#laurenharing

[umichenginabroad]

Week 16: Farewells

Well this is emotional.

My study abroad program had its goodbye dinner at the top of Namsan Tower! It was my fourth time being there lol. Definitely got treated to the fanciest Korean food I'd had yet. And definitely the best bathroom view I'd ever had anywhere haha.

I wish the soccer season could've lasted forever. We had a final team dinner with some awards presented, and I got the "Golden Boot" award for scoring the most goals 🤓 also made sure to watch the Korea vs Mexico World Cup game in my Sogang jersey this week in Itaewon :)

Saying goodbye to all the wonderful people I met this semester was both the hardest and most beautiful time. Yes, I cried. Yes, there were lots of hugs. Yes, I hope to see them again someday.

I will always remember the most magnificent view I had out my bedroom window, all the love that was accumulated in our apartment, and of course the friendly stray cats.

When I said at the beginning of this semester that I hoped to personally develop, holy moly was I right. However, it happened in ways I could've never, ever guessed. I learned to be open to the flow of life like never before, which is not always an easy feat, but it's sure worth it.

With all the gratitude in the world,

Lauren

[umichenginabroad]

Week 15: Tarot card magic

After our soccer game this week, I gave the team some tarot card readings :) My roommate back at UMich and I got these cards in Salem last October, so they're pretty legit. I've had some wild resonances come up for people, and this session was no exception. I feel like we had a very therapeutic team-bonding moment <3

My apartment building allows you to rent out a theater room, so I had my classmates over to watch K-pop Demon Hunters for our group project in my K-pop Culture class (so Korea). Also had to include this awesome pic of a cat in sunglasses and a hat (I want it).

My time here is winding down; I'm taking in all the beautiful moments and quality time I have with my friends. Two more blog posts to go... holy moly.

Thank ya,

Lauren

[umichenginabroad]

Week 14: Roomie date night on wheels

One of my favorite activities this week was hitting the Han River on bikes and taking in the beautiful nighttime views. Haesue put Kendall and I onto the super cheap Seoul bike-rental app. We took a little rest after a while and met up with another friend from our exchange program to chat it up by the river, too <3

Lots of fun updates with soccer: We've mainly just been training this semester to get stronger, but recently we've officially begun our matches! With that, I'm officially the first goal scorer in history for the first ever Sogang women's team 😎 Also, during one of our practices, none of the coaches could make it at last minute, so I was asked to run the training session 😎😎 It feels so good to get back into sports more seriously, which is something I miss about the old days and hope to keep up as much as possible back home. We've been mixing it up with some futsal matches, as well.

*peep the girl in the 5th photo on the opposing team wearing a UMich shirt!!!*

I took my friend from Uzbekistan (who's NEVER been to the movie theater before) to see the Michael Jackson movie. I taught him how to moonwalk during the closing credits, and we had a little dance party (the music was too good not to). I've been listening to Michael Jackson non-stop ever since…

Plus a couple extra photos here because photo booths are super popular in Seoul, and I'm a chef and want to share my creations :)

It's starting to feel a bit strange writing so much about myself. At least future me will appreciate these posts, and it's always nice to reflect on the week.

With love,

Lauren

[umichenginabroad]

Week 13: SPECIAL VISITORS

I was lucky enough to have my mom and sister visit this week!!! We did so much, and I still can't believe they were here to share the Korea experience with me.

We visited Seoul Forest during the Seoul International Garden Show, dressed up in Hanbok for our visit to the Gyeongbokgung Palace (now my third time going there haha), and went to a baseball game! Baseball in Korea is extremely popular. It was very unexpected to see the various cheers they would do for each player up to bat, the K-pop dancing cheerleaders, and the insanely upbeat energy. Of course, we also just roamed Seoul during our down time (the amount of steps we did per day was absurd).

We decided to make a trip within a trip and take the bullet train to the southern beach town of Busan! I had one job as their tour guide in Korea... and that was to get us to the places we wanted to go... and I may have taken us to the wrong train station... where we had to abruptly cab to another station during traffic... and arrived to our train within seconds of the doors closing... OOPS. Let me tell you, my lungs burned, my legs were shaky, and I was so sweaty from SPRINTING through Seoul station. Not sure if I recovered my title as their Korean tour guide after that, but we made it :)

Can't leave out the fact that we ate sooo much food and drank sooo much amazing coffee. Seriously, thank you Kenz for finding the best spots. The black sesame lattes and salt bread will forever remain in my dreams.

A major plus having them here was the fact that when the subway was busy, I could always sit on my mom's lap lolll. Definitely got some looks, but it was worth the comfy ride. Our favorite keepsakes from the trip were an adorable caricature and some matching purses (so fashionista).

I am beyond grateful to have such supportive family in my life. I know we'll always remember this trip and all the silly moments along the way.

Thank you,

Lauren

[umichenginabroad]

Week 12: Uni festival, baby

In Korea, spring is famous for annual music festivals across universities! They're called Daedongjae, and they're usually multiple days with a huge lineup of K-pop performances. At Sogang's "Odyssey" festival, it was free for students to attend. I've never seen campus so busy, holy moly.

Some people were in the stadium from the gates opening at 3:00pm and stayed until it ended at 11:00pm -- crazy. I just perched myself up on a ledge outside of the stadium and watched for an hour or so each night. Overall, it's been so wonderful indulging in the new culture here.

Peace out,

Lauren

[umichenginabroad]

Week 11: City girl hiatus

Over the weekend, my study abroad program hosted a trip to the east coast! We took a charter bus to Sokcho and Yangyang, and we spent the night at an ocean-side hotel. It was a blast riding amphibious ATVs, going to a Korean pancake cooking class, and doing archery 😎

Additionally, we hiked to a waterfall in the gorgeous mountains. It was wonderful to breathe in some fresh air. I made friends with some older Korean men who used to live in the US, and we talked about golf lol. Seen as we were in a beach town, there was great seafood to enjoy at a local market for dinner -- even my dessert had seaweed on top.

On the last day, we went to the coastal Naksansa Buddhist Temple. Every time I visit a religious site in Korea, I'm always taken aback by how beautiful the architecture, colors, and details are. Seeing people worship here also made it a very deep and meaningful experience. Overall, I'm so glad I got to see the ocean. It was absolutely freezing, but I had to jump in... and maybe did it in the clothes I was wearing...

To conclude, here are some pictures from my apartment's rooftop gym that I took when we arrived home. Seoul will always have my heart :)

THANK YOU!

-Lauren

[umichenginabroad]

Week 10: School talent show!?

The international student club at Sogang hosted a talent show! There was of course plenty of K-pop dances, singing, and even a DJ set. I'm jealous and should've performed something, but it was just not my time.

We had a lot of activity within my apartment household this week. Haesue bought us Korean treats just because <3, we celebrated Kendall's birthday at a Texas Roadhouse lol, and we had a game night with friends!

I don't have too much to say this week, so I'll let the photo dump speak for itself:

New soccer uniform photoshoot and a pop-up dance class in the streets after practice, my K-pop & Cultural Studies class where we watch and discuss music videos, a visit to a Korean art museum, and the usual enjoyment of food, views, and cats.

Much love,

Lauren

[umichenginabroad]

Week 9: Spoiling myself Korea-style

Korea is famous for its skincare, so I had to check out one of Seoul's high-end dermatology clinics. First, they give you a skin analysis with a scanning machine to base their recommendations on. They offered some treatments, but I ended up just getting a relaxing facial. Then, in honor of the K-pop style here, I decided to get my hair done. I got lots of layers and dyed it a bit pink :)

Lastly -- and personally what I find most exciting -- I got a tattoo!!!!! I've wanted my favorite flower, lilacs, for years. They were in my yard growing up, smell absolutely wonderful, and remind me to live in the present moment because they come and go so quickly every spring. My artist was super cool and read my mind with her design. It's on my ribs, and I wanted it in an East-Asian art style to always remind me of my time in Korea. I went to Seoul Ink, which is a very nice facility. I'm in love... and maybe addicted to tattoos now... lol.

Overall, I've never felt more myself in my entire life. Not just because of the somewhat surface level things I did this week (which I do find to be extremely self-expressive of who I am), but because of the way I've been feeling and developing on the inside. Creating a life away from home has given me a lot of practice with confidence, and as I've mentioned before, the space away from home continues to give me clarity on what I want in life. I am SOOO thrilled to be in Seoul for the next couple months, but best believe I am also quite excited to return home with everything I've learned. Being here has made me realize how lucky I am, and I miss all the wonderful people in my life.

-Lauren <3