not last the whole flight. I downloaded 2 whole seasons of my show and had a couple episodes to spare.
Arrival
I landed at Incheon airport around 3pm the following day. The first thing that you will do once deboarding the plane is go through Korean customs. We were all given an arrival card to fill out. There are English instructions on the back of the card. Make sure to fill this card out BEFORE you enter the customs line.
Once I filled out my card I entered the customs line with my visa and passport in hand. From there it’s pretty simple: the worker calls you, you give your fingerprints, they sticker your passport, and then you are done!
Baggage claim is also very straightforward. There will be screens telling you which flight’s luggage is at each baggage claim. When in doubt, look for the other people from your flight and where they are standing.
Once I grabbed my luggage, I went straight to the currency exchange counter to exchange my American cash for Korean won.
TIP: BRING CASH! It is so much easier to exchange physical currency at the airport instead of trying to find an ATM.
After getting my cash, I used my “Klook” app to activate the eSIM that I purchased before my flight. Once I received my Korean number, I was able to create a Kakao Taxi account and call a taxi to my hotel. The airport will also have taxi services, but make sure to not get in a black taxi. They are super expensive!
The ride to my hotel was a little over an hour. Once I arrived, I immediately showered, unpacked my bags, and breathed a sigh of relief. I’m finally in Korea!
Gabe White, Marketing Assistant
Gabriel (Gabe) White is a soon to be English teacher in South Korea. He is a Korean, Puerto Rican-American from the Richmond, Virginia area and received a bachelor’s degree in English from Virginia Commonwealth University. Being involved in student organizations like Filipino Americans Coming Together at VCU (FACT@VCU) and VCU Globe during his college years, Gabe learned just how much he enjoys experiencing new cultures. In his free time, Gabe loves teaching local dance classes, spending quality time with his loved ones, exploring new cities, and watching nostalgic movies.