One thing about me is that I have always planned and wanted to go to Korea. Ever since I was younger, I dreamed a lot about it. I wanted to try the food from the drama, visit some famous places, go to the amusement park, climb Namsan Tower, and walk those very same streets. And since my parents were giving me this once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the world with my older sibling, I had to take it. When this trip became more and more real, it felt unreal.

The night before the flight, I couldn’t sleep at all. This was the start of many firsts. My first airport, the first time leaving the country, I was so excited I felt sick to the stomach. When it was time to leave for the airport, I put on my best and most comfortable outfit. I hugged my parents tightly before leaving. This feeling of nervousness and happiness maybe this was the beginning of something turning out right. 

When we got to the airport, exhaustion hit me like a truck. We arrived around 6 in the morning, and our flight wasn’t to leave until 3 pm. Hours and hours of waiting, I only downloaded three movies, one playlist, and what I thought was my comic, except it never downloaded. What was worse is I made the mistake of getting pizza, a greasy one at that, before boarding. Zero sleep, plus greasy pizza, plus anxiety on an empty stomach, was I crazy! Worse combination possible. I felt so sick the entire flight to Korea, and when we landed, I was barely functioning. It was almost midnight when we reached the hotel, and I was just a walking zombie. 

But the next morning? Everything changed. I woke up and realized I was actually here. Like this was the impossible, but I was here! No parents, just me and my sibling. In a different country, a different language, a different atmosphere. Everything was so worth it. I probably slept for 6 hours, but I jumped out of bed as I had slept for longer. I had infinite energy!

We were only staying for ten days, but every single day I packed it to the brim with activities. We went to Myeong-dong, Hongdae, Namsan Tower, Lotte World, LINE Friends, Kakao Friends, cafes, markets, museums, and just anywhere we could go. 

On the first day, we went to Myeong-dong, and it rained so hard that my shoes were soaking wet. But I didn’t even care. I was too happy to care. We walked from store to store nonstop, and my feet squeaked with every step, but nothing could stop me. I was shopping, taking pictures, trying food, and even eating at McDonald’s. I was still recovering from the airport pizza, but I didn’t let my wet shoes, dehydration, or the lack of food in my system stop me! 

The next day, we went to Hongdae. We found this pretty cafe while walking, and we had this cheesecake, and the chocolate milk was amazing! I sat there in disbelief, and you hear it a lot, but I was just shocked that I flew here. We then continued to wander the streets of Hongdae. We went to the Popmart store, Kakao, Line Friends, the underground market, and more. Lots of walking!

Maybe it’s me, but as I walked the streets, I felt almost free. No, it felt freeing. 

Back home, everything was always loud, stressful, chaotic, but here people minded their business, the streets were calm it was peaceful. For the first time, my brain felt quiet too. 

I remember thinking, “This is the life I want someday.”

 Although we shopped a lot, we also visited different villages and museums, and although there was a language barrier, I still appreciated the history and the beauty of the villages. We visited museums such as the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Hangeul Museum, and the Lotte World Folk Museum. We walked through a lot of villages as well, and they were really pretty. We walked so much that the soles of my shoes were destroyed by the end of the trip! With all that walking, my knee injury caught up to me. Especially since we climbed all the way down from the Namsan tower, my knee was definitely stuck at a 90-degree angle. I had to buy an emergency knee brace from a pharmacy. But even with that pain, I still don’t regret it. 

We went to Gwangjang Market, and we tried japchae, dumplings, and blood sausage. We got Baskin-Robbins and bought a cake that we ate too much of. At Lotte World, we waited hours for rides. We rode maybe like 4; we stood in line for the French Revolution, but what I got from that ride was my brain rattling and me being tired from waiting 2 hours. It was the unbearable summer heat that made us not want to ride anymore, and it was jampacked, but we still had fun. We got food right after, and it was so good I dream about it to this day. 

One of my favorite memories was going to different K-pop stores. Especially on the last day, I was still trying to find the soundtrack from one of my favorite dramas, Crash Landing On You, and this older woman who owned the store tried helping me. And although we barely understand each other, she kept asking the boy group. Boy? And I kept going, no! Twice twice!. The second she understood, she motioned me towards the section for girl groups and showed me all the albums by Twice. She even asked who my favorite member was. In general, after visiting all the different K-pop stores, I left with 5 Twice albums and 2 BTS albums. 

As I’ve gotten older, I haven’t been able to keep up with K-pop as much, but one of the few groups I do keep up with and were part of my childhood were BTS and Twice, and buying those albums felt like it healed me a little. 

When the trip ended, I genuinely didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay an extra day or two. I just kept promising myself that I would come back. Not as a tourist but as someone who has made something of themselves. Someone who could afford to travel freely and live peacefully. 

When we got home, I remember my mom asking me, “Does this make you want to study harder to travel more?” and I said, with confidence, “Yes.” At the time, I really meant it. 

I thought if I worked hard enough, became a nurse, made good money, maybe I could build the life I wanted and have control over. Maybe I could even live there when I’m retired. I just had so much hope for myself back then. A little too much. 

But even now, three years later, I still miss Korea deeply. More than I can explain and tell. I miss the atmosphere, the food, the streets, and the overall freedom I had there. 

Hopefully, when I have my life figured out, I’ll go back with pride and a better mindset.