Twelve days, 8036 pictures, and a couple of colds later, we are back from South Korea. The return journey wasn’t as smooth as I’d hoped, thanks to those pesky colds that followed us through the plane journey. I spent the entire weekend in bed, trying to kick them to the curb.
When friends ask about the trip, my go-to response has been a simple “good but cold“
But there’s more to my Korea trip…
First off, my winter jacket turned out to be no match for Korea’s bone-chilling weather. And my shoes, well, let’s just say they had their moments of annoyance. I slipped on the snow, giving me serious déjà vu from my last trip to Japan. But hey, amidst the challenges, there were some incredible cultural experiences. Returning to a country after almost ten years is like peeling back layers on a cultural onion.
As is tradition in my cultural adventures, there’s a list of things I wish I’d done but didn’t quite manage. This trip was all about laid-back day excursions. I missed out on exploring Itaewon and Incheon’s Chinatown, skipped trying local eats like a whole bowl of Tteokbokki or any blood sausage, and didn’t get to rock a Hanbok while strolling through Bukchon village. Dosirak lunch at The Tongin market and going Jjimjilbang are also still to be ticked off.
Does this mean another Korea trip is in the cards?
I think more like layovers – a pitstop between Melbourne and the other parts of the world. Or if the future holds business trips to Korea or a life in Japan with occasional hops over to immerse myself in Korean vibes.
But there’s one cultural thing to do that I have zero regrets about not doing—the visit to the DMZ.
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[…] wasn’t the first time doing long period travel); a Japanese mother and daughter who came to Korea because her young daughter loved all things Korea; another Japanese, Ryoko, who almost missed the […]