Seoul, I’m back.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been two years since I started planning my second trip to South Korea. Time flies! Despite my financial setbacks, I finally managed to board the plane in Paris on the scheduled day, with a stopover in Frankfurt, before landing once again at Incheon Airport.

A few small changes

With my previous experience on Korean soil, I made sure to take a few additional steps. For instance, I opened an account with an online bank to make international payments easier and to avoid the issue of a blocked bank card. For those planning to travel, I can only recommend doing the same. There are several options available, so don’t hesitate to compare their terms. Personally, I chose Revolut after reading numerous testimonials from travelers who recommended it. So far, I haven’t encountered any issues with this card.

One of the changes I made this time was getting a Korean SIM card. I hadn’t made this purchase during my last trip, and while I managed without it, I found it much more convenient for the duration of my stay. However, I later learned that better deals are available in the city, whereas I got mine at the airport. I encourage you to research your options before your departure, but having a SIM card can make things much easier, especially if you need Internet access or a GPS.

My way of traveling had also evolved. For example, when it came to my accommodations: I wanted to improve my Korean skills, and youth hostels, while welcoming, are mostly frequented by foreigners. Don’t get me wrong, I made some wonderful connections in those places, but English was often the main language spoken. That’s why I booked a private room in a building where very few foreigners stayed, located in the Dongdaemun district. A word of caution, though: be prepared for a lot—a lot—of stairs in this area, something you’ll really notice if you’re carrying one or two suitcases.

Not that simple

The plan for these first few days seemed simple at first glance: stay on my own, explore the city, attend meetups with locals, and improve my Korean. Can you already see the problem? Well, yes, things didn’t go as planned. Let’s be honest, they never do. However, a challenge I hadn’t anticipated ended up standing in my way.

A few months earlier, I had been diagnosed with ADHD. While it wasn’t a huge surprise (by almost 30 years old, some signs had become obvious), I hadn’t realized just how much of a challenge it would be for me. As strange as it may sound, I had never lived alone. Whether at my parents’ house, in shared housing during my studies, with a host family in Ireland, or in a youth hostel during my first trip to South Korea, I had never experienced living on my own. I had therefore never fully understood the challenge of living alone, far from anyone I knew, in a country where I barely spoke the language.

Some people might think I’m exaggerating: “ADHD isn’t serious, blah blah blah…” Well, I don’t care what you think! I’m sharing my experience, period. Take the parts that interest you, don’t make a fuss, and be cute about it, thank you!

Where was I? Oh yes, my little struggles with loneliness. Living alone, for someone with ADHD, often unintentionally leads to a state of inertia. With too many options for what to do, you feel paralyzed: the anxiety of not being able to do everything, the guilt of doing nothing… Even going out to get food felt like climbing a mountain. During the first week, I skipped numerous meals, watched series, slept multiple times a day, and felt guilty for doing nothing, without actually managing to change the situation. Not my finest moment, but you can’t only show the good sides, right?

And…

You can probably guess that I eventually managed to snap out of that state; otherwise, I’d already be telling you about how the return trip went. But we’ll save that for the next article.

Have good weekend!!!