By Josephine K., guest blogger studying Korean in Seoul

Going to the airport by yourself can be a scary endeavor, but what can add to the fear is when that airport is in a foreign country.  I recently landed in Incheon Airport to start my adventure in Seoul where I am taking my AmeriSpan program for Korean Language.  When I arrived at the airport I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going.  

Now a few things about entering South Korea. If you are an American traveling in the country as a tourist for less than 90 days you do not need a visa.  Immunization shots are always suggested but none are required.  Also, Korea checks your temperature and if you show any signs of “flu-like symptoms” you are quarantined.  (Please make sure you check the embassy’s website before going and don’t just take my word for it, because things do change!) 

So with all this information in my head I still had no idea what was going to happen when I got off the plane.  The only things that kept racing through my mind were:  ”Do they check my passport first?”  ”Do I exchange my money before or after baggage claim? ” and “Please, oh please, oh please DON’T say I caught the flu from the women coughing up a storm that sat next to me for the 10 hour flight!  I don’t want to be quarantined!”  Okay, so the last one was me panicking a bit, but sadly that thought raced through my mind as I was in the line where they check your body temperature as you pass by a camera. Needless to say, I was fine and did not get quarantined, nor anyone else from my flight that I could see (including my coughing neighbor).

Once I was through the temperature check I just followed the signs to immigration.  The signs in the airport were in English as well as Korean so I was able to find my way to immigration pretty easily. However, once I got to immigration things got a bit more complicated.  I was standing in line for those with foreign passports and I thought that was all I needed… until I looked around.  My fellow passengers were all holding additional cards.  I then noticed a sign that flashed to English that read, “Please have passport and arrival card ready”.  Uh-oh!  I definitely did not have an arrival card.  I stepped out of line, looked around and found a guy leading his family to a table.  So I thought, “Well, I may as well just follow the leader.”  Boy was I right!  The guy led me right to the table where they had the arrival/departure cards, and I was able to fill it out before going back in the passport line. – Apparently, most airlines give you the card on your way to Incheon but I think I might have been asleep during that part.

With immigration and temperature check behind me I had two checkpoints down and only one more to go!  My last checkpoint before I could leave the airport was I still had to go through customs once getting my luggage.  Again, I received my luggage and headed to the customs line.  Of course, after getting in line I realized that people were handing the customs guards another card, which of course, I did not have.  I quickly got out of line and watched as someone else received their luggage from the conveyer belt.  That person went to a table and started filling something out.  Ah-ha! That must be were these new mysterious cards were located.  So again I followed the leader and I was right!  I quickly filled out a customs card and got through the airport without any other issues.

The big lesson I hope anyone can take away from this is just be observant in your new surroundings.  I don’t speak the language and I’ve never been abroad before this trip and due to the fact that I looked around and watched what other people were doing I was able to get through Incheon Airport without any problems.  And always remember if you’re asleep when they hand out arrival or customs cards don’t worry they have them at the airport too

For more information, go to AmeriSpan’s Korean school in Seoul

Read all of Josephine’s blogs from Seoul Korea.

When booking your ticket most people just want the quickest flight to their final destination.  However, a layover can be tons of fun if you don’t mind the wait.  This was my first time traveling abroad and I couldn’t wait to start my AmeriSpan program in South Korea.  Originally I thought that a layover would be a bad idea, let alone one that lasted 8 hours.  However, it was a great beginning to my time in Seoul.

My flight took me from the United States to Amsterdam (where I had the layover) and then from Amsterdam to Seoul, South Korea.  When I first got there I thought I would probably just spend my time looking at a few shops inside the airport and then just go on my laptop for the remaining time.  Lucky for me I when I was trying to find where my gate would be for my connecting flight (so I wouldn’t get lost later after exploring the airport) I found a booth for Amsterdam excursions.

For less than 40 euro I could go on a guided tour of Amsterdam, and not just one of those bus tours, but a canal tour.  They took me out of the airport and onto a bus, where they drove into the city where I would then go on the canal tour.  The nice thing about this was that not only did they take me from the airport, but back as well.  This really saved me from getting lost and insured that I was able to catch my connecting flight.  The tour only took 2 hours including the commute.  For a first time traveler this was a lot of fun! 

I got to enjoy the sights of a city I’d never seen, and still had plenty of time to catch my flight.  I was even able to come back and do a little shopping in the airport.  Unfortunately, Schiphol (Amsterdam airport) was undergoing a lot of construction so a few shops were closed as well as the museum that is located inside the airport.  However, I still had a blast looking through all the other shops (it is pretty much a giant mall) and yeah, I’ll admit, I was still able to spend plenty of time online with my laptop.

Go to AmeriSpan’s Korean school in Seoul

Read all of Josephine’s blogs from Seoul Korea.

By Victoria C., Guest Blogger from Seoul, Korea

Today I am going to discuss the lodging options at AmeriSpan's Korean Language School in Seoul, Korea. The Korean school assists with housing. Students can choose from private apartments, shared apartments or host families. The homestays and apartments are very close to the school. The apartments that I visited are only one subway stop away from the school. 

Seoul apartments are very small. Students share a bathroom or can choose to have a bathroom in their rooms for an additional cost. The apartments have shared common areas and kitchens. If a student would like to save on the cost of food, they can choose a meal plan with their housing for an additional monthly cost. The meal plan provides two meals a day; breakfast and dinner.

 
Kitchen & Common Area of Shared Apartment 

Laundry service is also available for additional cost. If you choose not to use the laundry service, you have access to a washer and they provide a drying rack for your clothes. There are also private apartments for students who only want to share living space and kitchens with less people. These apartments are higher costs then the other student apartment buildings.

Kitchen in Private Apartment (kitchen shared with 2 – 4 people max) 

AmeriSpan note: Homestay in Korea is no longer available. Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or updates regarding your options.

Click for more information about AmeriSpan's Korean School in Seoul.