When I first applied to the EPIK program I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I would not be placed in one of the larger, more tourist friendly cities partially because I didn’t have the qualifications, but mostly because I didn’t want to be. I wanted to experience authentic Korean culture, without the familiarity of Western influence. I wanted the ability to walk out my door, knowing that I would not have English to rely on, that I would have to speak their tongue, abide by their norms and values, because this is a foreign country.

It should feel like one.

But there is a huge difference between being outside of Seoul, and being somewhere that most Koreans don’t even know the name of. I am talking middle of nowhere, stray dogs and cats, fields and fields of grass, all nestled in a valley of mountains. It is admittedly beautiful, but life here is not as easy as I imagined it would be.

For instance, if I want to go grocery shopping I have to make multiple trips because I can only buy as much as I can physically carry, and if I want cosmetics or other hygiene products, it’s a trip to Jeonju, a city two hours away, which wouldn’t be so bad if the last bus back to Jangsu didn’t leave at 9pm.

And if you know Korea, you’ll know that 9 is when people start their evening out.

But as inconvenient a place as it is, I actually kind of like Jangsu. Surprising, I know. But despite all that it lacks, it is a very content county. The people here are kind, and the students sweet. I can see myself spending the next year here with a smile on my face, going for runs in the shadows of mountains, grabbing a delicious caramel macchiato in the cafe beneath my apartment, meeting other teachers for a quick dinner, or hitting up the farmers market on weekend for fresh fruit.

It is a place so different from anything I had hitherto experienced in Korea.

Which, I am starting to think, is a good thing.

After all, I wanted something authentic. And what could be more authentic than a small town, so remote that Western influence has yet to find it?