1- Grocery Shopping
-I miss going to the grocery store and shopping with ease. Being able to quickly navigate through isles and pick up exactly what I want and need with out having to consult my dear friend Google Translate every 4 seconds. I miss being able to
QUICKLY read signs to find the best deals. I miss produce being
CHEAP. The days when I could buy a watermelon with the extra change in my car. The days when apples didn't cost nearly $1.50 EACH. Gone are the days when I could quickly swing by the grocery store and pick up items for my weekly meal prep. I now have to plan a block in my day to grocery shop because it has become an hour and a half scavenger hunt.
2-Sarcasm
-Just doesn't translate. I miss not feeling like a complete a** every time I am sarcastic.
3-Shoe Shopping
-My shoe fetish has been tamed here in Korea. I am more likely to see the Lockness Monster walking down the street on a leash than I am to find a pair of shoes in my size here. I am an
average Western size 8.5 (American size) but when I walk into a store and ask if they carry that size you would have thought I asked for the original copy of the Declaration of Independence gift wrapped in sheets of gold. The employees look at me as if they were saying "
WHY would we carry that MONSTROUS size? and WHAT kind of beast wears it?"
4-Mexican Food
-There is
NO real Mexican food in Korea. At 5 am when I am waiting for the first train to start running, there in
NOTHING more in the world that I desire more than a California Burrito. Nothing satisfies an alcohol induced body like a 2,000 calorie burrito that is OOZING with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, french fries and carne asade, especially after you DROWN it in red salsa and lime juice.
I dream of the day I am able to stumble into Roberto's on 3rd and molest a burrito in the most unladylike manner surrounded by my dearest friends laughing at the mayhem we caused that night.
5-Sports
-Don't take this the wrong way, sports in Korea (especially baseball) are great. But I miss turning on
ESPN after work, watching AND understanding the highlights. I miss the days when sports aired in the evening so after a long day I could glue myself to the couch (with said
Mexican food ^) and watch whatever game that was on. Unlike now, watching sports either requires me to stay up all night long or wake up at some ungodly hour (4 am), to go to an over crowded, over priced bar and sit (if I am lucky enough to find a seat) among loud, annoying and drunk fans. And the days that I am one of those loud, annoying and drunk fans, I miss, as mentioned previously,
Mexican food.
6- Communication
-This is a broad topic. I miss speaking fast. I miss walking into a store or restaurant and not having to worry about comprehension issues. I miss the independence speaking the home language allows you. If my sink were to break at home I'd have no issue in calling a plumber (my dad) but here in Korea, I called for a plumber and an electrician showed up. I miss ordering delivery on my own and having
EXACTLY what I want be exactly what I receive instead of it being a surprise each time. I never know what I am going to get, I may think I ordered chicken but might just receive 3 pizzas and a cola. I miss understanding everything that is going on around me and not going through my everyday life as if I were playing charades, having to communicate with hand gestures and body movements.
and last but definitely not least......
7-Clevage
-I miss cleavage not being considered the work of the devil. When having a bit of cleavage didn't automatically place you in the "she's fast, cheap and gets around" category. When using cleavage to your advantage was something universal to most (those with it) women, widely accepted by all women and beneficial in so many ways. But I
ESPECIALLY miss when having cleavage was just something awesome.
#CHEERS2HOME
PS: Korea is amazing and I love living here otherwise.
