22 Feb
When I first arrived in Korea, I was so excited to start teaching English at Creverse and making new friendships and memories. But after a few months, I found that the initial thrill of new experiences began to fade and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to fully adjust. I realized that being far from home can be tough, especially since I had never traveled outside of Canada, let alone lived abroad. But as my time in Korea continued, I found ways to enjoy my new life in Korea while also staying connected to my loved ones. Besides the obvious cure of facetiming family and friends to feel good, here is what has worked for me to settle into my new life in Korea.
Making New Connections
One of the first things I did was join some online groups where other expats in Korea share their experiences. I found Every Expat in Korea, a Facebook group with almost 100 thousand members. People posted about everything from bar hops to getting English medical services and their experiences at their own teaching job. Knowing that others were in the same boat as me made me feel great and helped me to adjust. Another group that I still post to this day is Expat Women in Korea. I really love this group because the women are so uplifting and I even met one of my best friends Emma through the group.
As an avid Reddit user, I also found r/Korea helpful for staying updated on what’s happening around the country. I could follow threads about everything from local news to new restaurants that have opened which helped me feel a lot more integrated in my new life.
Getting Outside
I realized that sitting in my apartment wasn’t going to help matters, so I pushed myself to explore my surroundings. I decided that I had to take myself out on dates and get used to the idea of being alone and going out to try new things. I spent weekends in places like Itaewon, Seongsu, and Hongdae, where I met other foreigners and lots of Koreans too. The nightlife scene took some of the social pressure off because everyone was out looking to meet people and enjoy the lively atmosphere. Exploring these new areas around Seoul helped me realize that it was a lot more diverse than I originally thought. I loved the scene in Itaewon so much that I even ended up moving to a foreigner friendly neighborhood tucked behind it called Haebangchon.
Leaning on My Workplace Community
One of the best outlets I had for integrating in Korea was the incredible support system of teachers at Creverse. All of my coworkers were navigating some homesickness, and knowing that we were all going through similar feelings helped a lot. After work, I often join my coworkers for dinner or a quick karaoke session. I looked forward to my break times so I could chat with everyone in the teachers lounge and talk about the news from back home. I met some of my best friends through my teaching job at Mokdong and I can’t imagine my life without them!
Letterloop
My last tip to enjoy your fresh start but to stay connected to home is a service called Letterloop. My college friend found the site and my group of girlfriends back home has been using it ever since. This site lets you curate newsletters with thoughtful questions to respond to and is the perfect way to catch up on what everyone has been doing that month. We took turns choosing the prompts and made sure to attach lots of pictures which was something I grew to look forward to at the end of each month!
It can be a bit tricky to start a new life abroad, but with a strong support system and an adventurous spirit, I’ve found ways to make Korea feel like home. In the end, my moments of missing home are worth all of the exciting and life changing opportunities that teaching at Creverse has brought me! Life in Korea is good!
Michelle Duquette, Marketing Assistant
Michelle Duquette is from Toronto, Canada and moved to South Korea in 2015. She has a Bachelors in English literature and a Masters in ESL Education. Michelle has taught at Creverse campuses in Gangneung, Songpa, and Mokdong and currently works as a CDI and April Trainer. Michelle never set out to be a teacher but fell in love with Korean culture and the excitement of being in the classroom. Michelle lives in Seoul with her partner and two cats, Cherry and Frost.
