Day 1

It took me hundreds of dollars and 14 hours to leave Sweden, only to arrive in South Korea to the distinctive sound of Abba on the radio. Abba. The Swedish pop band whose manager lived in my Stockholm neighborhood. The radio playing Abba was inside the 7-11 across from my new apartment in Paju. The 7-11 next to the Dunkin' Donuts, around the corner from Baskin Robbins. Abba+7-11+Dunkin' Donuts+Baskin Robbins ≠ rural Korean experience I had expected. Granted, I didn't have too many expectations. But Paju is often described as "rural" which conjures up fields and cows in my mind (and the Demilitarized Zone which I have yet to lay eyes on). My apartment, however, is surrounded by shops, buildings, and restaurants. It's a two minute walk...

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