Have I adapted to life in Seoul?

It has been a crazy past days. Good crazy, but crazy nonetheless. Since my last post I have learned a bit more about Korean culture, but most importantly I have learned a lot about myself.
I started my four-week internship with Millward Brown two weeks ago and I love it!. On the first day I was a ball of nerves. I was so nervous to the point of feeling sick and I was unable to eat for that whole day and the night prior. I was worried of getting lost and being late, of giving a wrong impression or overall not fitting in. I had not idea what to expect in a professional environment in Korea. Fortunately for me, everyone at Millward Brown has been nothing but nice and kind to me. Everyone in the team I was assigned to for the four weeks speaks English, and everyday they teach me a little bit about Seoul and Korea. They answer all of my questions and take me to very delicious and new types of food during lunch. I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to not only learn about what Millward Brown does and gain knowledge in the filed, but I also get to interact with very bright and kind people.

This is what my everyday commute to the office looks like. I normally leave at 8 am to make sure I get there by 9am. I have never ridden a subway before coming to Korea, so it was a new and exiting experience. Like any other form of transportation in a busy city, it gets pack during its rush hours. I learned that I have to be more "aggressive" (for the lack of a better word) if I want to get in, stay in or exit. The first two days my purse got stuck in between the doors, luckily they opened and I was able to retrieve my purse without getting hurt. Despite my new fear of subway doors, I find Seoul's subway system very time efficient and interesting. I love going over the Han River because the view is beautiful, and I also love that the stations have all kinds of stores through out them. It made me wish it be possible for Austin to have subways.

My tips:

• Download the Subway app
• Buy a T money Card at any convenience store (I had no idea until I got here)
• Don't get pushed around. If you're too polite, you'll never get to your destination during rush hours (trust me!)
• Be aware of the seats designated for older folks, injured people and pregnant ladies ( People here really respect them. Don't be "that foreigner")
• If you like me don't have a subway back home, enjoy it!! 

                   

 As for cool places I have visited...I haven't visited many...YET.
I have been in Seoul for two and a half weeks already, but  me and my (inseparable) friend Madeline haven't gone to too many places yet. Since we both are interns here and are both a bit shy, our spare time has usually been spend looking for restaurants together. We met on my first full day in Seoul, and I am very thankful to have share this experience with me. She has definitely made me feel less lonely and scared. We have visited Myeong-dong, Edae, Hongdae, a bit around Korea University area and Itaewon together so far, and we ate and did some shopping. A cool place we visited was this Hello Kitty cafe in Myeongdong. I wanted to stay in there forever!

Madeline outside Anam station. 

 Drivers and pedestrians here are a bit more aggressive than in Texas (in my opinion), so I have also gotten used to being more careful when I am crossing streets.

Eating meat and trying Soju and Makgeolli for the fist time in Itaewon, with Madeline and Jisoo (pardon my terrible face)

Little by little, I feel happier in Seoul. After every hard time, I have learned how strong I can be. I feel proud of myself for being brave so far and not buying a plane ticket back home the moment things got hard (the first night). I also learned that there are many kind and friendly people around me everywhere I go, and with their help I will make the best out of my time here. So my advice to you future abroad student is to never let fear keep you away from your goals, there will always be angels with you along the long and bumpy road