The exploration begins

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I feel like I have been here for a few weeks already, not 5 days! I was able to meet two of my good friends on Sunday night for dinner here in Seoul, and it was so nice to see them since it has been 2 years since they were in America. We did some walking around and they showed me a huge bookstore which has a foreign/English section. I have my Kindle, so hopefully I won't need to buy books there, but at least it is an option if I need it!
Monday I was able to hang out with my friend's wife and baby while he was at work. That was really nice to relax and just get to know them. I unfortunately ended up getting a little sick though later in the day so I was basically resting/sleeping the rest of the time until the next morning when I felt a lot better. Tuesday I went to my friend's house again and we stayed there until my friend came home from work. After dinner he took me to an area where they have so many stores and a huge department store similar to Nordstroms. That was a good 2 1/2 hour walk and I was introduced to riding the subway here in Seoul as well. Wednesday was pretty low key and I just hung out at my friends house and we were talking alot about me wanting to visit other countries while I am here.
Today I am very proud of myself. I went out and ventured into the city alone. I only went about 15 minutes away by foot and walked around that area, but at least I did it by myself and came back without getting lost at all. I was out for a little over an hour, and the weather was really nice. It gave me some confidence to be able to venture a little further next time, especially with my Seoul city guide my friend bought me and a map with a subway map included. I used the subways all the time in Paris, Germany, and London, so I'm hoping I can pick this up fairly easily as well and really explore the city. I haven't experienced a lot when it comes to the tourist things, but it's been nice to be able to really immerse myself in the culture and I have some time to experience more of the tourist things later as I have time

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Photos

Where I am staying
A more traditional Korean house. On the left side of the refrigerator is the door to my room. There are two more rooms and a bathroom all off of the living room/kitchen

3 of my friends
Han-eol, Kyoung-ho, and Hye-Sun -- three of my friends here in Korea!