Seoul Odyssey Diaries -> I am Back

From the beginning of June I’m back in S. Korea, Seoul. It’s been a while since I last wrote something (I know, I always start my posts by apologizing for my absence…).

A lot has happened since my last update. More than a year has passed, and I actually spent June to December of 2023 in Korea, working at the Lithuanian Embassy and conducting my PhD research. After returning to Lithuania, I started teaching courses on Korea at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) in Kaunas again. I also got engaged (yey).

I had promised myself that I would document my last journey in Korea, creating a diary-like record to look back on. Unfortunately, I failed to do so, and I’m quite upset about it. To prevent this from happening again, I’ve decided to set a goal of updating my blog once a week. I’ll write down the most important events, even if it’s just a couple of sentences, with some pictures to capture the moments.

Soooo… this said. I am back in Korea! This time, I was fortunate to win a Korea Foundation grant for PhD field study and research in South Korea, affiliated with Sogang University. I still have quite a bit of work left to do with my thesis, including collecting more interviews with middle and high school history teachers and delving deeper into the narration of Korean history. If everything goes according to plan, I will be able to defend my thesis next fall. Until then, I have to stay focused and keep working.

Since I came here for my research, having a dedicated workspace was a top priority for me. I tend to work best at night (not the healthiest schedule, I know), so having a home office usually works better for me than an actual office or library. I wanted to create a space at home that inspires me to work, and I think I did a pretty good job setting up a decent workspace. But I think I will do a separate interior post.

I mustn’t forget to mention my beloved lizard, my baby boy Kuki (aka Cookie), who is actually a blue-tongued skink. He’s finally returned home, and I owe a tremendous thank you to the gracious family of Lithuania’s Ambassador. They took care of him while I was in Lithuania, showing immense kindness and generosity.