Going Solo

I’ll be honest. My entire life until I came to Seoul, I have never been on a solo trip. I have always traveled in groups, whether it’s with my family or with my friends. I have yet to have been alone, until now. I definitely had a large hang up on going out alone because I want to experience things I can talk about with people. Plus, who doesn’t love being able to make live commentary about what you’re doing/seeing and making the people around you laugh. 

    Since it’s already been almost 2 months since I’ve been here, and I feel like I haven’t seen much of Korea, let alone Seoul, I decided I need to stop waiting for my schedule to line up with others and just go on trips by myself. Best decision I’ve ever made. 

    I highly suggest sitting on a bus while looking out dramatically like the protagonist of a mediocre YA coming-of-age novel with headphones playing some over-dramatic Bollywood love song from the 2000’s or Korean power ballad. Before actually experiencing it, I wondered why this was such a common trope, and now I can’t get enough of it. There’s something calming about having no expectations from being with other people, and you can enjoy whatever life has to throw at you. 

    Maybe that is just the introvert in me speaking, but I have experienced a couple of amazing days where I decided to leave the Yonsei campus on my own and tackle Seoul. Taking on public transport has become significantly easier overtime (thanks to practice and Naver Maps), and my understanding of the Korean language due to exposure and the KLI course I am taking have made being by myself completely doable. 

From going to Bogeunsa Temple and the Starfield Library to visiting cafes to study, realizing that I can be on my own has made me feel freer in a way I have never felt. And I highly encourage others to also experience this feeling. (Although only do it once you feel you are not going to get yourself lost.) Seize the day! If you can’t find people to go with, that’s perfectly okay! Me, myself, and I is a perfect trio, and three makes for a lovely crowd.