My first birthday in Korea
Hello everyone,
Today I am celebrating one more year of life; time really flies by!
I remember being told a year ago that we were moving to Seoul (I must confess we felt butterflies in our stomachs). We were curious about our new destination, mainly because it was unexpected. And, at the same time, it was exciting, a new culture to get involved in; KOREA wow!
We are nomads by nature, and we received this news, we thought: we are ready for the new challenge!
We arrived on Dec 22nd, ’20, at -19 degrees. It was freezing! You can imagine that we almost died of cold and have never experienced such weather.
My first outing (after the required quarantine) was with a friend who kindly offered to show me the flower market. I was impressed by the variety of colours and the type of different plants and flowers you could find!
I decided that it would be my “Happy place”.
Whenever I can, and my job allows me to, I give myself some time to go and see and smell all those different fragrances and enjoy the beauty.
Then I fell in love with the number of markets there are, so much to discover!
Realising that people don’t speak English, for the most part, was not an argument to stop doing things. Young people handle translation apps, and you realise that people want to help you; they are friendly!
However, it is well known that when you want to get to know a new culture in-depth, you have to get to know the locals. Therefore, it is recommended to understand and read their language (Hangul Korean, that’s what it’s called). Take a look at the pic!
I started taking Korean classes, but soon I realised or rather reaffirmed something: I have no talent for languages! But I still don’t give up and hope to start again…!
It has been a year full of many challenges, where at times, I felt that I was at the bottom. The worst was to be far away from my children.
I learned that everything is within us. That it is not worth losing “inner peace”, but to discover what recharges us with energy. To do a little more what we enjoy and give yourself a space every day. To return to simplicity, in my case, to go for a walk in nature with a positive attitude comforts my soul! It depends on us how we want to feel and what attitude we put before the difficulties.
I can’t wait to continue discovering this country, full of contrasts and vibrant colours, delicious flavours (Korean Barbecue), Hanok (traditional homes) and elegant and beautiful traditional costumes (the Hanbok).
Stay tuned, as I will be sharing my journey with you.
Today I want to thank God for allowing me another year of life. No matter how old you are, never lose your creativity and good spirits.
Ready for the next one!
A hug,
Marcela
