Bianca In South Korea: Land Of Morning Calm

24th May Some journeys take you across the world. Others take you a little closer to yourself. My time in Seoul did both. What started as an adventure: exciting, unfamiliar, sometimes a little overwhelming, slowly turned into something that felt… natural. Comfortable, even. And now, without really being ready for it, my last day had arrived . A Full Circle Moment Waking up and realising it was our very last day in Seoul felt surreal. Late that night, our flight home from Incheon International Airport was waiting. But first, a few final hours in a city that had come to mean so much to me. At the Ocloud Hotel counter, I saw a familiar face… the same kind staff member who checked me in on my very first day in Seoul. He was there when I had trouble with my air conditioning and again when I asked if I could return to the same room after our three-week journey through South Korea.  Seeing him again on our last day… it felt like everything had come full circle. As if Seoul quietly closed ...

Today was Arthur’s birthday, his very first one in South Korea. And of course, I had a little surprise prepared for him… Korean-style. A few days earlier, I picked up a bowl of miyeok-guk (미역국), or seaweed soup, from a local shop. In Korea, this soup is traditionally eaten on birthdays. It’s more than a warm meal, it carries a deeper meaning. Miyeok-guk is a symbolic dish that honors Samsin Halmoni,  the goddess who watches over childbirth and mothers. By eating miyeok-guk  on your birthday, you’re essentially paying quiet tribute to your mother for bringing you into the world. A Quick Stop at Daiso In preparation, I also made a quick stop at Daiso; the famous one-stop shop where you can find almost anything. There seems to be one on nearly every corner in Seoul and it’s where many Koreans often go for affordable everyday items: household goods, beauty products, kitchenware, snacks, pet supplies, stationery and plenty of quirky little things you didn’t know you needed.  ...