What to Pack When Moving to Korea.

If you're moving to Korea, please skip ahead a paragraph and join me there.  To avoid my commentary and get to the nitty-gritty, scroll down until you hit "The List".

If you're NOT moving to Korea, and this topic bores you - no worries.  Just enjoy the many other delightful and witty blog posts I've spent inordinate amounts of time on.  (Unfortunately for me - and ultimately you, the reader - when it comes to the written word, lots of time spent on my part does not necessarily translate directly into quality.  Hopefully I get points for trying.)

When I was preparing for the move to Korea, I had exactly 2 months and 5 days to do the following:  sublet my apartment, find a home for my beloved feline, sell off as much furniture as I could, pack up and store the rest of my belongings, move to my parents' house (eek!) and pack for a two-year teaching stint at an International school.  Calmer and more worldly folk than I have, I'm sure, done more in less time.  But for me...well...I was freaking out.  Lucky for me, there's a LOT of great information on the web that I'll pass along here along with personal notes of my own.

First of all, I know it's wrong to have a crush on a couple, but these guys are my heroes:

www.eatyourkimchi.com

Their specific post about what to pack when coming to Korea is located here:

www.eatyourkimchi.com/what-you-should-pack-to-korea/

Not only are their videos about living in Korea horribly informational, but they have a delightful sense of humor and so much charisma I couldn't help but hope some of it would leak out of my computer and land on me like fairy dust.  Obviously I've been reading too many fantasy novels.

Other websites that I found helpful were...

http://hiexpat.com/korea-blog/a-teachers-prep-for-moving-to-korea.html
http://www.chikorean.com/the-ultimate-packing-list-what-to-bring-to-korea/
http://grrrltraveler.com/2010/04/costco-kr/
http://www.korea4expats.com/article-what-teachers-workers-need-bring-korea.html
http://www.korea4expats.com/article-what-to-bring-to-korea.html

PLEASE IGNORE THESE IDEAS FROM THE ABOVE WEBSITES:

-Books...I lugged lots of books with me only to discover that "What the Book?" in Itaewon has a fantastic selection of new and used books in English.  They will also order anything you'd like and offer FREE shipping.  I love this place!  (whatthebook.com)

-Contacts...Just bring your prescription with you.  No need to make an appointment with an eye doc here - just walk into a store that offers eye glasses and contacts, show them your prescription, and your contacts are likely to be much cheaper than they are in the States.

-Shower curtain...Check to see if your new place will have a Western or Korean style bathroom.  If it's a Korean style shower, you won't need a shower curtain.

After perusing the above websites, your list of possible things to pack is probably running off the page.  If I had to pack my bags all over again, these items would be my top 10 choices...

THE LIST:

1.  Clothing and Footwear - Bring enough for a year that will keep you comfortable in four distinct seasons - including cold winters and hot, humid summers.  If you are slim you should be able to find a wide selection of clothes here...even tall men can find pants that fit and good quality, custom-made mens' dress shirts can be constructed for as little as $40.  But...if you are a BIG, tall man or a woman who has some junk in the trunk (like me) or around the middle you may want to bring any and all clothes you will need.  Shoes are nearly impossible to find if you have really big feet.

2.  Medicine - This seems to be one of the most-argued about suggested items.  I would recommend bringing 3 to 6 months worth of your prescription medication...that should give you enough time to find out if you can get it here (if you can, it will most likely be cheaper) or if you need to ask someone from home to send it to you.  Be sure to bring your prescriptions with you!  I also brought over first aid supplies, vitamins, and over-the-counter cold medicines.  Although these are items you can find here, I'm glad I brought over a basic (if small) stock of these things it will give me time to locate comparable products before I run out of what I'm familiar with. 

3.  Toiletries - Enough deodorant for your time here is a MUST.  I also packed enough cosmetics, toothpaste, Pantene Pro-V conditioner, hair gel, and perfume for the year because my school provided enough of a shipping allowance that I could afford to bring over my favorite brands.  These items ARE available - just think big city prices for similar products with an added price jump if you have to have a particular American brand name.  

4.  Ladies' Items - If you wear a C-cup or larger, bring enough bras to last you.  If you're a fan of thongs, pack 'em.  If you prefer tampons, schlep over enough to last the year - they're uncommon and you might not be, um, comfortable with what you can find.

5.  Towels - I would recommend bringing one or two of your favorite towels with you as well as a washcloth.  These won't take up much space in your luggage, and finding towels you like for a good price here can be a challenge (depending on how picky you are).

6.  Alarm Clock - As many American cell phones don't work in Korea you may be leaving yours behind.  If you need to wake up for a school or work function, you'll be shocked that the smallest, cheapest alarm clock you can find here that has English directions is three times what it would cost you in the States.

7.  Bedsheets - Trust me on this one.  Bedding is EXPENSIVE here, and their sheets are not similar to ours in comfy-ness.  Even if you can only fit one set in your luggage, you'll be glad you did.


8.  Spices and Dry Goods - If you're an avid tea drinker like I am, bring some with you!  I packed mostly loose tea because I could fit more tea vs. less packaging in my suitcase that way.  When I arrived in Seoul, I noticed various boxes of black tea bags (15-30 bags each) at my local Lotte for $9 to $15 per box.  Yikes!  Salt and pepper can be found easily here, but you may want to bring any other spices that you like with you.  Also, if you have extra room in your luggage at the end, you could add some bottles of maple syrup and/or honey.  I brought a few bottles of each that were made in my home state of Wisconsin to bring as gifts for new co-workers and my new boss, but since I've seen the prices on this stuff here I'm considering squirreling it away for myself.  *insert evil laugh here*  I'd heard about Americans who on trips home would fill entire suitcases on their return trip to Seoul with dry goods such as soup mixes, gravy and spice mixes, brownie mixes, etc.  I thought they were crazy at the time, but what I wouldn't do for a box of pancake mix or macaroni and cheese right now...Seriously.  Stuff like that from home that is familiar and easy to make and understand when everything else around you isn't can be SO comforting.

9.  Passport Photos - These can come in handy when you least expect it.  Again, it's something you can get here, but when you're starting a new job and trying to adjust to a new environment, do you really want to be running around looking for a place to have passport photos done?

10.  Random Items That Make You Happy - If you're an avid biker, you may want to bring your favorite bicycle.  Some airlines only charge an extra $50 to check your bike, and that's much cheaper than buying a bike here at big-city prices.  I brought a few card games as I've heard that English language board and card games are hard to find and expensive.  Pictures of friends and family can help make a new place feel more homey, and the simple plexiglass frames that I packed three of mine in traveled really well and weigh next to nothing.  If there's ONE additional item I could have fit in my luggage, I would have packed my comforter.  They're at least twice as expensive here in Korea, but the darn thing was just too big to cram into my last suitcase!  I have heard of folks having success with packing their down comforters and saving a mint by bringing one from the States.

Please feel free to comment with any and all thoughts and suggestions.  Happy packing!