3. Hungary to South Korea: Learning to Be Independent Without Doing Everything Alone

What does six months of solo travel actually teach you about yourself?

After leaving Hungary for a semester in South Korea, Lala discovered that independence isn’t about doing everything alone. In this episode, we talk about solo travel, self-discovery, cultural differences, loneliness, perfectionism, and the unexpected ways living abroad can change your perspective.

Lala shares what South Korea taught her about asking for help, appreciating the small things, and becoming more comfortable with who she is.

To go deeper : The Challenge to Find a New Identity and Purpose Abroad

Episode Details

Guest : Lala

From : Hungary

to : South Korea

Numéro d’épisode : 3

Durée : 41 min

Travel HER

3. Hungary to South Korea: Learning to Be Independent Without Doing Everything Alone

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"Being independent doesn't mean you have to do everything alone."

Lala

Show notes

Lala has always connected travel with languages, starting with a bilingual education near the Austrian border and later learning English, French, German, and Korean.

Her first major solo experience took her from Hungary to South Korea for a six-month university exchange, leaving behind a relationship, close friends, her dance team, and the life she had built in Budapest.

She shares what it felt like to arrive in Korea alone, build an international social circle, and learn how to navigate cultural differences without crossing other people’s boundaries or abandoning her own personality.

A difficult night on Jeju Island also exposed her to discrimination as a foreigner, giving her a more complicated perspective on traveling in South Korea beyond the sense of belonging she experienced in Seoul and Busan.

Lala explains how solo travel changed her relationship with independence, perfectionism, self-reflection, and asking for help, and why taking yourself out on a “date” can teach you more about your own worth.

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Key topics

Learning languages through culture and travel

Leaving Hungary for a six-month exchange in South Korea

Finding belonging and friendship abroad

Experiencing discrimination as a foreigner in Korea

Learning that independence does not mean doing everything alone

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