Reflecting On My Birthday....
Can you imagine my panic when I realized that I was to arrive in South Korea only a few days before my birthday! Albeit that was a very long time ago, and I did know months as the date was before I was going. Regardless I was worried!
I've never been one to celebrate my birthday very extravagantly. Normally on my birthday, I keep it cute, and have a small lunch or dinner with my friends, ending with some desserts and a fun (well fun for me) present exchange. However, with everyone traveling and preparing for a semester abroad, I didn't think I would have time to celebrate my birthday when I came. Especially, since I didn't know much about Sinchon let alone a good restaurant to eat!
Gladly though, I was mistaken! The best thing about studying abroad is that luckily you aren't the only anxious, foreign, Korean-speaking skill-lacking student abroad! Due to a combination of both orientation lectures and ice-breakers/games, I started many friendships with students in my program. A particular group stuck, and on the weekend that my birthday came, with 3 of the girls in that group, we went to this quaint highball place! The main highballs are flavored Peach and Green Apple (my favorite!) and they also have a great combination of snacks, one of my favorites being a platter of fries (featuring a variety of types: tater tots, crinkle cut, waffles, potato wedges, smiley's and of course the standard cut.
It may not have been the way that I originally was planning to spend my birthday, but it was a way for me to immerse myself in Sinchon, and get to know the area. More importantly, I was able to make friends with people that I have still been able to hang out till this day! I was really glad to have had the opportunity to celebrate my birthday abroad, and it was a great reminder that there this semester was going to be filled with so much fun!
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