I can hardly believe I’ve been living in Korea for a week and a half. In some ways it feels like I’ve been here much longer than that, and in other ways it feels like I got here only yesterday. I’m settling in pretty well though overall, and I thought I’d share a glimpse of my apartment for anyone curious back home!
I live approximately 5 minutes walking distance from the school I’m working at, in a large apartment building right next to my friend Dylan’s building. I can actually see his window from the lobby on my floor where I wait for the elevators! I’ve never lived in an apartment tower before (I’m not the biggest fan of waiting for elevators) but it’s in a perfect location and so far has worked out great. My door has a keypad, which I adore, because it makes me feel like a spy punching in a secret code.
It’s a relatively small apartment, but I still feel like I have lots of space to move around. I might need to invest in a couch so that I can have people over, but I’m also enjoying being able to practice yoga facing my big window.
True to Stephanie form, I outfitted my space with as many pops of colour as I could muster. Luckily, the local dollar store chain, Daiso, is all too happy to oblige – they have lots of neons and rainbow colours for not a lot of money! The kitchen doesn’t have a lot of counter space, which I’m getting used to, but that being said, I think it actually has more than my first ever apartment! I have two gas burners, no oven, and a washing machine. I think I’ll be investing in a toaster oven soon.
Here’s the view from the bed. On the far right is a big closet, and there’s another by the door.
I was pretty relieved that I have a “Western-style” shower, one that’s closed off from the rest of the bathroom. In many Korean apartments it isn’t, so when you shower everything gets wet. I definitely had a hallelujah moment when I saw that mine had a real door and everything! The bathroom is right across the hall from the kitchen space.
And last but not least, my beloved desk. I (crookedly) put up that pink wall decal (yes, from Daiso!) to serve as a kind of bulletin board, but I haven’t gotten around to putting anything up on it yet.
This is the view from my apartment if I lean precariously out the window to the right. Straight ahead of me on a cloudy day, the view is like this:
Either way, not too shabby. The beach is just behind those buildings!
The apartment is still a bit of a work in progress, but it’s growing on me the more I make it my own. I have all the things I need now to cook and clean, along with a few cute things that make me happy. I’ve heard that the apartments foreign teachers get can be kind of yucky, so I feel like I really lucked out. I like my little apartment! It’s going to be just perfect for my year in Korea.
