Where to Next? A Breakdown of the Next 6 Months Abroad
The moment I stepped foot on US soil after returning from a semester abroad in South Korea, I knew I wanted to leave again.
Where? Wasn’t sure.
How soon? As soon as I could save up enough money to be abroad for a substantial amount of time.
Originally, my goal was Summer 2023, but I didn’t have enough money saved from my part-time jobs and side hustles. So I shifted my vision to the summer after my college graduation. The timing was perfect, as I could travel without needing to worry about taking personal days off from my non-existent job and I had more time to save money for my grand trip.
This will be a basic overview of my future adventures so that it’ll be easier to follow along as I continue to update the blog.
Where am I going?
First, I will be returning to Seoul, South Korea to visit old friends during my study abroad. Within South Korea, I’ll also be traveling to Jeju Island and Busan with one of my friends. I did not get a chance to visit Busan last time I was in Korea and I visited Jeju Island in puffer jacket weather, so these will be new experiences for me!
Next, I will be traveling to Japan! Originally, I wanted to study abroad in Japan but the borders were still closed due to COVID-19 during the Fall 2022 semester.
From there, I will be living in Vietnam for over a month. I’m going with one of my close high school friends, which will be extremely exciting because it’s his first time flying by himself! I’ll also be spending my 23rd birthday in Vietnam… will it be able to top my 21st birthday in Seoul?
After Vietnam, I will be solo traveling to Taiwan, where I’ll be visiting Taipei, the Penghu Islands, and Tainan for roughly 3 weeks total.
My fourth stop is Hong Kong, which is the homeland of both sides of my family! I really wanted to visit the place where my grandparents lived and try to reconnect with my heritage. Admittedly, my Cantonese is hot garbage. My cousin says, “Your Cantonese gets worse every time I see you.” So I’m hoping to surprise them with improved Cantonese when I return home, or at least a better accent.
I will be capping off my post-graduate trip to Thailand when the weather will be the most bearable! I’m incredibly excited to visit the various islands and indulge myself in their street food.
How did I choose each location?
The first thing I assess when I decide to visit a country is its culinary scene. If I enjoy eating the food in the United States, why not try it in the country of origin? Food is closely tied to culture and traditions. Connecting my enjoyment of local cuisine to appreciating the history of the dish adds more depth to the overall experience.
The next factor I consider is the cost of living in proportion to the cost of living in my home country. For example, the cost of living in Santa Barbara, California is prolifically more expensive than Bangkok, Thailand. The average cost of a Chipotle meal is $15+ in California whereas the cost of a meal from a modern restaurant in Bangkok is $5-13. This concept of maximizing the strength of the USD stems from the practice of geo arbitrage.
Lastly, I looked into the visa fees, or lack thereof for each of the countries I was considering. South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan don’t require visas with a US passport, whereas Vietnam and Thailand’s visas only cost $25. I strongly considered visiting Shanghai and Chengdu in mainland China, but the visa fee was $140 and ultimately too expensive for me.
How am I pulling this all off?
Honestly, I’m not too sure either! I’ve done a lot of research into which countries I want to visit and what areas within each country I want to see, but I’m not the type of planner to have activities booked every day of the trip. Currently, I have my flights to and within each country and my accommodations reserved. Anything further than that, we’ll see what I’m up to together!
