During the fall 2019 semester, I was able to step outside of Seoul and visited other cities within Korea alongside my friends, making memories of a lifetime!
Gangneung 강릉
With Michelle, Natasha, Lisa, Le An, Daniel, Timmy, and Lydia, we head to Gangneung for the long Chuseok 추석 holiday of four days. At first, we wanted to go to Busan, but since everyone in Korea is on break, all the seats in the KTX Rail were already booked. Thus, we decided to go to Gangneung which is 3 hours by car east of Seoul. With the help of Natasha's aunt, we were able to book everyone's seats on an Express Bus. By checking Airbnb, we found a great guesthouse that was able to house all eight of us together with some modern-looking bunk beds. Leaving at 3:30 pm from the Dongseo Bus Terminal, we got onto the Express Bus and went on our way. Halfway through the ride, the bus stopped at a rest stop, one of my favorite parts during the commute. In there, there were tons of food vendors selling quick eats such as hotdogs, donuts, and so much more. Arriving in Gangneung, we walked to the guesthouse place and met the nicest Airbnb owner. The place itself was very cute and homey. We explored Gangneung's notorious places such as the BTS bus stop, Goblin's pier shooting location, various beaches, etc.
Busan 부산
From October 11 to 13, Walter, Kevin and I went to visit Busan! Taking to train to Busan, we arrived Friday night and arrived at our hotel room. Since it was on the coast of Haeundae Beach, we explored that area at night. It was very relaxing being right next to the ocean. The following day, we explored the famous Haedong Yonggung Temple and the Gamcheon Culture Villiage. I also dragged them to go to some cafes with me since it was Jimin's (one of the BTS' members) birthday weekend; his birthday's on October 13! Afterward, we met and hung out with the others: Jason, Jonathan, Natasha, Shristy, Ahn, Priscilla, and Michelle. On Sunday, we took in the last view of the beach, taking a small mini-hike before heading back to Seoul for school the next day. Though it was short-lived, it was a great time to get to know my new friends!
Daegu 대구, Gyeongju 경주, & Ulsan 울산
From January 9 to 11, I tagged along with Natasha to visit her relatives living in Korea. With the company of her aunt, we headed to Daegu, Gyeongju, and Ulsan, visiting famous locations such as the Kim Gwangseok Road, Woljeong Bridge, and Ulsan Grand Park Light Festival. It was fun to meet Natasha's family tree and spend the time exploring these cities! It was super last-minute, but I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to see the other southern cities!