Korea. This country is all up in my business. I talk about Korea to anyone I meet: Isn’t it crazy here? The Koreans are horrible drivers. Have you noticed they don’t have street names? Whats with the food? No I don’t like kimchi, actually. Then there are the phone calls home: What’s the time there? You’re a full day ahead? What do you DO all day? No, I don’t eat a bunch of kimchi.
And, to be completely honest, I am the worst culprit: We should go to (insert destination here)! Look at these crazy Korean shows! How do you say that in Korean? The list goes on.
Now, I don’t want to come across as snobby or ungrateful, I am totally excited to be living in a foreign country and get to experience all these new things, but I think this is all just part of the process. I feel so far from normal here and I’m starting to wonder if there will ever come a time where Korea, and this apartment, actually feels like home. I feel boxed in, like I am just waiting to get back to real life so I can get back to it. Whatever “it” is.
I relate to being on vacation. Vacation is great, everyone loves it, but after 3 weeks on a tropical island you’re ready to get back to your life and get back in your groove. So how do I get back in my groove while living in a foreign country?
What’s worse is I am mourning the loss of silly things like Target, a normal grocery store, a craft store, Babies R Us. I feel like I might as well be living on a deserted island because most things I want or need I have to buy online. Not that Korea doesn’t have things like home goods stores or groceries but it just puts me so far out of my comfort zone. Not only does a trip to the Korean version of Target require driving a good 20 minutes away, but it means driving in Korea (a scary task), and staring blankly at a box with only Hangul on it so you have to just hope that box is ice cream and not frozen anchovies.
The upside to Korea is there in very little fast food, the people are so nice, EVERYONE loves babies, and the shopping for things like purses and clothes is awesome. I guess I just need to venture out a little bit more and make it work! If anything, this PCS has taught me that when it comes to Army life you really do have to be adaptable (and fearless).
ArillaBlog 
You are so good with your words. You are experiencing many of the same feelings I think we all have felt in arriving to this strange new place. I have had my moments were I was like geeze I can’t wait to get back to my life! But in the truth is this is our life… it has never stopped. So lately I have embraced it and it is getting good now for the first time in months! Anyhow I enjoyed reading your posts and could so relate :)
You are so kind! I working on embracing it more. I still need to get out and explore. Osan is the only other place I’ve been and I really don’t want to look back a say I wasted a year in a foreign country :) I need a bucket list I think!
Bucket list is a good idea. I was so down for the last two months because I was here in this new place and felt like I had lost all freedoms. I was dwelling on all the negatives and the things that I had to give up with this move that I didn’t see the potential that my new home really offers. Not until my husband said snap out of it women!!! lol. With that said I had to put forth a real effort to be positive and now I am grateful for the once and a lifetime opportunity to live in a different country and be a part of such a rich culture. I think I will follow you with the bucket list idea. Yes, Osan is great but I think there is definitely more out there. I am going to start signing up for the trips they offer maybe that is a good start. :-)
Omg Im So nervous to move there now more so after reading this. Lol. I know I complain about the move, but to me, I think the guys don’t have to do a lot of the work, look for house and in process why we stay behind and do everything else. Ugh I’m ready for this to be over with. So I can enjoy being with hubby.
I couldn’t agree more! I always tell Jake that he has it easy in the sense that his job stays relatively the same and he has co workers that become friends at every duty station. PCSing falls heavily on the shoulders of the spouse but I think that’s because they know we can handle it. :) The good news is once you’re here you will be with your hubby and I think we could all agree that is more than worth it!