The year filled with ups and downs is soon coming to an end.
In 2021, when I turned thirty, I only remember living fiercely for a year, betting everything on my goal of transitioning to a developer.
And at the beginning of this year, January 2022, I found a suitable job that matched my aptitude.
I came to Seoul carrying a few clothes and a nice coat that my mother bought to congratulate me on getting a job, all packed in a 27-inch suitcase.
Having had nothing, it took me quite a while to adapt to the new environment, and I needed to put in a lot of effort.
At first, I was constantly on edge, but things gradually improved. I was surrounded by good colleagues who supported me.
While working at the company, I used the excuse of making a living to let many things slide.
Work was one thing, but in the latter half of 2022, I did very little self-development.
When coding, I should have thought twice or thrice before typing, but I was rushing to get things done quickly.
Also, I needed time to refine the code I had already written, which I was lacking.
Money
Having successfully landed a job, I felt momentarily happy receiving my salary, but I realized that salaried workers always seem to live on the edge.
If I hadn’t invested, I would have been able to live modestly by saving. The losses from my investments were quite significant.
Whether in a bull market or a bear market, I found myself losing money, making me wonder if I shouldn’t be investing at all.
During the bull market, I had easily succeeded as a beginner investor, gradually increasing my stakes and eventually using leverage that I couldn’t handle, resulting in losses.
This year started with a bear market, and I still don’t know the lowest point. Each time the market fell, I kept averaging down, and now most of my savings are in stocks and cryptocurrencies.
As much as I feel the risk, I believe I will become wealthy.
First Move - Independence, Beginning of Hardships
Having had nothing, I thought it best to move into a goshiwon (a type of low-cost dormitory) near the company without any specific plan. There was no alternative.
To save on transportation costs, I looked for a goshiwon right in front of the company, but there were no vacancies, so I had to search elsewhere.
Eventually, I found a well-decorated goshiwon in the Moran area. Without knowing much, I went there without even seeing the room, as I had already brought my belongings and had no other choice.
The first month was a struggle as I tried to adapt to the company and living in the goshiwon.
Staying in a one-room space with no windows, I personally experienced what it felt like to have claustrophobia.
Fortunately, I heard that a room had opened up in the goshiwon next to the company where I initially inquired. However, the price difference was enormous. The rent for a room with a window was almost 200,000 won more than the one without.
After living there for a month, I thought it was definitely worth moving to a room with a window, but then another incident occurred on moving day.
As I was about to vacate after a month, my suitcase, which I had left in the common area, had disappeared.
I was furious and determined to find the culprit. Since I had only lived there for a month, not many people were leaving, which helped narrow down the suspects.
The CCTV footage was poorly managed, so the goshiwon manager contacted those few suspects and got a confession (or rather an absurd claim that they had taken it by mistake).
It was a kid who looked about twenty years old, and despite their rude attitude, I weakened and let it go without punishment.
Second Move - The Journey to Finding a Jeonse
My second home was a small one-room with a bathroom, about 2-3 pyeong (approximately 6.6 to 9.9 square meters). Although it was a bit larger and had a window, it was still uncomfortable.
However, the situation was similar; the goshiwon owner was quite picky, constantly staying around and grumbling.
I still couldn’t make calls freely and had to live in frustration. I wanted to move quickly, but now I wanted a jeonse (a type of rental agreement in Korea), so I spent several months searching for one while working.
The building I was in was a commercial one, so I encountered many people in the elevator. During this time, I caught COVID-19.
At first, I was enjoying the salary and flexibly eating out nearby.
But the cost of living in that area was high, so I spent all my money eating out.
It didn’t seem like I was getting paid poorly, but the world treated me like I was.
I decided to save as much as I could by stocking up on simple food that I could prepare myself.
Sometimes, I grilled meat in the common area, but the goshiwon owner gave me dirty looks. I wanted to move out quickly because of the owner.
Looking back, it was around the peak of the real estate price surge, and jeonse prices were unreasonably high everywhere.
I had too little to consider a regular jeonse.
Therefore, since I had won the LH Youth Jeonse Loan in 2021, that was my only option. However, the LH eligibility review was extremely stringent.
Most properties were already heavily mortgaged, so it was hard to find one suitable for LH approval. It seemed that only old villas built 20-30 years ago were available.
During this time, I bought a small motorcycle for convenience in commuting. They said it had a fuel efficiency of 60 km per liter. These days, it’s too cold and dangerous to ride often.
In the spring and summer, I rode around looking at houses. I think I’ve seen almost all the places in the southern Gyeonggi area.
I brainstormed how I could commute using the Shinbundang Line.
The area around the station was too expensive, so I looked for the best route to take the bus to the station.
Fortunately, I found a remodelable jeonse house eligible for LH loans. The walls hadn’t been repainted, but the layout seemed decent, so I signed the contract. It was a two-room, 14-pyeong (approximately 46.2 square meters) place.
It took about three months to complete the second move.
Third Move
Since the place was empty before I moved, I gradually transported my belongings using the motorcycle.
Although it had a creepy appearance typical of old villas, the inside was nicely decorated. Since it was a jeonse house, it had no appliances or furniture, so I bought everything myself.
After moving, I enjoyed the process of gradually assembling everything. I got many things from second-hand marketplaces, and for essential appliances like the washing machine, I felt uneasy about used items and the delivery fees, so I just bought new ones.
Being an old building, I worried about insects and insulation issues. The recent cold weather isn’t something that can be solved just by sticking bubble wrap on the windows. Nevertheless, I have to live here, so I plan to attach door seals and other items.
Still, having my own space makes me comfortable at home. I always think that it was the best option given the situation.
My goal is to live in this house for a long time and save money to buy a property, but saving money is not easy.
Every payday, it feels like someone is taking my hard-earned money. Living with the greedy capitalists is not easy.
End of COVID?
COVID seems endless.
I remember posting about it after seeing a news report in December 2019. There were so many fake news stories that I thought it was absurd to have a plague like in the Middle Ages in the 21st century.
But it turned out to be true… and even now, as we enter 2023, it’s still not over.
At the beginning of this year, South Korea practically implemented a “living with COVID” approach, and I caught it once, nearly dying.
Having contracted it less than a week after my third vaccine shot made me question the vaccine’s effectiveness.
China is just now starting to implement a “living with COVID” approach, and it’s said that over half the population has already contracted it. The stock market has risen again, and I hope everything returns to normal quickly.
Reflection
If you ask me whether I grew a lot this year, I would say it’s half right and half wrong.
This year, I only remember struggling for survival. It was probably the most unstable and hardest period of my life.
Still, I’ve been lucky enough to endure until now, and I seem to be living well despite the worst circumstances.
If I want to establish my career as a developer, I need to set aside my immediate worries and try to have more peace of mind.`