I am back! :)

Over one and a half years of hiatus later, I am finally making a comeback to the blogosphere. It's been so long since I wrote, I'm not even sure if I can properly pen my thoughts down like I used to. But I suppose we would all have to start somewhere, hey?

So much has happened since my last post where I shared about my experience studying the Korean language in Seoul. At the end of May 2017, I completed my internship along with my classes after a total of 40 weeks. It was a very rewarding experience as when I first arrived, all I knew were the Hangul alphabets that I hastily learnt right before I arrived in Seoul but at course completion, I was able to carry proper conversations with the local Koreans and boy, does it feel really, really good!

Following my internship, I was offered a full time role at Lexis Korea so I came home to Malaysia, sorted out my business sponsored visa (which was quite a process that took a couple of months) and in August 2017, off I went back to Korea. Except this time around, I moved to where our new campus is - in Busan, a city where I've been only just once for a couple of hours and knew nobody. New city, new team, new role, new environment and no friends. When I think about it sometimes, even I feel like I'm crazy.

There's no doubt that it was rather nerve-wrecking and I was anxious at the thought of starting from scratch again but I believed just like how when I first arrived in Seoul knowing nobody and left 9 months later with a handful of good friends, I was hopeful I'll be able to make some good friends in Busan too! And I truly did. :)

I had the chance to meet students-turned-friends from all walks of life, from all around the globe and learnt so much about the many different cultures and languages out there. And you bet, they all taught me a lot of swear words in their language! :P

I had so much fun exploring not only Busan, but some other major cities with my new found friends, and along the way shared so many laughters together.

I also celebrated my very first birthday away from my family and loved ones, with this bunch of beautiful souls who surprised me at work.

When they complete their course and head home, they often thank me for my help but honestly, they were there for me just as much as I was there for them. We supported each other in many different ways, and they taught me so much about life.

It truly was an experience of a lifetime - one that is etched in my memories, and I will store them all deep down at the bottom of my memory box.

And because Busan is located along the coastline, there are many spots only a short distance away from downtown where you can head to, to take a breather. Seriously, who would say no to views like this?

Busan truly is one very beautiful city. When I first arrived, I didn’t really open up my heart nor did I allow Busan the chance to really shine. But over time I started to discover the merits of Busan and I grew fond of this place. Now, with all the memories I have made there, Busan has become a rather special spot to me.

But due to unforeseen circumstances, last month, exactly a year after arriving in Busan, I bidded my role at Lexis Busan goodbye, packed up and came back home to Malaysia. I have to say though, that this short two years tenure as an intern in Seoul then staff in Busan, has been one of the best experiences I could’ve asked for and I’m extremely thankful for this opportunity. Of course, there were times when it got stressful and tough but I believe it is through these moments that I have learnt and grown so much as a person.

It is through this role that I’ve not only had the pleasure of meeting friends from all over the globe; I’ve also had the opportunity to work with one of the best teams ever and experience 정 (an indescribable, special type of love + affection + bond + a whole lot more) through my colleagues, some of whom are some of the dearest people to me.

Whilst to some extent, I’m glad I am finally heading home to my loved ones after over a decade of living abroad, it truly hasn’t been the easiest decision to make. But I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason, and that the universe has better plans for me.

I am not sure what to do yet with my life in Malaysia nor do I know where I will head to next but I will slowly find my feet again. Until then, I aim to share more about my life in Korea over the past 2 years once I've sorted out all my photos but I am not sure if this mojo would last. Who knows, the lazy queen in me might take over and it may very well take another few months before the next post. But if you want to check out all the eats I've done, you can find them on my Instagram if you search #thebakeanistainseoul and #thebakeanistainbusan :)

So that's an update of my life in a nutshell over the past year or so! Till the next post! ♥