Life changing travel experiences: Epiphanies of expatriate life in Korea

“I came to live and work in Korea and walked out two years later way more equipped in life, not just as a traveler, but as a person.” – Rolf Potts

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and his old friends Brian and Steve talk about the factors that led them to live and work in South Korea when they were in their twenties, and what they experienced when they first arrived (2:30); the cultural differences, idiosyncrasies, and lessons learned as expat English teachers during South Korea’s globalization boom-years (17:30); culture shock, North Korean provocations, anti-U.S. sentiment, and how what was “normal” was different in Korea than in the U.S. (30:00); drinking-culture, dating rituals, expat meltdowns, what they loved about being in Korea, and how it changed their lives (47:30).

Notable Links:

• Lost Generation (Paris expats in the 1920s)
• Jeonju (city in South Korea)
• Van Life before #VanLife (Deviate episode)
• Mid-20s crisis (quarter-life anxiety)
• Michael Bolton (American singer)
• Culture shock (cross-cultural disorientation)
• Confucianism (Asian system of behavior)
• Hagwon (private learning academies in Korea)
• Parasite (2019 South Korean movie)
• Chan-Ho Park (Korean MLB baseball player)
• Sunshine Policy (South Korean diplomacy)
• Dokdo (islet disputed between Korea and Japan)
• Busan (city in South Korea)
• Korean bathhouse (sex-segregated spas)
• Bosintang (Korean dog-meat strew)
• Man Bites Dog, by Rolf Potts (essay)
• Tico (small Daewoo car in the 1990s)
• Ondol (Korean heated floor)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.