First post on my very first blog!

Hello everybody! 

Since this is my first time blogging I'd like to start off by introducing myself. My name is Eva and I am currently a senior at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I am majoring in accounting with a minor in Korean and I plan to graduate in the spring of 2013. Earlier this year I got accepted into UHM's MIX program which is basically an international exchange program that allows me to study at any partner school of my choice while still paying UHM tuition. I have chosen to go to Korea University (고려대학교) for the coming fall semester and this blog will help me document my study abroad experience and share what life is like in Korea!

I've always wanted to travel around the world but haven't been able to go to many places yet mainly because of school and money. I felt that studying abroad would be the perfect experience because I would be able to travel and continue my education simultaneously. I delayed my application to the MIX program for many semesters because I wasn't sure if I would be able to afford it or be able to live on my own in a foreign country. So this year I finally decided to apply because I realized that I only have one year left before graduation and I didn't want to lose the opportunity of a lifetime. Thankfully, I was chosen for the Freeman scholarship which offered $5,000 toward my international exchange program expenses!

The reason why I chose Korea as the place I wanted to visit the most stems from my love for K-pop. I used to listen to K-pop here and there in high school but it wasn't until my freshman year in college that I really fell in love with Korean music. And from music I started to watch a lot of Korean dramas which then inspired me to learn the language and embrace the culture.

At this point, there is approximately 2 weeks left until my departure for Korea and I can barely contain my excitement and nerves! My flight is scheduled for August 16 at noon and luckily I am not going alone! I will be flying to Korea with two of my friends who will also be studying abroad there (however the three of us will each be attending different schools). We planned to leave on the 16th because we wanted to explore Seoul a little bit before the official start of the semester.

Most of my preparations for the trip are already taken care of because I told myself that I would definitely not procrastinate. My friends and I purchased our plane tickets months ago and I made sure to get my student visa early so I wouldn't need to worry about it later. As for my dorm fees, wiring money to Korea was the only method available (aside from paying in person) and it was something I wasn't familiar with and have never done before. I had to do it two separate times; once for my dorm deposit and again for the dorm fees. A friend of mine who previously studied at KU told me that my bank can do the wire transfer for me. In the end I found out it was actually a very easy and simple process.

So all there is left for me to do now is to exchange for some Korean Won, figure out what classes I'm going to take and practice my Korean. Oh yeah...did I forget to mention, PACK??