through what can only be described as a roller coaster ride of thrill and apprehension, I've made it to Korea. it's been 7 years since I've been abroad, and even then, I hardly remember those days in middle school.

upon arrival at 인천공항 (Incheon Airport), I was stunned by just how innovative, clean, and well-designed the facilities were. as if that wasn't enough, when I took the KTX (a rapid, country-wide railroad boasting speeds of up to 300km/hr) to 대전 (Daejeon), my residence for the summer, my jaw wanted to drop in its entirety. being used to Boston's T and California's Caltrain systems, this was seriously a breath of fresh air. when transportation's this well-thought-out, one hardly considers public transit a hassle. time flies on these things without one realizing it.

Daejeon just isn't Seoul. the amount of Hangeul greeting me upon arrival at 대전역 (Daejeon Station) was a bit overwhelming, I'll admit. my roommate, Chiho, wasn't to arrive for at least another 5 hours. numberless and surrounded by strangers, I surprised myself when I made it to my dorm, Nuri Hall (a dorm meant for foreign students). a nice 아점마 made me some food for 5,000KRW. I got settled, unpacked, and that was pretty much that. the rest of the day involved an impulsive trip to E-Mart for basic living supplies that clearly should have been furnished for us, but were not, two rather painful mosquito bites after a respite of 7 years, and my inability to understand at least 50% of what was fed to my ears, 2 years of Korean class withstanding.

hello, Korea.

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