Bianca In South Korea: Land Of Morning Calm

A Question I Often Hear I sometimes hear people wonder: “Why travel to South Korea alone?” But in reality, more and more women over 45 are choosing to travel by themselves for a while, leaving the routines of home behind. It’s very much a sign of the times. Many stay closer to home, others travel further away, everyone has their own reasons. So in that sense, my journey isn’t really that unusual. Still, I believe one important thing: don’t let age become an excuse not to go. Staying Curious and Open to New Experiences I’m fortunate to be in good physical and mental shape and I have never liked standing still.  Stagnation makes me feel old. What truly energizes me is constantly learning, trying new things and challenging myself. For many years I worked as a lawyer. Although that profession certainly required creative thinking from time to time, I eventually realized that I longed for a more creative life: one where I could see the world again with the curiosity and wonder o...

Counting Down to the Adventure Time flies and my enthusiasm keeps growing. My preparation list has been very thorough and thoughtful and now it is ready for action. First, I focused on practical matters. For the first five weeks in Seoul, I will stay in accommodation located about a 15-minute walk from the language institute. The institute is situated in the Gangnam District , an area well known for its modern city life, shopping streets and business atmosphere. When I arrive at Incheon International Airport on Saturday afternoon, March 29, I will be picked up by the institute’s transfer service and brought to my accommodation. My Korean language course will start on March 31. Language Preparation, Small Details Matter In the Netherlands, I already completed my final Korean class and took a final test. Apart from one small mistake, which I probably could have avoided if I had checked more carefully 🫣, I scored 29 out of 30 points. The mistake was about writing the Korean cu...

I feel very privileged to be able to travel to South Korea on my own to learn Korean. When I tell people that I am going to South Korea to study Korean, the first question they usually ask is: Why? But I sometimes wonder, why does one need a special reason to do something new, challenging and ambitious? And why should anyone feel obliged to justify following a dream? Staying Curious, Active and Young at Heart I am 60 years old and I feel great. I exercise regularly and still feel young at heart. I believe I need challenges in my life to avoid feeling mentally or creatively stuck in a middle-aged routine. At some point, I made the decision to leave my career as a lawyer and move toward a more creative life. During the early years of the Covid period, I spent more time at home and began watching Korean films, series and listening to Korean music. The sound of the Korean language really appealed to me. Because I enjoy new challenges, I started learning Korean using a language app. ...