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SUMMER LIST 2016 | ACCOMPLISHED GOALS

Published by Jessica Moy

If you didn’t know my goals from this summer, you can catch yourself up HERE!

Two words: NAILED IT!

Ok, there were a couple revisions throughout the summer goals process but, I will explain it all below. Let’s just be happy that they’re all crossed off. WOO!

JESSICA’S SUMMER GOALS 2016!

1. Launch Get Up & Go Girl channel

What? You haven’t subscribed? You can do that now by clicking HERE! If you have subscribed, I will now give you eternal friendship! In all seriousness, I launched Get Up & Go Girl because a fire of creativity suddenly lit inside and told me, do it. I want this channel to evolve and be an outlet for anyone to come for inspiration, a laugh, or to ask questions/start a conversation. I called it Get Up & Go Girl because I do want to focus on girl/women empowerment (but I’m inclusive so obviously anyone can be part of the community). 🙂 Working at an all girls’ school has showed me the importance of girls knowing that there is no limit of what they can do. If my students want to work in the tech industry, start their own business, or travel the world I want to let them know that when the time comes, GET UP AND DO IT! No one should ever stop you or get in the way of what will make you happy. Not a family member, a boyfriend, a boss. No one. Right now my videos focus on fashion/beauty/eating weird snacks because those videos are fun to make and I genuinely enjoy filming them but I do want Get Up & Go Girl to evolve into something much more. It’s all exciting, and I hope you’ll be around for the adventure.

2. Book trip to Australia

Australia is not until next summer! Instead I booked my trip to Bali and it was ah-mazing. Next stop Philippines? Thailand?

3. Take taekwondo classes

HA! I lost interest in taekwondo like, the next day. Instead I sweated like a pig at zumba classes, got bruised at a volleyball game, and attended a bootcamp class. So, you can’t say I don’t try new things. As a result, COUNTING IT!

4. Go to Samgwangsa Temple for Lantern Festival (aka Buddha’s birthday)

You can read all about that adventure HERE.

5. Dye hair blonde

We all know this was a recent venture but, in case you missed it.

6. Attend a Lotte Giants baseball game

I attended a couple Giants games! The team is no good but the games are fun. It’s literally a GIANT party (heh heh, ’cause the team name.. get it) with a bit of baseball on the side.

7. Attend a Kpop concert

I saw PSY live. Soooooo.

8. Attend Boryeong Mud Festival

Ah yes, how can we forget?

9. Attend Busan Sea Festival

‘Twas a great day of eating ALL of the food and raving on Gwangalli beach.

10. Learn Korean alphabet

It’s a lot simpler than it looks. Learn to read Korean in 15 minutes with Ryan Estrada. Honestly, this works.

Goodbye summer! You were an adventure, as always. Can’t wait to brainstorm and execute next year’s goals. I should really step up my game, I think I made it too easy this year. If you have any suggestions, I’m open to them! Leave it in the comments below! 🙂

Jessica

BALI (UBUD) PART 2

Published by Jessica Moy

Annnnnnnnd I’m back with the sequel.

If you haven’t read BALI (KUTA & UBUD) PART 1, go catch yourself up!

We’re going to start this post with my trip to The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. I’m not going to lie, I felt absolutely terrified to see all these monkey’s jumping around. There were so many of them, EVERYWHERE!

They didn’t approach you if you had no bananas (how typical right?), I advise you leave all food at home or in the car that day. Below is a photo of genuine happiness, I really think this is the happiest I’ll ever be because I’ve never been this close to a monkey. I wish the monkey felt the same, but it seems like he doesn’t give a hoot.

One of the best parts of being in Indonesia was ALLLLL THE HEALTHY, WHOLESOME FOOD! Living in Korea I’m used to fried foods covered with thick sauces and spicy kimchi flavoured items so the fact that I can order smoothies, quinoa salad, sweet potato fries, and a black rice burrito made my stomach happy.

I went a little crazy at Dayu’s Warung because I wanted to eat everything on the menu. I don’t think this meal was more than $12 and the portions were huge. If you were wondering, yes I ate all.

The next morning my travel buddy Leni and I woke up at 1:30AM to climb a volcano. Call us crazy, because we are. We voluntarily chose to climb Mount Batur to watch the sunrise because we’re crazy tourists who thought this was a good idea.

Ok, let me rephrase, it was an awesome experience. Truly. However, putting my body through physical exuberance at 3AM when I’m used to being asleep was difficult to say the least. The trail wasn’t smooth, we had to climb and take giant steps around boulders and gaps to get to the peak. Oh, did I mention it was pitch dark AND it started to rain? sigh

When we got to the top, it was freezing. Like, December in Toronto teeth-chattering cold. I was only wearing a small sweater and shaking my bum off. Unfortunately the rain clouds didn’t move for us to properly see the sunrise. Kind of a bummer, especially all we went through to get there.

If you squint, you can sort of see the sun peaking behind the clouds.

Since it was pitch dark, Leni unfortunately twisted her ankle and fell hard once we got to the top of Mount Batur. The face plant left a giant scrape on her knee but she was a champ and still climbed down the mountain despite her injuries. YOU GO GIRL!

Being on top of an inactive volcano that is 1717 m above sea level was pretty cool. The four hour hike up and down was an adventure to say the least, would I do it again? Ehhhhhhh.

The day after our hike, I walked around the markets on Karna Street. Anywhere I go in the world I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to the local markets. It’s where I can see, smell, and hear the bustle of the city and immerse myself in the culture.

At this market they hike prices up like, 200 per cent of original cost. You have to haggle to get a deal. Always cut them down WAY less than asking price. You are not going to pay $35 for a beaded bracelet, YOU’RE BETTER THAN THAT! Cut the price down to like $2 and work from there. You can haggle on a set price and if they don’t budge, perhaps walk away slowly and they might stop you to give what you’re asking.

The vendors are aggressive so you have to stand your ground, this is where your street skills come into play.

I haggled some deals of my own.

Vlog time!! In the video below you will witness how crazy monkeys can be, the adventure that was our hike up the volcano, and a mini shopping haul of all I bought at the market (a lot of cool goodies!).

BALI (KUTA & UBUD) PART 1

Published by Jessica Moy

CAN YOU BELIEVE I WENT TO BALI?! WHAT IS LIFE?!

Never in a million years would I have ever thought I would step foot in the soil of Indonesia. In my mind Bali was an exotic place that will forever be far beyond my reach. It’s way too beautiful of a place for someone like me to go.

It’s like being in an elevator and suddenly the hottest man to ever walk the earth enters and stands casually beside you and he’s so far beyond good looking that you can’t even look at him in the eyes and there’s no WAY you’d ever speak to him without stuttering from nerves. IT’S LIKE BEING STUCK IN AN ATM VESTIBULE WITH JILL GOODACRE! If anyone understands this reference, we are friends forever. Where am I going with this.. oh yes! Bali has always been a place I never thought I would go but a few months ago in a random act of picking a new adventure, Bali was chosen.

On August 10, 2016 my friend Leni and I packed our carry-ons and jet set off to the land of monkeys, rice terraces, and colourful sarongs. Our journey began with boarding Air Asia for the nine hour flight from Busan, South Korea to Kuta, Indonesia.

We arrived in Kuta around 1:00AM (..oy) and stayed at Denayu Homestay, which I booked through Airbnb. If you’ve never booked through Airbnb you can save $25 on your first stay by clicking HERE (dat promo doe). Our place was only a six minute drive from the Ngurah Rai International Airport and a 10 minute walk to Kuta Beach.

We didn’t stay in Kuta for too long but we did spend the afternoon walking along the beach and admiring the surfers and boaters. Coming from Korea, I noticed there were A LOT of foreigners around the city and it didn’t even feel like we were in Asia since everyone spoke English. To be honest, it was kind of nice to not have to use hand gestures when asking for directions or get lost in translation at restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, that’s one the most interesting parts of traveling (communicating with someone who doesn’t speak your language) but where I live it’s my daily life so, it’s a nice break.

Our first meal in Bali consisted of pork skewers, coconut lime salads, rice, and smoothies. I could rave for hours about the food in Bali, it was SO good and SO cheap! Meals cost anywhere between $3-$12, and I mean two dishes and a smoothie type meals. I looked forward waking up every day to eat the goodness that is fresh, Indonesian cuisine.

We made our way out from Kuta to Ubud, a place known for being featured in the movie Eat, Pray, Love starring my spirit animal Julia Roberts. Our homestay in Kuta set up a private driver to give us a ride from Kuta to Ubud and it was only $30 for an hour and a half trip. In Ubud we stayed at Umah Belos 5 Homestay and had an awesome view on our balcony, even though roosters crowed literally ALL DAY AND NIGHT!

The place was clean and situated on a cute dirt road with a ton of local restaurants and spas. Made (the homestay owner) gave us great suggestions on what to do and set us up with fun activities including a rice terrace and temple tour we took the next day.

The first order of business, before touring temples, were to see Tegallalang Rice Terraces. It’s a stunning view that can’t quite be captured properly on camera.

After we awed at the terraces, we made our way to Tirta Empul Holy Water Temple. We had to wear a sarong when entering the temples, which you could borrow once you pay the entrance fee ($1.50).

This temple is known for its public baths where the holy water is believed to be a source of life and prosperity. You can bathe in the water or collect some in a little bottle to take home. It’s crazy to think people have come to this temple for more than a 1000 years.

Often times the temples will have rules such as “put your hair up” or “take off your shoes” or “sprinkle holy water over your head before entering.” It was actually quite nice to walk barefoot through the temples and feel the mud between your toes.

My favourite temple was the Goa Gajah, also known as the Elephant Cave. There were ancient relics (dating back to the 11th century!), bathing pools, lush trees and rice paddies that surrounded the area. It was absolutely beautiful.

Our tour guide was kind enough to drive us to Tegenungan to enjoy lunch beside a roaring waterfall. The water was brown because it rained on and off that day but apparently the water is crystal blue when it’s warm and sunny. Paradise indeed.

Our homestay in Ubud had a plethora of pretty birdies in cages. Although, anytime we wore a hat this bird FLIPPED OUT! I love the look of birdcages and kind of want one for my apartment just to stare at on occasion.

My favourite day in Bali is when we went for a bike ride along the streets of Ubud and waving to locals who were outside doing their daily chores. It was a gorgeous scenery and perfect weather to boot.

SEE! GORGEOUS! THIS COULD LITERALLY BE A DESKTOP BACKGROUND!

Catch all the action of my Bali trip in my travel vlog below! Watch my friend Leni and I eat ALL THE DELICIOUS BALINESE FOOD (including poop coffee.. LOL), explore temples, and fall into a muddy rice terrace. Yup, that actually happened.

TASTE TEST: KOREAN SNACKS

Published by Jessica Moy

My friend Dev and I got together and filmed a taste test video for my Get Up & Go Girl channel. We ate/spit-out Korean snacks we’ve never tried before including the best ice cream EVERRR, a couple odd flavoured chips (tteokbokki anyone?), and whatever else the Korean convenience store had to offer. I hope you enjoy this video more than we enjoyed squid jerky.

EPIK PROGRAM: APARTMENT TOUR

Published by Jessica Moy

Hey everyone!

I wanted to share what EPIK provides when you start working with them in South Korea. Every place will vary in location and size but no matter what, when you get hired by EPIK your apartment is FREE (no stress of rent, and think of the money you’ll save!). Also there is no need to purchase a bed or a desk because in your contract, there will be a list of items EPIK will already have in your apartment upon arrival.

Personally speaking, I love my place! It is in close proximity to my school.. I could literally throw a tennis ball from my door and it will hit a classroom window. The subway station is a tad far (15 minute walk or a 5 minute bus ride) but it’s never been a problem, there is a beautiful hiking trail behind my building and a handful of restaurants and cafes nearby.

Below I give you a tour of my apartment and explain what EPIK provides and doesn’t provide when you make the move, as well as information on bills bills bills (wifi, gas, electric, etc). If you have any questions about the EPIK program or what it’s like teaching English in South Korea you can always tweet me @Jessica_Moy, happy to chit-chat. 🙂

This post was created for EPIK ePress.

I AM MALALA – MALALA YOUSAFZAI

Published by Jessica Moy

Wow. Just, wow.

I read I am Malala while on vacation in Bali and could not put this book down. Every single person in the entire world needs to read her story. Malala is a girl who stood up for equal education, was shot in the head by the Taliban, and lived to tell the tale.

Throughout the book I learned about Malala and how she’s your average teenage girl – loves to read, do her hair, and talk about boys. She is humble, strong, and her relationship with her fearless father (who fought long and hard to keep his schools open in Pakistan despite threats from the Taliban) is endlessly inspiring.

Chills ran through my body when I read about the young man from the Taliban who stopped Malala’s school bus to ask, “who is Malala?” Seconds later he shot her in front of all of her schoolmates. The bullet skimmed her brain and landed near her shoulder. Everyone on the bus survived, including Malala. The part in the book when she’s taken away from her home and family to go to the U.K. for intensive care brought me to tears.

The most important lesson I learned from this book is the impact a loving family, freedom, and an education can have over a person.

We can help Malala by supporting The Malala Fund, an initiative to make sure girls around the world complete 12 years of safe, quality education. To show what she is fighting for, below is a video that looks as the challenges girls face in Nigeria. It’s an eye-opener.

I can’t talk about a book and not share my favourite quotes:

“No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.”

“It is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.”

“At night our fear is strong, but in the morning, in the light, we find our courage again.”

“Had there been no hope I would not be here.”

“We humans don’t realize how great God is. He has given us an extraordinary brain and a sensitive loving heart. He has blessed us with two lips to talk and express our feelings, two eyes which see a world of colors and beauty, two feet which walk on the road of life, two hands to work for us, a nose which smells the beauty of fragrence, and two ears to hear the words of love. As I found with my ear, no one knows how much power they have in their each and every organ until they lose one.”

“In my part of the world most people are known by their sons. I am of the few lucky fathers known by his daughter.”

KOREAN DISHES I ACTUALLY ENJOY

Published by Jessica Moy

Korean food and I have had a rocky relationship. I don’t like eggs, I only eat kimchi because it’s in front of me, rice cakes make me gag, sugar on top of potatoes is weird, and anything with the words blood, intestine, or gizzard I tap out.

What’s left for me to eat in Korea? Not too much.

I do enjoy select Korean dishes so if there are any of you who are like me (picky AF, apparently) there is hope!!! When I go to any Korean restaurant, in front of me will be one of the seven dishes listed below.

1. Kimchi Bokkeumbap

This is my all-time favourite Korean dish. I don’t looove kimchi but mixed with fried rice (bokkeumbap) the taste of kimchi is subtle and delicious. I first had this while spending a summer in NYC and became addicted, I legit had it every day. I prefer kimchi bokkeumbap with pork, no egg and MELTED CHEESE ON TOP! The cheese is key! You gotta eat this dish with a spoon because it tastes different with a fork, kind of like how chocolate milk tastes different when you drink it through a straw.. am I the only one who thinks this?

2. Gimbap

Gimbap is sold everywhere in Korea – convenience stores, on the street, restaurants, etc. It’s my go-to if I need a quick bite on the run. The ingredients are similar to sushi (rice, seaweed, fish) but what makes it different is that gimbap is also stuffed with egg, which I take out or leave in depending how lazy I feel, and vegetables such as mushrooms, carrots, spinach, and radish.

There’s a restaurant near my house that serves mango gimbap and it’s sooo good!

3. Jajangmyeon

This noodle and black bean dish is typically eaten on Black Day, also known as single awareness day in Korea (LOL!). Valentine’s Day is February 14 (women buy men gifts), White Day is March 14 (men buy women gifts), and Black Day is April 14. If you did not receive gifts for Valentine’s Day or White Day you’re sad, single, lonely and should wear all black and wallow into black noodles. Honestly, sounds like a typical day for me.

In all seriousness this dish is delicious and contains diced pork and vegetables covered in a salty black soybean sauce.

4. Ramyeon

Not the pre-packaged kind, I’m talking about freshly made ramyeon. This dish has to have a kick, the spicier the better. I want tears and snot to run down my face as I eat it (you’re welcome for that mental image).

5. Dolsot Bibimbap

The classic dish of rice and vegetables is served in a stone bowl (dolsot), which makes the rice nice and crunchy at the bottom. Did you know that bibimbap was traditionally eaten at the end of the lunar new year since families wanted to get rid of leftover food before the new year began? Now you know! It’s also commonly served as airplane food when you’re on a Korean airline, which I enjoy.

6. Pajeon

This Korean pancake is typically served as street food, or at my school for lunch. I prefer the green onion pajeon which I dip in a spicy soy sauce. You can also get kimchi or seafood pajeon but, the green onion one is the best.

7. Donkas

I suppose this pork cutlet dish can be compared to a schnitzel, but if you say schnitzel in Korea no one is going to know WTF you’re talking about. Donkas is breaded and fried pork served with rice and a gravy sauce. It’s a simple, yummy dish (well duh it’s yummy, fried food is always tasty) and commonly cut into strips so it’s easier to eat with chopsticks.

What Korean dishes do you love? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments below, or tweet me @Jessica_Moy.

THREE LESSONS I’VE LEARNED SINCE LIVING ABROAD

Published by Jessica Moy

Let’s chat. Like, let’s really have a heart to heart. Grab a cup of tea and a snack because we’re going to get into it.

I’ve been living in Busan, South Korea for almost six months. Six friggin’ months. I’ve never been away from home for this long or been this far from my family. But, here I am. Still alive, happiest I’ve ever been, and creating a life for myself that’s not of the norm but I suppose no adventurous spirit wants to be cooped up in a small town with no room for potential growth.

I was talking with my mom last night and she made a joke on how she, “always loses me.” For instance, when I was five my family went to a carnival for Canada Day. She looked at my brother and I in the eyes and said, “WE ARE NOT GOING TO THE PARK! DO NOT GO TO THE PARK!” I specifically remember she made my brother and I hold hands so we wouldn’t lose each other. Mom turned her back for a second and POOF! There I go, making a b-line to the park. She looked back and asked my brother, “where’s your sister?” He shrugged. She thought, “well she can’t be at the park, I told her not to go there.” She searched and cried and searched some more until she saw me, playing on the swings, at the damn park. Before I knew it I was scooped away into my mothers arms and carried back to my brother. Everyone cheered because I was the lost girl that was found.

Man, I was in so much trouble that evening.

I’ve come to realize that in life (we’re about to get sentimental) you need to make a b-line to places you want to go even though people tell you not to. Since making my b-line to South Korea (my mom told me not to go initially, LOL, but here I am! All is good, she’s my biggest supporter now) here are three of the most important lessons I’ve learned from the past six months:

1. It’s hard to make friends as an adult

There was someone who commented on one of my vlogs about how I should make a video about, “how to make friends when you move abroad.” As of right now, I can’t make that video because I don’t even know myself. I don’t want to give typical advice and say, “get out of your comfort zone, join a club, don’t be shy, etc.” It’ll be a bunch of bullshit to tell you what you want to hear. I’m going to give it to you straight, making friends is not easy. You can make a ton of acquaintances when you move abroad, really nice ones, but friends are hard to come by. Honestly, you just have to be patient. Someone will come along who is going to put up with your shenanigans, who you’ll naturally feel comfortable around, naturally pay for each other’s meals, borrow clothing, etc. If you have found all of this with someone, you have found a true friend.

Feeling lonely doesn’t have to suck. I’ve experienced loneliness while living abroad but it meant I had time to discover hobbies I never knew I’d love (painting) and creating projects for myself that make an income (freelance writing/YouTube videos). When you move abroad you rely on yourself for your own happiness and if you make a friend or two in the process, THAT’S A SWEET BONUS!

2. I’m not brave, just bored

A ton of people say how brave I am for moving to Asia and the other day someone said how brave it was that I jumped into the middle of the ocean even though I don’t know how to swim. I wouldn’t call any of this brave, I just get bored. Being brave is overcoming circumstances even though odds are against you. I’m not worthy of that title. Soldiers are brave, cancer patients are brave, single parents are brave. Me? I’m a bored 20-something with an insatiable thirst for new experiences and will do anything for a good Instagram pic. That’s it.

3. Money is best spent on experiences

Buying materialistic things can make you feel good, it’s like science. However, the clothes, purses, watches you purchase remain separate from you. The way people make you feel, wondrous things you see, stories you create while traveling.. these are apart of you, they are inside of your heart and memory. I don’t buy as many materialistic things since I’ve moved to Korea, mostly because I can’t take much of it back to Canada. As a result I spend my money on concerts, traveling, festivals, etc. These experiences have taught me a whole lot more than any new outfit or watch ever could.

That’s all from me! Cheers to another six months of learning, growing, and figuring things out. Oh, and for making a b-line to places we want to go. 😉

While we’re here, check out my latest vlog! I dye my hair blonde, go to a couple raves, participate in a 7k glow in the dark run, attend the Sea Festival, etc etc etc. It’s a fun one so watch it. kthanksloveyoubye

LET’S GO SAILING

Published by Jessica Moy

I’m too tired to write paragraphs about my adventures last week since life has been crazy busy and all I want to do is sleep without waking up every hour sweating from the humidity. Summer camp is almost over, and I’m at the final stretch of planning and executing lessons. Therefore, rather than massive paragraphs, I am going to explain each picture in a haiku. I don’t guarantee quality in these haikus, it’s midnight and my eyes are currently half closed. Leggo..

Skateboarding is cool.
I’m secretly good at it.
It surprised the boys.

We went out sailing.
I do not know how to swim.
I jumped off the boat.

The view from the boat.
Busan is so beautiful.
You should come visit.

Love delicious noods.
That’s short for noodles, weirdo.
Do you love noods too?

I did some shopping.
Bought a mask and a planner.
Watch my haul vid, now.

(Subscribe to my fashion/beauty/lifestyle channel Get Up & Go Girl if you haven’t already!!!)

This is my cool vlog.
Sailing, shopping, and much more!
Watch it now, please? THANKS!

BORYEONG MUD FESTIVAL

Published by Jessica Moy

A couple weekends ago I attended the staple festival for every foreigner who comes to South Korea, the Boryeong Mud Festival.

I went with the tour group Enjoy Korea and they set up transportation, accommodation, and tickets into the festival. It was an organized weekend which I appreciated and they stationed a mini bar/food stand right beside our pensions so there was a place for everyone to gather at night.

I hate to say it but the mud festival itself was a bit of a dud. There were mud wrestling stations and inflatable slides but the “mud” was literally dirty water on the pavement that people rolled around in. I spent an hour at the festival, got bored of it all so I cleaned off at the beach and hung out with new friends from Daegu.

As night fell we gathered on the beach and watched PSY live in concert!!! YES!!! THE MAN WHO SINGS GANGNAM STYLE!!! IN FRONT OF OUR EYES!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!! That was by far the best part of the trip. The beach was crowded with dancing and singing festival goers.. even in the freezing rain.

The pensions we stayed in were giant empty rooms with a blanket and pillow. Sleeping on the ground wasn’t ideal but after a full day on my feet I would have slept standing up, the exhaustion was real.

On the following Monday my friend Dev and I went to Nampo to catch up, have dinner, buy matching T-shirts, and hit on the cute man who served us gelato. Ok that was just me.. you can see it in the vlog above!

SUMMER TUNES ON REPEAT

Published by Jessica Moy

If I like a song, it will be played on repeat for weeks, or until I can’t stand it no longer. It’s one of the many reasons why I should never have a roommate..

These summer jams are all I have been listening to for the past week and thought I would share them with you! Let me know in the comments below what tunes you’ve been loving this summer, I need new songs to wear out.

Who Do You Think Of? – M.O.

Perfect Strangers – Jonas Blue feat J.P. Cooper

Make Me -Britney Spears feat. G-Eazy

Cruel – Snakehips feat. Zayn

WAS THAT AN EARTHQUAKE?

Published by Jessica Moy

Earlier this month there was a 5.0-magnitude underwater earthquake near Ulsan, which meant Busan also had quite a shake. No one reported any injuries and there were no damages in result of the earthquake, but if you’ve never felt the world tremble.. it’s a craaaaaaazy feeling.

I was sitting on my bed when I felt a rumble. The best comparison of how it feels is when you’ve finished riding a roller coaster and you’ve come to a full stop, waiting to get back to where you started. All the sudden, you start to jerk forward and it keeps doing that until you stop (for good this time) and the ride announcer dude says it’s ok to push your handle bars up and exit to your left. The small stop and start of the ride is what a small earthquake feels like. It’s enough to make your stomach feel queasy.

Have you ever felt an earthquake? What do you do in emergency situations? Someone needs to inform me of all safety precautions and procedures! Please send informative earthquake drill brochures, and ice cream. The ice cream has nothing to do with earthquakes, I’m just really craving Ben & Jerry’s.

Anyway, let’s talk about something more uplifting.. BEACHES! The beaches are marvelous this time of year and I’m lucky to live by so many of them.

I went to Dadaepo Beach last weekend, rented a tube (₩5,000 won for the day), and didn’t move for a couple of hours. The scenery wasn’t too bad either.

Dadaepo is known for its breathtaking sunsets, as well as the Sunset Fountain of Dreams. Sounds majestic, right?. FACT: It is actually the world’s largest water fountain. WHO KNEW? At night (around 8 P.M.), the fountain lights up and moves in sync to thrilling music, shooting water up to 55 m above the ground. Want to see the fountain in action? WATCH MY LATEST VLOG BELOW!

EPIK TEACHER: WHAT TO PACK & NOT TO PACK

Published by Jessica Moy

“How do I put my entire life into this?”

A question I pondered to myself five months ago as I stared quizzically at my silver suitcase laid open on my floor, waiting for me to pack. Anything.

“This suitcase is massive,” I tilted my head, “would I be able to fit myself inside of it?”A question that was neither here nor there but in case you were wondering, the answer is yes. Yes I could.

Eventually I figured out the whole packing situation and since I’ve been in Korea for awhile, I have a few tips for upcoming EPIK teachers. Below are my suggestions on 5 items you should pack and 5 items to leave behind when moving to South Korea.

What to pack:

1. Fitted bed sheet

In Korea we use a pad that goes over the mattress and I’m constantly pulling at the corners to keep it on. The only problem is that the bed size at your place will vary. I have a double but I know a couple EPIK teachers who have a queen (lucky buggers). Perhaps bring over a queen fitted bed sheet just to be safe because you’re not going to find fitted bed sheets here.

2. Comfort food

One thing I miss most about home is familiar food. I brought over a can of maple syrup (how Canadian of me right..) but I suggest if you like a certain spice, flavour, snack or tea, bring it over. There’s a likely chance you won’t be able to find it at your local grocery store.

3. Favourite personal hygiene products

Do you only use Crest Whitening Toothpaste? Dove Pomegranate & Lemon Deodorant? U by Kotex Tampons? You probably won’t find it here. Bring a few.

4. Gifts for co-teachers

This is not mandatory, but it’s a kind gesture to give a gift to your co-teachers (I have 5!) after receiving your first paycheque to thank them for all they have done. Bring something small that represents your home country such as small flags, thank-you cards, candy, etc. You can add onto the present when you arrive but they’ll appreciate having something from your home country.

5. Bathing suit

I don’t know if it’s just me but it’s impossible to find a bathing suit here. I live in Busan aka beach central and cannot find bathing suits (specifically, bikinis) at any store. Koreans don’t really wear bathing suits, not even to the beach so that could explain why they are hard to find. You could shop online but, save yourself the hassle. Bring one from home.

What to not pack:

1. More than two check-in suitcases

If you’re going to be in Korea for a year or two, you don’t need to check-in more than two large suitcases at the airport. If you do, YOU’RE BRINGING TOO MUCH STUFF!

2. Blow dryer/curling iron/straightener

The plug you use at home is probably not the plug we use in Korea and a blow-dryer/straightener/curling iron will burn out an adapter. You can purchase blow dryers easily at grocery stores and straighteners at Olive Young or department stores (among many other places).

3. Kitchen utensils

I cannot even count how many kitchen supply stores there are in Korea, especially in little markets where you can buy them for cheap. Leave the spatula, cutlery sets, and mugs behind.

4. Pillow or blanket

They take up too much space in your luggage, buy it all here.

5. Books

You’re better off purchasing an electronic book reader so that you’re not taking up space in your luggage. If it’s bulky and you don’t use it every day, it will start cluttering up in your bachelor size room.

If you’re currently an EPIK teacher, what are your suggestions to bring or leave behind? Let me know in the comments below!

This post was created for EPIK e-Press.