Where is this year going? What the heck have I been doing? What is left on my Korea to-do list? As my time here in Korea draws to a close, I am starting to think about everything I am going to miss about Korea, things I miss about back home, what I'm NOT going to miss about Korea and definitely what I don't miss about home. For some of my friends that are only staying in Korea for 1 year the remaining 3 months can't go by fast enough. While I definitely have my days in which I totally empathize with that idea, I feel these next 3 months will go by far too quickly. That said there are some things that I do miss about home that I am looking forward to when I return. Now of course I miss my dog, my friends and my family, not necessarily in that order but well let's face it dog will almost always get top billing (she says with a wink and a smile). Here is a list of some things I miss about home.
1. Mexican food. Seriously finding decent Mexican food here in Korea is akin to searching for some ancient relic in the bottom of the sea. You know it exists, you find something that is ever so close to what you remember but there almost always seems to be something not quite the same about it. Also forget out $2 tacos. The food you find satiates the craving for the time being but getting back home where decent Mexican food is relatively easy to find will be a nice welcome. Also easily finding the ingredients to make Mexican at home will be lovely. Although I'm not sure how good the Mexican food in New Hampshire will be compared to San Diego, but we'll see.
2. Diners. There is nothing I love more than a decent greasy, hole in the wall, diner and from my experience there are no diners in Korea. There might be some Korean equivalents that serve what might be considered Korean diner food, but I'm talking breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, waffles, steak and eggs, big burgers, club sandwiches, BLTs, monte cristos, sides of fries, onion rings and even some fish tacos or breakfast burritos. I'm currently trying to make a list of diners that I need to hit on my road trip from Colorado to New Hampshire.
3. Dark beer. Delicious, dark, micro-brewed beer that doesn't cost me $9 for a pint. I can't wait to be able to find my favorite beers at a reasonable price. While I don't drink that much with the summer months coming on a nice cold beer and a BBQ with friends just seems too perfect.
4. Wine. Yes, kids there is wine here in Korea but it is often very limited and expensive. Most shops you're limited to a cabernet sauvignon or merlot for red and well I don't really drink white often so I don't really know. If you ever find yourself in Korea expect to pay approximately double the price of what you would pay for a comparable wine in back in USA. So you can find a drinkable wine for about $12 it's probably on about $6 back home.
5. Dryers. Most days I don't really care that I have to hang my clothes to dry. Heck I'm just grateful I have a washing machine IN my apartment, however since I only have 1 set of bedding and during the winter my laundry can take a couple of days to dry I do miss dryers. Having fluffy warm bedding and towels is a wonderful luxury. Is it a big deal not to have a dryer, no of course not, but there are just some days when ..........
6. No smoking in bars. Since I lived in California for most of my life I sort of took it for granted when by the time I turned 21 you could no longer smoke in a club or bar. For me going outside to have a cigarette during the brief periods in my 20's when I was an on and off smoker, it just seemed natural to go outside. Even when visiting Boston and they still allowed smoking, my friend and I went outside to smoke in freezing cold because smoking inside just felt wrong. Now as a full non-smoker, the smoking inside bars and clubs sorta ruins the whole experience for me. Which in some ways has helped me to save money.
7. Cheese. I'm talking real cheese and a variety of cheeses at my local markets. Yes you can get some cheese here, but you either pay an exorbitant amount for it or you travel to Costco. At Costco you will find cheese that will allow you to make your mac and cheese, but the selection is significantly smaller than back at home and the prices are well more. Also if you don't live near a Costco the travel to get there might be double the price of the cheese. At the local store you can buy processed cheese but let's face it, processed cheese is not cheese.
8. Ovens. Oh how I miss my oven. Most of Korean cooking can be done on the stove top so chances are if you come to Korea your apartment will not have an oven. I miss baking which is one of the things I like to do most when I am stressed out. Plus I love to share what I bake. So many times I have wanted to share with my Co-teacher and Korean colleagues some cookies or scones or cup cakes or cakes like we would make back home and I can't because I have no oven. While I could've bought a small oven for my apartment the price for the length of time I was staying here didn't seem to make sense. If I was to stay in Korea for even 1 more year I would definitely have bought an oven.
9. Stars. I miss looking up and seeing stars and constellations. Even when I lived in Los Angeles I could look up and see Orion's belt at the very least. Here in the cities, you definitely can't. There are so many neon signs flashing and blinking everywhere that even on a perfectly clear night it is impossible to see a star unless you get well away from the city.
and because I thought I should end with an even number
10. Junk food. While Korea has a ton of junk food just like the USA I miss some of my favorites that I can't find easily here like Doritos and Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Again, thank goodness for Costco but I also don't necessarily want to buy a giant box of them and those two items I can't seem to locate. Also, while I still think I make some of the best mac and cheese out there sometimes you want that kinda crappy Kraft stuff with the cheesy sauce.
Now probably most of the stuff on this list might be easier to get if I lived in Seoul. Primarily the thing about these items that I miss is the convenience to acquire or visit them. For the most part I don't really have a strong desire for these things very often but when I do it will be so nice to satisfy that hankering rather than feeling like to obtain each item you're on a quest initiated by some evil witch to break a spell.
Coming soon... the little things I will miss about Korea.
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