Annyeonghaseyo (안녕하세요), Korea!

First of all, props to any of you who attempted to pronounce, “Annyeonghaseyo,” instead of just skipping over it in your head. I’ve been in Korea for a little over a month now, and I’m *just* starting to get comfortable saying it. Learning Korean is not for the weak. 

As you can probably presume, I’m in Korea because that’s where I’ll be playing soccer for the next year! In December, I got an offer to play for Suwon FC, a club located about 30 minutes South of Seoul, in the WK League (South Korea’s top tier of women’s football). We’ll also get the chance to compete in AFC Champions League this coming fall, because my team won the WK League in 2024. 

This is a big move for my career– especially given everything I went through last year to return to the pitch– so it’s hard to overstate how excited and grateful I am for this opportunity. I still have so much to prove, but for the first time in my career, I feel somewhat self-actualized in my role as a professional soccer player. This time around, there’s a sense of stability and legitimacy that I struggled to find in my previous moves. And having been in a much different place this time last year– injured, contractless, living at home and unsure of a path back to playing– I’m allowing myself to celebrate every win, big or small. 

My contract is a year long, so I came to Korea the first week of January, and I’ll return to the US at the conclusion of the season in late November. To give you guys an idea of my timeline for the next year, it’ll look a bit like this: WK League regular season runs from March to September with a midseason break in July, AFC Champions League Group Stage takes place during October, and WK League playoffs are in November. Right now we’re in preseason camp, preparing for the start of the season on March 15th!

Though I didn’t originally intend on returning to Asia to continue my playing career, I believe life has a funny way of bringing you exactly where you need to be. For example, I never expected to end up playing in Vietnam, but it turned out to be one of the most transformative experiences of my life and career. So, despite my deep, burning desire to control everything, I’m starting to settle into the idea that what’s meant for me will find me.  

While I was playing for Ho Chi Minh City, we actually spent a couple of weeks in Korea for training camp– so I was at least somewhat familiar with the country before signing. And funnily enough, during that camp, we attended a WK League game that I later found out was between Suwon FC (my current team) and another opponent. I remember watching and thinking how happy I’d be to play in that type of environment week in and week out. It may just be a silly coincidence– but little synchronicities like that give me an extra boost of faith when making big decisions. Like I said before– what’s meant for me will find me. 

Not a super high-quality photo, but I snapped it quickly while watching a WK League Game back in September, 2024. This photo is how I figured out that I’d already seen my team play in person before signing!

First Month in Review

I’ve been playing overseas throughout the past year and a half, having spent time in both Iceland and Vietnam prior to this move to Korea. And for the first time, things are FINALLY starting to feel a bit easier. Ranging from little things like knowing what to pack, to big things like fending off the existential dread that inevitably creeps in when you move your entire life across the world to play a sport… I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it!

Don’t get me wrong– I still find a way to overpack, I’m still full of existential dread (let’s face it, I always have been), and it’s almost impossible to avoid the loneliness that accompanies this lifestyle. But I’ve found that the periods dulled by these feelings pass a bit quicker than they used to, or maybe, I’m learning how to handle my reactions to them better than before.

Either way, I feel a bit more capable and confident– like I’ve got myself.

This first month has been full of movement. I’ve gone from Incheon to Suwon to Yeosu to Busan back to Suwon, and now we’re in Thailand for our second phase of preseason camp. It’s been a period of adjustment: to the culture, team, playing-style, food, time difference, language barrier, everything. It’s never easy to take on so much change in such a condensed period of time, but I’m taking it day by day and celebrating the little wins. 

I’ve also spent a lot of time alone, which, coming from a historically codependent girly who’s chronically in relationships and infamous for asking her friends to sit in the bathroom and keep her company while she does her 20-minute bedtime routine, isn’t the easiest task. 

Though it can be uncomfortable, this alone time has forced me to rediscover ways to enjoy my own company. I’ve been writing more than ever before, reading, listening, learning (turns out you can do this outside a formal classroom setting, which came as news to me), walking, watching, and even dancing (some may say, through life– IYKYK). 

There’s a definite chance I’m getting weirder with all of this alone time (hence the Wicked references), but I’m genuinely enjoying the opportunity to dig into what makes me, me, outside of my relationships with others. 

I’m always inspired by art and the way it helps us navigate our worlds. Y’all know I have A LOT to say, and with limited communication with others, I’ve turned to different creative outlets to find ways to express myself. Creation doesn’t cure anxiety or loneliness, but it certainly makes it easier to process. Well, that and the hour-long facetimes back home that bookend most of my days.

Throughout the past month and a half, there’s one thing I keep coming back to: my work is to remain steady. There are ebbs and flows to my emotions, but I’m trying to keep my perspective set on a wider lens to keep me from being consumed by the highs and lows. When you’re chasing a dream like this, sometimes you feel like you’re on top of the world, and other times you feel the full weight of being alone on the other side of the world.

But if there’s anything I’ve learned in the past couple of years, it’s that both of these feelings can coexist, and you can’t give too much power to either one. So far, I’m pretty proud of the way I’ve managed to keep this in mind. As long as I keep showing up and moving forward, it’ll all be good.

My handy-dandy journal has received more love in the past month and a half than ever before.

A Little Love for My People

In the spirit of appreciating duality, I have to hold space (really hoping these references aren’t falling on deaf ears) for the flipside of my explorations of individuality, which is the unbelievable community I have behind me.

One of my favorite authors, Glennon Doyle, says the following about love and family: “A whole family is one in which each member can bring her full self to the table knowing that she will always be both held and free.”

That’s how you all— my family, my community— make me feel: both held and free. I think that’s what’s empowered me to continue taking chances on myself… I have an army of people behind me, supplying me with enough love and support to span the 7,000 mile separation several times over.

My people make up a foundation that’s served as a springboard for my ambitions. I feel brave enough to take on new challenges because I know they’ll be there to celebrate with me if I succeed and catch me if I fall. 

When things went sideways last year and I had trouble showing up for myself, my community stepped up in ways that reminded me that I’m never really in this alone (even when it feels like it). From my parents, who gave me a safe place to land when things felt like they were crashing down around me; to my former teammates, who ran/trained with me as I fought my way back to to the field; to my friends, who listened to my cries and complaints without losing faith in my ability to keep going; to the strangers who welcomed me into their homes and families when I was so far from mine.

It’s true that this journey can be lonely and hard, but that’s also the very thing that’s illuminated the connectedness and companionship that I cherish most in this world. So thank you, all of you, for being a part of that in your own, unique ways. I only hope I can show up for you with the same unwavering fortitude that you do for me.

The photo collage I put on the wall next to my bed in Suwon. Love my people.

Korean Culture Quick Hitters

Alright, I think that’s enough sappiness for today. Shifting gears to something lighter: let’s talk Korean culture! Just over a month into this journey, I’ll admit I am no expert. But there are a few tid-bits I’ve been waiting to share with you guys!

1- Fried Chicken & Chopsticks

Excuse the profanity, but as a Buffalo-native, I don’t fuck around when it comes to chicken wings or anything chicken-wing adjacent. I am a proud, self-proclaimed chicken snob, so don’t take it lightly when I say the following: South Korea has the best fried chicken on the planet. Now, if you’re thinking, “Meg, you’re allergic to gluten, how do you eat fried chicken?” Mind your damn business. A girl has to live every now and then, and I brought a year-supply of gas-x with me, so you need not worry about me and my gastrointestinal well-being.

It is perfectly crispy, crunchy, saucy, salty… everything you could ever want from a piece of chicken. And there are SO MANY different flavors to try– honey garlic, soy garlic, spicy galbi (basically spicy Korean bbq) and yangnyeom (a classic sweet and spicy flavor), to name a few. Paired with some pickled radishes (don’t knock it ‘till you try it) and beer, you’ve got yourself an absolute Korean dining delicacy. Chef’s kiss.

I’m also giving bonus points for the fact that it’s eaten with chopsticks. While it’s difficult at first, it keeps your hands from getting gross and sticky, so I’m rockin’ with it. Plus, you already know I’m always fiending for an opportunity to show off my chopstick skills— so it’s a win-win.

2- Greetings

I can’t speak for Korean culture at-large, but in a team setting, greetings are EXTREMELY important. When entering a room and seeing your teammates/coaches for the first time during the span of a day, you are expected to individually greet each person in the room. This means we spend the first few minutes of every interaction meandering around, taking a moment to acknowledge everyone. You are supposed to face each person individually, make brief eye-contact, bow slightly and say, “Annyeonghaseyo,” over and over again until we’ve all greeted each other. 

This is vastly different from home, where a general, “hello,” directed at the room would suffice. It takes some getting used to, but for me, this is one of my favorite practices here. I think there’s something really special about taking a moment to acknowledge and connect with every single person. Not only does it show respect, but it also serves as a built-in vibe check– a chance to gauge where everyone’s at before you start the day together.

As we all know, I’m extremely extroverted and big on personal connections, so I love bopping around the room and saying hello to everyone! It essentially gives me an excuse to do something I already feel inclined to do. I get the feeling this is a habit I’ll be bringing back home with me, so, get ready to be GREETED (just maybe without the bow?).

3- Korean Age

Last but not least– my favorite fun fact I’ve learned about Korean culture: Korean people track their age differently than the rest of the world. When I ask my teammates their age, they’ll respond with a question: “Korean or International?”

I didn’t know there was a difference, but there is! In Korea, you are considered a year old at birth and gain an additional year on January 1st. So there’s often a year or two discrepancy between someone’s Korean age and International age.

For example, my birthday is November 30th, 1999. Throughout most of the world, that’d mean I’m 25 years old. But in Korea, I’d be 27 (yikes). Personally, I’ll be sticking to my international age, but hey, the more ya know!

Speed Round Recs

As I alluded to earlier, I have been turning to the arts to fill my time spent off the field. I’m not self-righteous enough to believe that anyone’s dying to know my media diet, but I’m all about other people’s recommendations these days, so here are mine:

Watching: Love is Blind (it’s complete and utter trash and I have been eating it up)

Listening to: Kendrick (I’m not usually a rap-listener, but I’m a sucker for good storytelling), Las Culturistas (always here for the gays and their takes on the culture… Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers consistently have me cackling in my room alone, plus, it’s a nice reprieve from my usual rotation of news & women’s sports podcasts)

Reading: Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix (“I swear I’m going to finish the series this year,” she says for the second year in a row)

Doing: NYT Crosswords (forever and always), the choreography to Dancing Through Life from Wicked (DM me if you want video evidence), and a whoooooole lot of writing!

That’s all I’ve got for now– I’m sure I’ll have more to share soon. See you guys next time!

PS - Please drop any of YOUR recommendations in the comments! Thanks in advance :) OK BYE!