Taking the public transportation in Seoul was one of my favorite things to do. I find that despite its inconveniences, the different types of public transportation have their own specific magic. The inner-city buses, the inter-city buses, the different types of metros, subway and commuter rail systems all have their own feel and nuances.
My morning commute to and from my homestays was probably one the best parts of my day. My first class started just before noon so I wouldn’t have to wake up too early and still managed to avoid the morning rush hour. I treasured being able to wake up to the sound of the local vegetable truck driving by as they announce their wares through a megaphone and lazily begin getting ready for the day. I first stayed in the Jongno-gu area near Gyeongbokgung Palace which was just under an hour away from my school by public transportation. I grew to love those commutes and the different ways to experience them. Stepping out into the crisp morning air and walking down the steepest hill and between apartments to catch the bus to the subway station, sitting at the back of the brightly colored bus watching all the neighborhoods drift by, feeling my body grow tacky and having my thighs stick to the plastic seats in the stifling heat of the subway station. Being able to step into the chill respite of the strongly air-conditioned subway cart, put on my headphones, start up my Japanese playlist, and feel like I was in an anime opening. Then, starting the entire process over in reverse once it was dusk. Being able to pass the apartment complex playground, the elementary and middle school, and the children scurrying around the little park right next to the subway entrance, all within the 10 minutes it took to get from my second homestay to my first subway of the day. I grew to love the 이촌 station entrance/exit 3-1 sign along with its ocean themed mural (almost as much as my strawberry milk). I passed it so often, in so many similar-yet-different contexts that it came to feel like home during my time there; its silhouette reassuring every time I saw it.
Nicolle is a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts and minoring in Korean, who is passionate about the arts, travel, language, and culture. She studied abroad to South Korea the summer of 2019.
nicollecollege@gmail.com
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