Seoul My Soul

I officially unlocked two new levels in my Korean expedition: 

• Traveling to Seoul  

• Navigating the world of train passage on my own 

This past Saturday was one of my favorite days since moving to Korea. I was able to meet up with my roommates from orientation, Alex and Taylor.  I have not seen Alex since orientation and Taylor since Chuseok, so a reunion was much needed. 

My day started off bright and early at 4am.  I got myself all ready for the day and set off for the bus station at the lovely hour of 5am.  Much of the city was still asleep, yet there were several people waiting at the bus stop. A small comfort, to be sure (still not quite used to being out and about when it is late/ early by myself).  The bus was a quick 5 minute ride to the subway station, and I arrived right as the subway I needed was pulling out.  Fret not, for I just caught the next one that came 10 minutes later. I made sure I have plenty of time to spare before my arduous journey (you could say I am my mother’s child).  Once situated on the subway, I allowed myself to relax for the 20 minute ride before the stress returned ten fold once at the station.  I meandered through the underground path, and finally found myself in Busan station.  The correct terminal was subsequently located, and I settled in for a short wait before I could board the train. 

We pulled out promptly at 6:36am, and I almost immediately had to pee for the fourth (!!!!) time that morning.  Do not let me have coffee lest my bladder betray me.  In case you were wondering (even though I know none of you are), I went to the bathroom and then quite literally had to go yet again.  My seat mate quickly quashed my reprieve by falling asleep for the last 2.5 hours of my journey. What is life without a little pain and discomfort, am I right? 

The train pulled into Seoul Station at 9:58, and by 10 I was standing in line at the women's bathroom. Can we just talk for a second about how unfair it is that men NEVER have a line for their bathroom? My mission was a success, and I then meandered throughout the station scoping out a place to sit. I could now officially relax and congratulate myself on a job well done navigating my way to Seoul.

The reunion of our little trio was much like you would expect. Us running and jumping into one another's arms while simultaneously lifting each other over our heads, à la Dirty Dancing... psyche! There were lots of hugs shared, though. I also may have had an extra pep in my step when I saw them in the station. The orientation roomies were officially ready to hit the city.

The first stop was to see the iconic Seoul tower. Being that we are strong and fit women, we made the lovely trek up the mountain via a cable car. No sweat was broken, and I had a lovely panoramic view of the city. Never mind the fact the only people we saw hiking the mountain were the elderly. Once at the top, I took an awkward yet endearing photo with an official guard who stood about 5 feet behind us in said photo. Cue me standing like a bump on a log. I was lucky that the sun was shining brightly allowing me to see how stunning and vast the city was. Busan is big, but it has absolutely nothing on Seoul.

Stop two was situated in Myeong-dong to hopefully grab a bite from the many street vendors available. Knowing how lucky yours truly is, the street vendors were not yet set up for the day. No matter; we pivoted and had an absolutely delectable lunch at a sit down restaurant instead. I tried yet another new dish: jjimdak. Jjimdak is a braised chicken dish marinated in ganjang sauce with additives, such as glass noodles and vegetables. The chicken melted in my mouth and was bursting with flavor. The onions were beautifully stewed and reminded me of those found in my dad's pot roast dish. The glass noodles were practically a mile long and were coated in the delectable sauce. Yes, I was incredibly bloated after the meal, but I would gladly eat it again because of how delicious it was.

Leaving the restaurant about a pound heavier, we decided to head over to Itaewon. We stopped at a coffee shop recommended by Alex and enjoyed ourselves iced vanilla lattes. We simply sat and talked to one another for an hour or so. I had forgotten how lovely it was just to chat with them about anything and everything. It is crazy to think we only really knew each other for a week before we went on our merry ways across the country. Nevertheless, we are bonded for life based solely on the fact we existed within a dorm that was 200 square feet, if that.

Next up on our journey was a pitstop at Seoul Forest, more of a copse of trees. We managed to arrive as the sun was setting, so we had ourselves a lovely little sunset stroll. Minding the random mud patches, we had a grand old time. Through the clearing, we stumbled upon a display of upside down Christmas trees. After a little investigative digging (i.e. turning and reading the artist's display profile), we determined the trees were part of an artistic light show. It was cool in theory, but in the daytime it was simply a metal scaffold decorated with trees.

A highly anticipated visit to the photo studio transpired after the forest stroll. What better way to scream "Foreigners" than to visit the Cheeze Moon photo studio. After careful deliberation, we decided our photo booth photos needed to have the cheese border. We decided on our fun and wacky poses and got to work snapping away. If you ever find yourself in Korea, I highly recommend visiting a photo studio. They are literally everywhere, and you can create some of the best moments simply by squeezing into a tiny room with a giant camera.

Finished with our modeling photoshoot, we headed back to the subway station to catch a ride over to Gwanghwamun Square. Seoul was displaying their annual holiday festival, complete with a light show on the walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace and a pseudo Christkindl market. There were so many beautiful light displays, but the true showstopper was the palace. Set to music, the lights would create beautiful and unique designs on the front of the palace. Even though we were situated across the street from the palace, it was still an impressive sight. The addition of unforeseen snowfall completed the magical experience.

Furthermore, Alex led both Taylor and myself over to one last stop before we would set out for dinner. As part of the holiday festival, Cheonggyecheon Stream was decorated with absolutely stunning lanterns and hanging lights. All I could do was look up and slowly make my way down the stream pathway. The lanterns were iridescent and shining brightly amongst the night sky. I would be hard pressed to try and think of a more enchanting experience. The light flurry of snow finally began to fall a little harder, and we decided to travel back to Myeong-dong for some much deserved dinner.

Being a Chicagoan for the past 6 years has taught me a thing or two about snow, but I was not prepared for the Seoul snow. It was falling in thick puffs that would stick to the top of your head and simply not melt. Us three had quite the giggle in the snow storm and took our time walking the streets. A great start to the new year, I think. The food stalls were brimming with people and there were a variety of choices. Sugary hotteok, spicy tteokbokki, crunchy Korean corndogs, and buttery street corn were just some of the foods tempting us. We each bought a steaming fishcake, and it was perfect to eat with thick, cold snow falling around us. I also ordered delicious kimbap after craving it for several days. I have to say the squid was probably my favorite flavor with spicy bulgogi pulling a close second. Alex and Taylor stopped for some cheesy corndogs, and we all split a bag of freshly made bungeoppang, a fish shaped pastry filled with either red bean or custard. Deciding we had had enough of the never ending snow, we made our way into a coffee shop for a quick rest. My time was quickly coming to an end with the girls, and we were savoring our final moments together.

The ride over to Seoul station was bittersweet. We were incredibly grateful for our little reunion, but we were not yet ready to part ways. 4 months of catching up condensed into 10 hours seemed impossible, yet we made it work. Kudos to us! I gave both girls one last hug and prepared myself for the 3 hour journey back to Busan. The only bright side was I actually got to ride the Train to Busan (pun intended) minus the horde of zombies wreaking havoc within each train car.

Overall, my first trip to Seoul was a success! I saw some sites, ate delicious food, and caught up with some of the greatest people. When it was all said and done, the 21 hour day was very much worth it. Here's hoping I don't have to wait another 4 months for a catch up!