Author: Judith Villarreal

It’s no secret that Korea has been at the forefront of modern cosmetics. This is the country that brought us amazing facial sheet masks, snail slime moisturizers, and cushion compacts.

Moving to a new country is an exciting adventure, but the trip can be made even better when you learn the native language. It takes time, effort, and tons (seriously, tons) of patience to learn a new language (or even just words and phrases). In the end, though, it’s worth it for many reasons.

It’s not going to be around late fall and early winter that those tiny little pangs of homesickness start to prick your heart and tummy. Don’t worry, though. It’s perfectly natural to feel that way, and you have this handy guide to help you survive the first fits of homesickness.

Oh, dear. It’s that time of year in Taiwan again. The weather is starting to chill just a bit, and you’re starting to see boys and girls pairing off into couples (not as religiously as it happens in Korea, but it still happens).

A trend has begun amongst veteran expats and travel bloggers that isn’t very appealing or positive. This idea of #authentictravel is driving me absolutely insane. I worry that it might actually scare off new travelers from making the leap out into the world.

Even if you’re traveling with a group of friends in one of the most visited countries, it’s still smart to always be prepared for unexpected events. Most of my companions (and myself included) didn’t even know any emergency numbers when we were living in South Korea.

My first adventure abroad was actually my very first adventure outside of my country. Apart from a 5-day vacation on the British Virgin Islands years earlier, which I refuse to count as actual travel since I spent the entire time sunbathing at the resort, I had never used my passport or flown on an international flight across the world.

My second year in Asia, I was much better about being selective when I picked out trinkets and treasures to take home with me. Here are some of my favorite things to pick up during adventures. Maybe you might find a collection you like!