I just got back from a two week trip in South Korea and it was hands-down one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Why Korea? I get asked that all the time. I usually cover my face in embarrassment when I say that it all started with a Kdrama. Kdramas, or Korean TV series, have been my obsession for the past two years. As I continued to watch them, I became obsessed with all things Korea. The culture, the history, the people, the food, the language. Everything. I started taking Korean language classes, learning to cook Korean dishes, and study more about the country. One year in, I decided I needed to actually go there, and I did.

What I did in South Korea

I love traveling solo, and I went there by myself. I stayed in Seoul, in the Insadong area. It’s known for it’s tea shops, cafes, art work, handicrafts, and delicious food. There were so many things to do and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to check everything off my travel bucket list. But I did do a lot. I took a cooking class, had an overnight temple stay, visited museums and palaces, ate street food, and more.

What about the language difference?

I am so glad that I took the time to learn some Korean before I went. Being able to greet people, thank them, and ask for things was extremely helpful. I also know Hangeul, the Korean writing system which is surprisingly easy to learn. Because I knew it I was able to know what bus stops to get on and off. Also, I felt like people were genuinely appreciative of me trying to speak to them in their language. A small bow and “thank you” in Korean went a long way. I found people to be very helpful, even with the language difference. Apps like Papago and Naver were life-savers for me.

Why should you go to South Korea

Everyone has their own reasons to travel the places that they do. For me, South Korea was all about pushing myself to learn more about a language and a people that I wasn’t previously very familiar with. The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, “is a cultural phenomenon in which the global popularity of South Korean popular culture has dramatically risen since the 1990s.” Wikipedia Think Kdramas, Kpop, Kbeauty, etc. It’s off the charts popular globally, and I am riding that wave with pure abandon. Why should you go? If you’re a fan of history, delicious food, learning about different cultures and customs, South Korea should definitely be on your travel bucket list. If you have any questions, I’m always down to talk about my experience. Feel free to email me [email protected].

• Walk Seoul

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  Loved coming across these Seoul walking tour signs.

• King Sejong the Great

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  Bronze statue of King Sejong the Great. He was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the inventor of Hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. It felt very meaningful for me to see this as I'm currently learning the language.

• The Cheonggyecheon Stream

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  The Cheonggyecheon Stream is a 6.8 mile stream and public space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. A lot of people hang out there, relax with family and friends, or bring something to eat. Such a peaceful spot. It's also a place where many Kdramas have been filmed like: Do You Like Brahms?, Tomorrow, and See You In My 19th Life.
• Pebbles in Seoul

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  This was a super exciting moment for me because it was the shooting location of my first, and favorite, Kdrama, The King's Affection. This is inside the Gyeonggijeon Shrine which was erected in 1410 and holds the portrait of King Tae-jo, the founder of the Joseon dynasty.

• Bibimbap

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  One of my favorite Korean dishes. Bibimbap. Bibim means "mixing," and bap means rice. It also has lots of vegetables, meat or tofu, and is served with a spicy/sweet sauce called gochujang. It's delicious!

• Grandma Yu’s Bibimbap

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  Loved this restaurant. I didn't realize that it was almost breaktime when I got there, but they let me in anyway. It was delicious!
• In memory of Itaewon victims

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  A year ago on October 29, 2022, there was a crowd crush in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul. The Halloween celebration ended up with 159 people killed and 196 others injured. This was part of a memorial that was set up in near City Hall. Very emotional seeing the pictures of those who died, most of whom were very young. Such a sad situation.

• In memory of the Itaewon Halloween tragedy

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  This was a wall of post-its that people left messages to remember the victims of the Itaewon tragedy last year.

• Cooking Class

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  This was one of my favorite things I did while in Seoul. Took a cooking class where we learned to make Korean classic meals like bibimbap, dakgalbi (stir fried chicken), and jeon or pancakes.
• Cooking class meal

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  Once we were done cooking we got to enjoy the meal we made of seafood pancake, soup, bibimbap, and side items.

• Seoul Outdoor Library

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  I loved seeing this! The Seoul Library occasionally holds outdoor library events. The set up was so cool. They had these little tents as well as comfy chairs for people to hang out in to read.

• Dunkin’

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  Of course there's a Dunkin' in Seoul!
• Gyeongbokgung Palace

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  This was outside of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. This is the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty.

• The Deoksugung Palace Stonewall Walkway

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  This is a very famous wall where many Kdramas are filmed including some of my favorites: Goblin, One Spring Night, and Beauty Inside.

• Gyeongbokgung Palace

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  Inside of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Loved the women dressed in hanbok in the background.
• Ginko tree

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  Fall inside of the Gyeongbokgung Palace was stunning! This was a beautiful ginkgo tree.

• Gyeongbokgung Palace

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  The intricate work at the Gyeongbokgung Palace was mindblowing!

• Bongeunsa Temple

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  This was at Bongeunsa Temple where I had my overnight temple stay. Such an incredible experience.
• Temple Stay

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  This was the "uniform" we wore during our temple stay at Bongeunsa Temple.

• Potato tornado

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  There is street food everywhere in Seoul. I got this at a street market at Myeondong Night Market.

• Korean Corn Dogs

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  Street food at Myeondong Night Market. Different corn dogs which are really popular.
• Baby Crab food truck

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  More street food! This was fried baby crab.

• Korean Sweet Potatoes

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  Love, love, loved this! It was roasted Korean Sweet potatoes. So delicious!

• Korean Sweet Potatoes

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  This picture embodies all the happiness I felt while in Korea. That, and this was so yummy!
• Just some Bostonians together in Seoul

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  Zini has mentioned that she was going to be in Seoul at the same time with her mom. We decided to meet up at the night market.

• Croffles

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  What do you get when you mix a croissant and a waffle? Of course, it's a croffle! These were everywhere. I didn't try them, but they did look delicious.

• National Museum of Korea

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  This structure is incredible. It's a ten story high stone pagoda of Gyeongcheonsa Temple inside the National Museum of Korea.
• BTS

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  A poster of BTS' "Dear Class of 2020" where the seven members of the group recorded their own commencement speeches for a virtual graduation celebration. It was to celebrate new graduates around the world who weren't able to have actual ceremonies because of COVID-19. FYI, I am now completely obsessed with BTS!

• Garden at the National Museum of Korea

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  This bridge was absolutely stunning in the garden at the National Museum of Korea.

• The garden at the National Museum of Korea

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  This area was just stunning! Fall in Korea is beyond beautiful. In the background is Cheongjajeong, or the Celadon Pavilion. It was built on Mirror Pond in 2009, as one of the projects commemorating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first modern museum in Korea.
• Korean BBQ

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  You can't go to Korea and not have Korean BBQ. It was so good. And everyone drinks soju, Korea's National Drink, with BBQ.

• Korean BBQ

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  It's incredible how much food you get in Korea. You order one meal and it usually comes with a bowl of rice, soup, and other various side dishes. So much food and it's all delicious!

• Snacks at the Nuldam Space Cafe

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  This is from Nuldam Space. It's a cafe where you can write a letter to your future self. This was an elderflower iced tea and black sesame croissant.
• Letter Writing Cafe

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  This was one of my favorite things to do. You buy a postcard and write a letter to your future self. You then have it sent to yourself in the future sometime next year. I had it sent so that I would receive it on my birthday in May.

• Sealing your letter

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  I loved this. It felt very special and different. Definitely made me want to write more letters.

• Breakfast with a view.

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  Had a delicious breakfast of kimchi pancake and a soup with rice at this restaurant. Just outside the window was this glorious persimmon tree.
• New glasses

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  I couldn't resist! I love unique and beautiful glasses. These were handcrafted at a shop in the area I was staying in. Insadong.

• Insadong Forever

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  Loved this little seating area that said Insadong Forever. That's the area that I stayed in and it is a really special area. Full of handicrafts, artwork, restaurants, cafes, and tea houses.

• Making friends in Korea

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  I was introduced to this incredible Korean artist, Mi Young Yang. She makes sculptures and figures using Korean paper. Her work is stunning.
• Keeping the trees warm

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  In the area of Jeonju in Korea, there were lots of trees that had knitted "sweaters" around their trunks. They are there to help keep the trees warm in the winter and to control the bugs. I loved the concept of taking care of trees in this way.

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