Seoul
I miss you Seoul….
The streets of Seoul are crowded with people walking and scooters racing through the streets and sidewalks to get their deliveries on time. As I walk down the steep hill of my dorm down to the street you can see the cherry blossom trees as they invade the hill and they scatter their petals on the ground. Although some days the smog that comes down from China settles in the skies, today it’s so clear that it makes you feel like the main character of a drama. I walk the busy street ready to hop on to the subway for my next destination doesn’t matter since any place you find here has amazing food and the feeling of home.
That beautiful picture that I painted was me a year ago…now I am back home surrounded by snow and stuck in my house. There are always those memes about studying abroad that say that people who study abroad only learn how to talk about study abroad years after they have come back. Well, It’s true, after I came back from my trip someone could just be breathing and then I would probably be like “I remember when I breathed in Korea.” As dumb or funny as it sounds, going abroad really is what makes that kindle in your heart light up and make you want to travel.
Korea like us here in the state of Colorado has all seasons, so the weather was something that I was used to. However, it seems that any kind of weather in a foreign place is just ten times better than your hometown. The thing that Colorado does not have is cherry blossoms and street food and subways and coin karaoke pods. As you walk through the oh-so-busy streets of Seoul, you realize that it’s not that difficult to go around the city once you understand the subway system.
The most freeing part about being in an Asian country was that their top-notch public transit was what made it so easy to maneuver through the city. Saturated with cafes on every corner, it was almost impossible to choose where to go. Sheep cafes, manga cafes, dog cafes, cat cafes, even raccoon cafes. Famous shopping areas like Myeongdong and Hongdae swarmed with food vendors as they had all kinds of street food. The best was the fish cakes that were given to you on a stick with a small cup of broth, the warmth of the broth on a cold snowy day was the best.
As you walked through the tall buildings you didn’t feel cramped, even though Seoul is the most densely populated city in South Korea. At night the stars became the lights that the skyscrapers emitted as there was a different feel to the air, friends going to karaoke to let off steam, the ahjussi (old man) drinking soju outside of the convenience store, and the bright lights that come from the skincare stores. Seriously, there were probably more skincare stores than there were trash cans. The mood always just changed even if it was Monday night, on a day where people went to work and school the next day.
The history that Korea had embedded in its infrastructure was probably the most charming part of the country. As the modern mixed with old, you felt how they had preserved history but also how much Korea had built up their country through the exportation of culture. My favorite was always walking by old-style houses that were part of the Joseon Dynasty. One of the best parts of this history is Gyeongbok Palace, this place lets you step into the Joseon Dynasty. As you walk around the huge castle grounds and the best part of all you sit around looking at the willow trees making you wonder what it would be like to live in a palace so big.
While I can’t say that it always smelled amazing (it’s a city), there was a sense of amazement no matter what simple thing I was doing in the city. Even if it was just walking around and being at a cafe, always excited as to what delicious food we could find next. On sunny days the best part was when you rented a bike and rode it along the Han river, the sun shining and the greenery being so green your eyes could not process it as it contrasted with the blue sky and white clouds.
Seoul was such a large city that it was difficult to get to everything in a semester. To truly get a taste of the local food the markets are the best. My favorite market was the Gwangjang Market, the food stands start right at the beginning and go all the way down the large warehouse, there are so many that it’s difficult for people to walk. Korea is surrounded by water and has delicious fresh seafood and that means that there is fresh octopus and fish. Served right out of the small tank they keep in the tiny food stand, the ahjumma (older woman) cut it right in front of us even as it was squirming in her hands. There was a point where one of the tentacles stuck to my cheeks and my life flashed fright in front of my eyes but I still managed to eat it.
Whether I was in Insadong drinking tea in a traditional tea house, or I was in Hongdae enjoying the street performers and the nightlife. No matter what even if it was going to the countryside to see the historical palaces or the gigantic aquarium down in the city of Busan. I would always look up at the night sky amazed at the experience, although I come from a small town it’s still a city so I know what city life is like. Seoul is so much bigger, it could have easily become overwhelming at the number of cars, buildings, and people that are not like you. However, I felt so at home standing at the top of the Namsan tower as you could look out at the city, the tiny lights from cars and houses made me realize that I didn’t need to be the richest in money but in experiences.