Homestays!

My personal favorite experience during my time in South Korea was participating in two homestays! The CISabroad coordinator for my program helped me set up homestays with two different families. I first stayed with a family that lived outside of Seoul, and they took me to places I would have never found as a foreign tourist. I learned about traditional Korean culture, wore their traditional dress(hanbok), visited a buddhist temple to have tea with a monk, went strawberry picking, and so much more! I also stayed with a girl my age who lived in Seoul, and she was my personal tour guide for all the major touristy spots as well as showing me some hidden gems in the city. She taught me how to make kimbap, helped me learn how to ride the bus system, and made me feel like I fit in as a young adult in Seoul. I know I have made lifelong connections with these people, and I am thankful to call them my friends. We often exchange pictures and stories from all our adventures, and I get to still be connected with my trip and the country even while I’m back in the states.