I’ve been in Busan, South Korea for a year now, so I thought it’s probably time to make a list of things that I love about my home away from home. These are the things that jumped out at me as things that are pretty Korea-specific that I’ll definitely miss in the future.

Presented in no particular order:

1. Food – Holy smokes. Just to give a little background information, I’m from Louisiana. In Louisiana, we do food correctly. We understand what it is to make a meal, and make it delicious. Coming to Korea, I assumed that I wouldn’t really enjoy any of the foods or snacks that I’d eat while I was here, but I was so wrong. The food here is really good and really cheap. You can find affordable restaurants lining the streets and markets here, and most of them stay open late. I’ve been spoiled.

2. Indoor shoes – Have you ever been faced with the issue of having ridiculously uncomfortable shoes at work? Well, here in Korea, that’s not really an issue. Workers can pick the most comfortable shoes around and keep them exclusively as work shoes. At school, we leave our shoes in cabinets by the main entrance. My favorite part of this? In winter we can wear fuzzy slippers while we teach. I know it seems impossible, but it’s real.

3. Dessert Cafes – Dessert cafes exist back home, but not in the same way. They’re literally everywhere. Dating culture has had a serious influence on the type (and ridiculous number) of date-ready spots around Busan. Most dessert cafes have some kind of theme, and I’ve seen a pretty crazy variety. My friends and I have been to a rabbit cafe, sheep cafe, Snoopy cafe, Hello Kitty cafe, the list literally goes on and on. My personal favorite is the rabbit cafe near KSU.

4. Cosmetics – Korea is a makeup junkie’s dream. Not only are the streets lined with amazing cosmetics shops, but so are the subway stations. I’ve never thought of myself as a makeup-wearing kind of girl, but Korea has changed that in a pretty big way. It’s been too easy to just pop in to Etude House and buy sale items while I wait for my friends to meet up. I’ll definitely miss the convenience and quality when I leave.

5. Convenience stores – Since we’re talking convenience, I have to mention convenience stores. Just like cosmetics shops, convenience stores are EVERYWHERE. When out and about in Busan and hunger strikes, there’s almost a guarantee that a convenience store is within a 5 minute walk in any direction. This has been a blessing and a curse for me, though, because there’s a convenience store attached to my apartment building. You never really need that candy bar at midnight, but the siren song is that much louder when it’s just an elevator ride away.

6. Noraebangs – Noraebangs are magical worlds where only you, your closest friends, soju, laser lights, microphones, and tambourines can coexist undisturbed by the outside world for as long as you want. Of all of the things in Korea, noraebangs might be the one thing that I’ll miss the most. At a noraebang, you can truly be who you were meant to be – Britney Spears.

7. Public transportation – My coteachers are always amazed when I tell them where I went over the weekend. It’s not unusual for foreigners in Korea to travel 3+ hours to go to an event or festival, because most of us come from places that are a bit larger than Korea. The public transportation here makes everything that much easier and it’s all affordable. I can go from Busan to Seoul via KTX (high speed train) and be there in about 3 hours. When in Busan, I can ride the cable cars at Geumjeong  (Oncheonjeong), decide to go to the beach, hop on the metro, and be at Gwangalli in 30 minutes.

8. Festivals – Here in Korea, there’s a festival for everything. My friends and I have been to Boryeong Mud Festival, the Busan Fireworks Festival, the Lantern Festival (Jinju), and numerous cherry blossom festivals. There’s never a lack of things to do in Korea on the weekends. The problem is prioritizing which festivals to go to first, which isn’t really much of a problem.

9. Outdoor activities – This has got to be one of the biggest reasons I love Korea. There’s always a season-appropriate activity to plan for weekends here. Skiing, swimming, and hiking are just a few of the things you can do outside. There are always facilities available in the more popular areas, but if you really want to explore, there are options for that as well.

10. Clothes – Being a small, vertically challenged and stubby limbed, person in the US is limiting as far as wardrobes go. Coming to Korea and being an average-sized person with average-sized feet has been amazing, and it’s even better because my bank account hasn’t been too badly abused. The day I discovered all of the vintage and thrift stores in Nampo (Busan) was a magical, wonderful day.

There are TONS of other reasons to love Korea, but these are just a few of mine. Some might be Busan-specific, but that just gives you more of a reason to visit!