…and I say it’s alright. Little darlin’ it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.

Yes I’m sitting on my couch finally writing a blog post with the windows open, a warm breeze tickling my skin, + the Beatles strumming through my speakers. Warm weather, blooming flowers, + sunny days seem to have FINALLY arrived in Korea. Between Korean class, officially “moving in”, adventuring, + being oh so lazy I haven’t had the time (or the drive) to write a blog post in awhile . Really I just don’t think my life is interesting + “new” anymore. But every once in a while I stop + say to myself, “I LIVE IN KOREA. I LIVE HERE. IN ASIA. LIKE WOW..”. Then I realize how NOT normal my life is (minus the netflix binges, mounds of dirty laundry I put off washing, + eating cereal for dinner 4/7 days of the week). For those wondering, we have completely settled in. To the point that I feel like I belong, a local if you will. But don’t be fooled, I still experience many “eyebrow raising” moments every week.. I just come to expect it now. Removing my shoes + sitting on the floor when I go out to eat? so ordinary that I have an emergency pair of socks in my backpack for when i’m wearing sandals. People brushing their teeth in dark corners of the subway? yup, normal. Skinned dogs being sold next to live eel in the market? stinky but whatev. Selfie sticks EVERYWHERE you go? DUH. Bongo trucks running every red light + throwing on their hazards instead of using blinkers? So customary that i’ve started doing it! (hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. #amirite?) Naked spa days have become a weekly ritual for my friend + I (we don’t even giggle anymore). Remember one of my first posts where I talked about Koreans eating whole garlic cloves raw with their meals? Ya, I now do that too.. AND I LOVE IT. I live in the Republic of Korea. I love my life. I hope all of you find joy in all the nooks + crannies of your life. We have much to smile about friends 🙂

Oh + to prove that I didn’t just binge on netflix for the past little bit…  Check it-

FINALLY getting our house hold goods… Korean style! (sorry for the sucky phone pics)

Liege waffles in the middle of Seoul. Yes please!

Korean Class… When I do go, I feel like a 2yr old adult just making weird sounds + trying to sound out one syllable at a time with a glazed over expression.

Flower market fun! 

Multiple buildings, multiple floors, multiple vendors = every plant imaginable

Our local market within walking distance of our house. Beautiful produce galore!

PEACE, LOVE, AND FISH.

Straight chillin’ with the realest OG’s in town

Trying to keep things alive. Keyword *trying*

yummy street food eats

Our favorite “hotteok”. A sticky Korean pancake filled with a nutty, cinnamon sugar center.

entrance to one of the “5 Grand Palaces” of  Seoul

throwin’ up the Korean pride signs

…and welcome to Namdaemun Market- the oldest + largest market in all of Korea.

girls just wanna have fun!

live eel ready for purchase

organized disarray.. 

BATTERED + fried spiral potato stick. 1 ticket for the fatty express please + thank you!

At least a once a week occurrence

Korean coffee shops > American coffee shops

“honey bread” = glorified buttery, honey, carmel toast. (insert heart eyes emoji)

75 plus army brats + embassy kids at the Namsan Tower (overlooks all of Seoul). My girl Amy + I got to join the fun as youth conference chaperones. Try taking that many 12-18 yr olds through the subway in a foreign country, I dare you! 

But really we had more fun than the teenagers we were supposed to be chaperoning.

Hi, my name is little v and i’m 12.

locks of love

Youth Conference Rocks. #losers

Our Camp Humphreys branch

So by the end of our last spa day, Amy + I were famished (I mean, lying naked in hot pools of water makes you work up an appetite like no other) so we went to the only food stand open in the spa (the cafeteria was closed that day) + what do ya know? No english menus, no english speakers. So we did the best we could with google translate apps + played the guessing game…

Here were the results- miso soup with crunchy, fish flavored floaties, mandu dumplings, a double fried corn dog with potato chunks in the batter, + a churro.

Day trip to Daejeon in search of cherry blossoms. Creeping on cute korean college girls seemed like a good idea at the time. 

Easter sunday

Cherry Blossom Festival in Seoul! 

when you’re an American, childless, + living in Korea; you find flock together

3rd wheelin’

got stuck in a moshpit of asians who were enthusiastic for some reggae kpop

too funny to not take a picture

*cheese alert*

Street performers

The National Assembly of South Korea

street food- squid this time!

cotton candy the size of my torso.. YES PLEASE.

NOMNOM

Until next time lovies-

xoxo, V