I've been blessed to stay at my friend's house these past few days, and respectively with her family. Not just any family, but a Korean speaking family which has been challenging, but tremendous help towards forcing me to improve and bring my Korean back. I think if I ever did any type of cultural exchange again, I would probably choose home stay over dorms as it really enhances one's learning and experience.
Residential Apartment Buildings

I'm also reminded of how much I appreciate living in an apartment and being content with what space I have. Funny how my friend's mom commented on how big my luggage was when I first arrived when I had struggled to keep it at its minimal. I've also never stayed outside of Seoul before as last time in Korea, I was living in the heart of the city and my dorms was near the buzz of nightlife and student areas. Cars were abundant, people (or shall I say couples) everywhere, and it was constantly a feeling of go go go. This time around, living farther from this scene and in a residential area has proved to be a realistic example of living in Korea. I actually like seeing more families, being in a calmer environment, and enjoying the ambiance of "home" away from home feel.
My Family away from Home

Homemade Breakfast Everyday
Today, I was planning to head to the Yeoido Cherry Blossom Festival on my own, but my friend's mom decided to join me last minute (unfortunately my friend has been busy with school). I know more Korean than she knows English so this proved to be quite the test of conversation. However, I love Korean mannerisms, so despite having to nod my head without understanding at times or be in agreement even though I was uncertain, it was still a very fun (and interesting) experience. 

I absolutely love cherry blossoms, can't you tell? I feel I've been mentioning them since my arrival, but in all honestly there's just something so special and beautiful about them. Perhaps it's my favorite colour being baby pink, or learning about Japan in grade two and wishing I could see Sakura flowers since then, but my happiness couldn't have been more satisfied. Timing was also a blessing as they bloomed right before my arrival since the temperature was unexpectedly higher than normal. Then it just had to dip leaving me with minimal warm clothes. My friend's mom was also very kind and wouldn't let me pay for anything, so I felt very pampered with her generosity and time besides all the other things she's provided since my arrival.
 
Tomorrow night I won't have this privilege for a while as I will be hopping on a plane and heading South! Where to you're wondering? Well let's just keep that a surprise until I get there.