Moving To South Korea?

Food

You can’t walk into your local grocery store and get yourself a box of Kraft Mac n’ Cheese. Bad as it may be, it's still one of the og comfort food. Or Indian red chilli powder. And if you’re a vegetarian like myself and ethnically Indian, then good luck trying to find some spices and snacks you love. At least in smaller cities. So pack some non-perishable food for a rainy day.

Deodorant

The deodorant options are limited here, and in my city the only brand I have seen is Nivea. And it is way overpriced. Like 6-9 dollars which costs like 2.99-4.99 back home. So pack yourself a year’s worth of supply.

Plug Adapter + Voltage Converter

You’ll be using your devices the moment you step off of the airplane. And for me finding an adapter outside of the airport was very difficult. So highly recommend that you pack these along with you. Or buy yourself one at the airport.

Clothes

Now Korean fashion style does run differently than American and Canadian styles. It's more baggy, modest, and classical for a lack of a better word. I rarely see people wearing more form fitting clothes. So be sure to do your research on the expectations or how your future coworkers dress at your workplace. I dressed like a Canadian at my first workplace, and more like a Korean at my second workplace. However, the sizes do tend to run on the smaller size especially if you have junk in the trunk or chest. So once again do your research on this. I wouldn’t recommend just going in blindly, like I did. Major regrets for someone who is generally considered quite hip back home. Or is that term out of fashion now?

Makeup

If you’re on the medium shade range of your base makeup, then you will have to bring that with you. Also the colourful makeup here tends to be on the natural side rather than matte, so here’s another hint.

Holidays

If you celebrate Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Diwali, Eid etc. and need something really specific to these holidays then better be safe than sorry. I could not find my kind of witch's hat this halloween, try as I might.

Winter Apparel

I am very specific when it comes to my coat and boots. I so regret not bringing my winter boots. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

Supplements/Medicine

You don’t really have a Walgreens or Rexall or Shoppers Drug Mart in my area where you can easily buy over the counter medicine. So if you’re prone to getting the sniffles and cold, then please do bring the medicine that works for you. Same with any supplements you might need to take.

Toiletry

Now, I love Korean skincare. But at times I just need to use what I know and have experience using. So bringing your favorite lotion, shampoo, or body wash wouldn’t be a bad idea. Unless you don’t care about that stuff. Then you don’t need to bring it. I do recommend packing tampons of sanitary napkins for the ladies. The ones here are expensive and takes a bit getting used to .

Credit Card/Money/International Debit

It may take up to two months for you to get paid, and girl’s gotta eat.

Rewards/Presents

Having a rewards system especially with goodies from back home that are not easy to find in Korea is really motivating. Also, I am a homeroom teacher and I like to give presents to my munchkins on their birthdays. It is optional but highly recommended.

Notes: I do 99 percent of my shopping for everything on Coupang. A Korean version of amazon. I highly recommend doing a price check and availability check on your personal necessities on this website.

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Au Revoir! XOXO