I adopted a cat in South Korea | Life in Seoul 📔

Moving abroad is a big deal, but so is adopting a pet.
298 days after I began my journey here in South Korea, I decided to adopt a cat. It may sound like an impulsive decision, but it had always been a part of my plan. Except it was sprung into action....3 years too soon.
While I was trying hard to steer clear of mental distress, being away from family and friends worsened my homesickness despite my effort to fill up any free time with side projects outside of work. I was experiencing burnout from my food vlog project as well as life in general.
Somedays I felt unhappy, on most days I felt empty. Work was fine, my relationship was fine, but somehow I didn't feel "fine." I would cry over my incompetence in sorting out my emotions and getting back on track; I would indulge in things I thought could bring me happiness...but none of them worked.
My frustration was rippling outwards and began to affect my life. I knew I had to fix it, I just didn't know how. Luckily, having a second opinion helps. Perhaps what I needed wasn't a temporal fix, but a life-long companionship. Through careful discussion of what this decision would bring, we decided to expedite our future plan and adopt a cat in Seoul.
Well, the rest is history.
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#vlog #lifeupdate #adoption
#livingabroad #lifeinseoul #livinginkorea
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podcast: open.spotify.com/show/7DYcVmp...
(if you'd like to hear more about the thoughts in my chaotic brain)

[@keeleydouglas162]

Idk if I’m being to emotional or if I’m overreacting but I started crying while watching this. It really warmed my heart watching it and makes me happy that you found her. ❤️

[@julie_szn]

That makes two of us 🥺 thank you for connecting with me and I’m so so happy that I was able to convey the emotions that were caged in my heart ♥️ wherever you are, I hope you’ll find happiness that you deserve too! :)

[@Niiko_official]

I've never been so sad when my puppy as he was 4 months old, and was attacked by pargo a very bad diseases that 3% dogs survived,my dog as a weak pup survived this disease as my school was going MY LIFE IS BETTER NOW HE IS 6 MONTHS OLD AND EEEEEE HES SO CUTE HES A GERMAN SHEPHERD, I HATE PEOPLE WHO ABANDONED THEIR PETS FOR A STUPID REASON!Love~♡anabia~

[@ohnnunna247]

I'd say she has a flair for drama, is all😅

[@Niiko_official]

@@ohnnunna247 :/

[@lisaanna05]

the storytelling in this video was amazing! ❤️

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for watching~ 💛

[@stevenanthony9353]

Hello Lisa how are you doing today

[@robertabrams8562]

Wow, what a gorgeous cat… Wow, what awesome narration… Wow, what a great video 🥰

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for watching! ☺️

[@RashikaRai]

I am a cat person. So obviously I had to feel it deep inside me. But there was something else too. I found myself mesmerized by this video. The voice, the words, the edit, you, Uni .. I just went on a journey with you. And it was beyond amazing. I truly wish you two to have many, many years of togetherness and happiness. Btw, I don't want to recover from what I'm feeling having watched this. Masterpiece of a video ❤

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for being apart of my journey too, I really appreciate everyone that came across my video. I hope you are happy and taking care of yourself today too~ 🧡🧡🧡

[@RashikaRai]

@@julie_szn ❤❤

[@Zthebluestmoonshine1002]

Hi, this is my first time watching your video and I'm totally amazed ! As an international student, I know how hard it is starting a new life in a completely unfamiliar country I've been wanting to adopt a kitten from a local shelter for a while That's the reason why I feel so touched by your story Since I came up with the idea of having a cat, I went on Petfinder all the time just to look at cats pictures I also watched several videos of people adopting cats from shelters and couldn't help but feel excited to get one for my own Living in a different country and experiencing different cultures, it's always uneasy for me to fit in when I've been diagnosed with mental illnesses for years I feel so happy watching your video You gave me more courage to keep up with my upcoming path, even when I know it's not gonna be easy Once again, thank you for sharing your wonderful story ! Please stay safe and take care of yourself ❤ Uni is so lucky to have you as her eternal home And you are so lucky she came into your life and brightened it 💖 Best wishes for both of you

[@julie_szn]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with me 🥺 I’m always thankful for the algorithm taking me to people who are going through the he same emotional rollercoaster. It really brings me comfort knowing I’m not alone 💛💛💛 thank you for crossing paths with me, and I hope you’ll find peace with yourself and find home in the places you stay too~ (˶‾᷄ ⁻̫ ‾᷅˵)

[@sann5146]

Love your reply, I feel the same 😺 !

[@Sarah-ks1er]

I lost my senior car about a year ago and watching this video made me tear up. It really captures the love we have for our pets. I'm so happy that you two found each other❤

[@julie_szn]

Thank you Sarah~ I hope grieving has gotten easier for you, and the notion that our pets are surely waiting for us in whichever realm we will be in next can give you a peace of mind on days we feel uncontrollable sadness 💛

[@julieclayton-west624]

She’s stunning. That black smoke mixture of fur is beautiful. Well done and enjoy a long and happy life together 🐱🫶🏼

[@julie_szn]

Thank you so much for your warm wishes~ 🥹💛✨ she is a rare beauty~ 🐈‍⬛

[@LezGrl79]

Something compelled me to click on your video in my recommendations. I'm glad I did. Your video was so well done and conveyed your emotions very well. I too lost a senior cat. Was 3 actually within 2 years. It took me two years to finally decide to go through having cats again. I now have one senior cat (he was younger than the other 3) and 2 kittens that are now 11 months old but I got them at 2 months. It's really hard wanting to get another cat after one dies. It makes you feel like you're trying to replace them but you're not. Even though I don't know you, I'm proud of you for taking that step to adopt again. I hope the two of you have an awesome life together.

[@julie_szn]

Thank you so much for sharing a piece of your life and memory with me too 💛 I don’t think I can ever get over the pain from my late cat, but I think in a way it is good; it helps me preserve moments we shared, and who knows, maybe in another universe we are living a whole other life together. I hope you and your cats will have a beautiful journey to you too 💌

[@LezGrl79]

@@julie_szn this is when one of my cats died. Was a tribute to her. But the song I used was so fitting for how I felt. I have a feeling it might help you too if you're up to listening. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoKqeIKvp653rM0

[@madbirdiee]

She is the most beautiful cat :’(((

[@julie_szn]

She’s an angel~ 🥰

[@Szokynyovics]

Hey Julie, my wife sent you your video which I really enjoyed, and I have a few thoughts I just cannot stop myself from expressing: Uni is adorable, and the story is hearwarming. As someone who listens to a LOT of online lectures, stories, video-essays, critiques... etc. I find your presentation incredibly unique and soothing almost unlike anything I have encountered so far, it was a really joyful experience just listening, and sometimes I had to even wind back a bit, because I got lost in the intonations, the way you composed composed your words, like listening to a great audiobook where a professional actor reads it so well. So yeah, I just wrote this in hopes that it will make you feel good knowing how nice we all felt listening to you! All the best! :)

[@julie_szn]

I really cannot begin to express my gratitude for yours and other kind messages alike...I never thought my little story with Uni and Milktea could reach all the people that it did- strangers who spared 9 minutes of their lives to listen to me. So thank you, again, for the time you shared with me and the message that I’ll carry through the next stages of my life 💛 your kind words meant everything.

[@yours_peaches]

Idk what made me have the urge to click on the video but i am forever grateful that i did, this video is so beautiful for every pet owner. It's sooo beautiful thank you so much my heart just warms up each time when i watch your video, i come back twice today just to watch it again and again ✨

[@julie_szn]

I’m so happy that it made you feel the way I did too 💛 sending virtual hugs in place of our furry friends 🫂

[@issa_asdf]

"we coexist to fill the missing gaps of each other" if THAT sentence doesn't define the entire relationship we, as pet owners, have with our pet compainions i don't know how to define it.

[@julie_szn]

we are all broken pieces bound by our furry friends~❤

[@ilysven]

i am absolutely sobbing

[@julie_szn]

*sending virtual hugs* 🥹🧡

[@ilysven]

@@julie_szn i love u :((

[@posie_blue5910]

This is so beautiful and moving. The connection between animal and human are so strong and they can make you happy in any situation ❤

[@paulinavazquez6413]

This is the first video in a long time that i could watch entirely! It's beautiful

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for sticking around to see the whole story! 🥰

[@0noff0n]

This channel needs more love! The unfiltered emotion and deep thought was beautiful to relate to :) thank you for sharing ❤

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for sharing a piece of your love with us 🫶💛

[@tsuki6215]

This channel is so underrated, your style of video is so unique and I love it so much!!

[@julie_szn]

I’m honored!! Thank you for joining us on a chapter of our journey~ 💛🌼🐈‍⬛

[@mars2101]

omgg i really enjoyed this documentary of ur journey. I was so moved by ur sincerity and dedication. Your storytelling and editing skills are so amazing and helped convey all ur emotions. You've earnt another subscriber in me right away

[@julie_szn]

I’m glad our paths crossed~ thank you for your kind words!! I hope to continue documenting my life too, happy to have you on board~ ☺️💛

[@posie_blue5910]

This is the type of KZbin vids i crave... they bring me such comfort, thank you smm❤

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for your kind words and listening to our story~ 🥹🫶

[@starlapse365]

As I am living in Seoul currently, an unfamiliar place to my Midwestern roots, I too am feeling similar feelings that you have expressed throughout this video. I feel like I came to Seoul with a lot of confidence and all of that slowly vanished after arriving here. I have been building myself back up again and learning to love myself again. Unique to my story is I have a dog waiting back home for me... that we couldn't bring with us for our time in Seoul. My husband and I have both always wanted to raise a cat together and talked about it being a part of our distant future. But recently we've been going back and forth about getting a cat also, looking on Paw in Hand just to entertain the possibility. It would be nice to raise a cat here and then bring it back to meet my pup one day is what I've been thinking a lot! Just yesterday, We found a cat we both like! We sent out our applications and apartment photos. Wish us LUCK that soon, we too can have a soul-cat that makes us feel lucky to have encountered one another in these moments of our life

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for sharing such intimate part of your story- 🙏✨I’m so glad you and your husband found one that you both felt connected with! Best of luck with the application as well as life abroad~ I’m honored that you found peace with my little video 🤞🧡 winter is upon us now, please don’t forget to stay warm~ 🐈 🐕

[@starlapse365]

@@julie_szn Thank you! We got approved and met the cat. We're just preparing our apartment now!!! I'm both nervous and excited for this opportunity

[@julie_szn]

@Ritz2013 oh my goodness!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this great news with me 🥹 it warms my heart that it went so so well for you both! Sending you love and warm wishes for a beautiful life together~ 🧡✨🐈

[@julie_szn]

My advice would be to let the cat take the pace- give them some time to adjust to the environment and most importantly just be patient with them :) make sure you cat-proof your place and protect your valuables from cat activities 😆 pay attention what they like and dislike…imagine they are a 2-3 year old baby~

[@starlapse365]

@@julie_szn thank you for taking the time to reply! She’s currently hiding in a sanctuary room we prepared for her. She’s so cute. I already lover her so much and we’ve barely interacted yet. Thankfully she has eaten one the first day so I hope she feels a little less stressed in a couple days and approaches us. Trying to be patient as much as we can. The shelter sent us videos and pictures of her and I can’t wait to pet her and love her

[@sandrairizarry4658]

I'm so happy you found each other.

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for your kind words~ 🥰

[@stevenanthony9353]

Hello Sandra how are you doing today

[@deadaccount6135]

Such a beautiful story, and your cat is sweet and gorgeous. No doubt in my mind at all cats are magical, I think God gave them to us to be a calm influence on our soul. Yes, I'm the male equivalent of a ' crazy cat lady ', but I don't care what haters think, I can't imagine life without them and wouldn't have it any other way. 😻😻😻

[@julie_szn]

She was the best thing that happened to me while I was abroad 🥹 we truly don’t deserve animals~ thank you for watching! 💛

[@minahere]

This is the most beautiful cat adopting video I’ve watched 🌷

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for being a part of our journey too~ ☺️

[@Lunnauna]

I was just curious about the adoption process in South Korea, but ended up crying for almost 10 minutes straight. Such a beautiful story of the both of you ❤

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for watching a part of our journey and brining me back to these moments too! Wishing you the best of luck with your potential furry pal too~ 🥹🧡✨

[@selinaimmich5563]

This was so beautiful to watch!

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for watching~ 💛

[@groundfloor711]

You have an amazingly soothing voice… and congrats on the new friend.

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for watching our story~ ☺️🫶

[@ryanboylan4573]

i enjoy your style of writing and execution of your videos. i didn’t expect to see this great of videography looking up cat videos. :)

[@julie_szn]

Thank you so much! I’ll have the algorithm to thank for sending you my way too~ :)

[@mads7181]

This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen 🥹🤍

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for coming across our little journey and becoming a part of it~ 💛

[@cheesecakeidk]

Absolutely brilliant video. I love the cinematography and story telling aspects :)

[@julie_szn]

thank you kindly for being a part of our journey~ :)

[@sou5266]

I really teared up while watching this, what a beautiful video! I'm glad you guys found each others, you both deserve it each others :) and I also wanna add I love your voice so much! its really beautiful and calming

[@julie_szn]

thank you so so much for the sweet comment :) I’m still the luckier one to have found Uni 💛 I hope to have you around for the next part of our journey! ^u^

[@snowmid3740]

Love your vid! And Uni is amazingly adorable.

[@julie_szn]

She really is a sweetheart~ thank you for watching!! 🤗

[@chara8231]

Such a beautiful video! I'm speechless😍

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for your kind words~ 🙏

[@Lanilottie]

Truly enjoyed watching this wow

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for being a part of our journey too~ 🫶

[@xLittleBunnyx]

This is an amazing video i really felt how you were feeling

[@julie_szn]

I’m glad we could connect through something that’s so meaningful too, thank you again for watching~ 💛

[@joanne3822]

your voice is so calming

[@julie_szn]

Thank you kindly~ ☺️

[@UK_Tan98]

Congratulations on a fantastically beautiful video. I'm just about to bring a cat into my home too - this video has made me all the more excited. A very well-made and engaging piece of content. Just subscribed, can't wait to see what else you come up with ☺ With love from England x

[@julie_szn]

Thank you from sending us love!!! Hope the new addition to your home will light up your world for years to come~ :) ❤

[@ajai4443]

this is so sweet omg

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for watching~ :)

[@rickydente3316]

The fate of everything is on😁 reminds me of that Portuguese way of life and living 🙌 the Fado... Like I learn, it's not only about the seas, it's about life himself.. And your video shows exactly that

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for sharing that with me too!! 🌊

[@trini2DBone134]

She's so pretty ❤🥹

[@julie_szn]

She’s truly a blessing inside and out 🥹🧡

[@blink0035]

i'm not crying you are 😭

[@julie_szn]

I definitely was- 😭

[@femilame]

you are such a good narrator 🥺

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for your kind words~ 🥰

[@swarup9714]

OMG plz keep making new videos....they are so good i can watch them for hours..and ur cat is so cute

[@julie_szn]

Thank you kindly! A new video is definitely coming your way~ 🤓

[@Ray-gu2fg]

Gorgeous video

[@julie_szn]

Thank you kindly! 🙏

[@rik8909]

Beautiful 🐈 💕

[@julie_szn]

Thank you kindly~ ☺️

[@enpeci]

I am surprised to stumble upon this video. Actually I am also curious on adopting a cat to hopefully get me out of this dark mental state that I am in. I am just really nervous about the responsibility it comes with and If I were to give it the best care it can possibly recieve.

[@julie_szn]

To be honest, she was my depression kitty. Though I was prepared to have a cat in the future, adopting one here out of all the places was not in my plan. You will never truly be 100% ready to sometime, but I will definitely advise to not adopt until you are financially stable and is, first and foremost, able to take care yourself then the option of adopting then becomes a viable option. In that case, we are not jeopardizing the well-being of your newly adopted cat on top of everything you’re already dealing with. With that being said, there are definitely good sides to having a companion abroad. It just comes down to your financial and living situation. I’m rooting for you! Depression is a dense fog to navigate through, it will take time to heal, no need to rush yourself 💛

[@may-py9uq]

Me enganchaste, beautiful video 💕

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for your kind words~ 🥰

[@may-py9uq]

my pleasure

[@shahdkamal4007]

WHY R U SO UNDERRATED LIKE UR AMAZING AND UNNIE I'M SO EXCITED CUZ I'M GETTING A CAT WHEN WE MOVE INTO A VERY BIG HOUSE!

[@julie_szn]

You’re too kind! Wishing you and your cat a fun adventure together soon~ 🥰

[@shahdkamal4007]

@@julie_szn omg ur so sweet💟💌 Tysm for providing us with good-quality videos! I hope u get ur recognition soon and don't forget Me when ur famous lol💓💌💟💗😊

[@Maria-mn6rm]

This video made me miss my cat a lot ❤

[@julie_szn]

I hope my video can give you some comfort~ 🥺 they must be missing you at this very moment too🤍

[@user-ow2ju7xp4i]

❤❤❤

[@julie_szn]

☺️🫶✨

[@lexiem6322]

BABY UNI AUNTIE LOVES YOU

[@julie_szn]

I thought you were her godmother 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@lexiem6322]

@@julie_szn IM BOTH

[@meganl8793]

crying

[@julie_szn]

I’m right there with you 🥹

[@skar3339]

cute

[@julie_szn]

Thank you for your kind words~ :)

[@katkatkorea2898]

Hi I loved you video! I’m leaving here in South korea too, and I’m thinking of adopt a cat. I know I’ll not live forever here. So my question is if you know how is the process if you return to your country with your cat. Thank you!!

[@julie_szn]

Hi there!! I think it comes down to where are you returning to and also which airline you’ll be flying with. I haven’t looked into transporting her back to the states yet since I see myself here in SK for at least 3 more years but I definitely recommend checking with different airlines to see what their requirements are :) best of luck in finding your car soulmate ❤️

[@mikiyachi2]

“Un” also means luck in Japanese ❤️

[@julie_szn]

She is truly a gift anywhere in the world 💖

[@AnthropicVerse]

you are like my friend deble

[@wonner275]

Ohhh new channel! Hahaaa uni love chicken breast more 🤣🤣

[@julie_szn]

why you breaking my heart again such a bully lah 🥲

[@wonner275]

@@julie_szn what bully. Nono. Just stating what u said. 😜🤭

[@ladylynemangaya7441]

Hi, i just wanted to ask where can you find a cat adoption center. Im new here in korea and all i see is pet store with dogs in it. I really wanted to adopt a cat.

[@julie_szn]

Hi there! While I was researching, the only physical shelter I found were 2 places i mentioned in the video (Kara, Nabiya). You can find them on Instagram and contact them! Last time I’ve spoke to them, I was able to get a hold of someone who spoke english :)

[@Karincl7]

@@julie_szn why must they speak english ????

[@julie_szn]

@@Karincl7 oh It was only because I couldn't communicate in English, haha~