Ever wondered what it’s like to live in an Asian city of 23 million people? Here’s a look at a typical studio apartment in downtown Seoul. Welcome to my home!!
You can also check out my new apartment in Turkey, if you feel so inclined. :)
"The sight of the world put mad ideas into me; as if I could wander away, wander for ever, see strange and beautiful things, one after the other."
~ CS Lewis
Big fan of casually sauntering about the planet. Thumb-war champion, blanket-fort specialist and dog mom. Passionate early-years educator, perogie enthusiast, lifelong Canucks fan and outdoor advocate. Sleeping-in-airports aficionado. Exploring the curious corners of planet earth with a journal and a sense of humour! Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, I've been making bad decisions on the road since 2009.
Coast to Coast in 13 Days: The Final Push Across England
The Legend of Lake Baikal: Waters of Supernatural Power
10 Benefits of Traveling Solo![So I was at the gym the other day, running on the treadmill and flipping channels to find that one English program to zone out to while getting my cardio, when I came across the most amazing thing I have ever seen in the history of things. It was a soccer game. A very, very intense soccer game, with a referee and a large crowd. […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/img_0961-36x36.jpg "Head Soccer. Or, soccer with heads. Another reason why Korea is awesome."){kind=small}
Head Soccer. Or, soccer with heads. Another reason why Korea is awesome.![I write this post out of absolute necessity. I’ve already elaborated a bit on my fear of Korean food here, but these two recent discoveries require some further attention. Number One: Pizza. When we went to Pizza School the other night, we had two options: Barbecue Pork Ribs Pizza or Pasta Pizza. Craving carbs, and not feeling particularly like picking bones out of our pizza’s […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/img_7962-36x36.jpg "Spaghetti on my Pizza & Intestines in my Soup: Korean Food Fails"){kind=small}
Spaghetti on my Pizza & Intestines in my Soup: Korean Food Fails![It’s a liberating thought. Tantalizing even. You’ve got a house and a mortgage and a car and maybe a kid or a dog and a job. You have a whole life somewhere. But the thought of selling everything, packing a suitcase and moving far away.. maybe it crosses your mind sometimes. To leave all you know behind. To start anew. To experience life on the […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/71167493547__FB0EE4D2-E8D3-4ED5-8E7B-5135BD58E752-36x36.jpg "On Selling Everything and Moving Away"){kind=small}
On Selling Everything and Moving Away![So I’m in the Northern part of Argentina, with a bag holding my sunscreen, some Argentine pesos, my binoculars and a pear. And I’m on a bus to Brazil, apparently, though I don’t know if they will let me in. Theoretically, this bus will take me to the Brazilian side of the Iguazu falls. Theoretically. And I say theoretically because at this rate I am […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_3526.jpeg-scaled.jpg "From Argentina to Brazil, hopefully."){kind=small}
From Argentina to Brazil, hopefully.![Buenos Aires. Eye-rays, is what I tell my English speaking brain. Not Air-Ees, Eye-Rays. There is something about this place that I can’t put my finger on. We’ve been here a month, and still the city seems to shift, to change. It changes by the time of the day, by the day of the week, almost as the staircases in Hogwarts upend and revise direction, […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_0322-scaled.jpg "On the ground in Buenos Aires"){kind=small}
On the ground in Buenos Aires
Warsaw for the win.
A Welsh-English Camper-Van New Years.
Hey!
I am from Ottawa and I have going to be teaching in Daechi-Dong, Gangnam-gu starting in August. I am super excited and while I am enjoying a couple months off between graduating and going to Korea, I find myself spending hours trying to find out what it’s going to be like there.
I saw this blog about your apartment and I was wondering how you’re managing with such a small, “shoebox” kind of place….I personally think that’s going to be a tough change for me haha! :P
Did you say that you are also in Daechi? Could you give me any tips/info for when I move there please ?? Waaay too excited!
Thanks for your time,
Natalie
Hey Natalie – how exciting!
Yes, living in a shoebox takes some adjusting… but you’ll find you manage just fine. ;) I couldn’t believe my “shower” when I first got here.. but now I kind of love it. It’s hard to imagine having a shower without all my bathroom amenities so easily accessible. Haha.
As for Daechi, yup, I live here too. It’s a great area; it’s clean, it’s really close to Gangnam, it’s walking distance from the Coex mall, and it’s easy to access the rest of the city from. You can find anything you need here – and comforts from home, too, like Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, New York Fries, Subway, etc., etc.. There’s a big E-mart within walking distance (think Walmart), there’s a beautiful stream just south of us, and a soccer pitch with a climbing wall nearby too.
So where are you from? And if you know you’re teaching in Daechi, does that mean you’ve already got a job here? Do you know the name of the school? What age are you teaching?