The Seoul of Asia: Notes From My Fall Trip to South Korea

Originally published on Endless Horizons; travel series commissioned by Fadzrul

In fall 2013, I ventured to Seoul with my fiancé to celebrate the end of the year and mark the close of my first adventure as a freelancer/entrepreneur. While four days wasn’t quite long enough to take in all of Korea, we did see a lot of sites thanks to the city’s walkable neighborhoods and extensive transit network. Here are a few things I enjoyed during my trip. 

1. Cheonggyecheon

Running through a majority of the city, the Cheonggyecheon is a perfect escape from the urban hustle of Seoul. Its lush greenery and running water are a nice compliment to the urban world at both of its sides. The most endearing feature I found about this area is its ability to create an almost uninterrupted walkway.

WARNING: Don’t try to bike it! I tried during my trip and was politely asked to leave my bike on the streets above.

2. Korean Food and All the Sides

Diets are ill-advised during a trip to Seoul. From hot noodle soups to traditional bulgogi beef, the options are endless and the flavors robust enough to satisfy the appetite of most eaters. It’s worth mentioning however pricing varies greatly depending on the neighborhood you’re in. During the last night of my trip I ate in Myeongdong and experienced sticker shock. Price for Korean BBQ and other staple foods were vastly more expensive than outlying areas.

3. Urban Fabric with a Bit of Natural Thread 

Often travelers are forced to choose between uber modern metros and more humble historic cities. Seoul is one of those rare places which effortlessly ties the two together. Traditional temples and homes sit adjacent to modern skyscrapers with looming mountains and trees lining most backgrounds.

Two of the most fascinating examples include Bukchon Hanok Village and Gyeongbokgung. Both are close to the city, yet thanks to careful planning don’t feel foreign or out of place within modern Seoul.

4. Forget the Disconnect

People looking to “get away from it all,” will get a quick reality check once entering Seoul. The city oozes technology; automation is almost at every turn. Glitzy signs direct visitors to nearby shops, live transit updates are provided via monitors in the subway, and WiFi is literally everywhere – even deep underground. I was personally impressed to see WiFi transmitters aboard subway trains and installed on phone booths. If you take a moment to look up, you’ll often see many Seoul residents on their smartphones.

5. Hospitality
From our host at our Hanok outside of Insadong to local shop owners and everyday people, Seoul is an incredibly friendly city. Most residents are also extremely accommodating to Americans or Southeast Asians who don’t speak a lick of Korean (PERSONALLY GUILTY).

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Seoul and would return in a heartbeat. No additional travel plans booked for the rest of 2013 but looking to add some US destinations to my schedule for the New Year. I’m eagerly waiting for my next trip.

Last Winter, December 2013: Part II - In Search for “Real” Mexico

Originally published on Endless Horizons; travel series commissioned by Fuzz

Travel is the quickest way to realign your perspective. Whether it’s a break-up, loss of job, or perceived life “rut,” hopping on a plane and saying “F@#& it,” is a perfect temporary cure. Early last winter, I did just that and headed off to Mexico with a bit of nudging from my fiancé. I was initially resistant to the idea fearing it would be a poor use of resources but warmed up to it after doing a bit of research about the beaches.

Arriving in Los Cabos was interesting.  We were welcomed by a patchwork of tourist spots and “real Mexico.” The tourist portions of the region were well maintained and resembled old Spanish palaces while the areas inhabited by locals seemed to be less glamorous. The drive between the airport and our hotel was very eye-opening; it further illustrated what I’ve heard about Mexico’s geography from travel literature.

“Mexico is a unique country, many of its urban environments transition seamlessly between shining examples of modernity and organized chaos.”

I took note of this while I drove between the regions small towns with no paved roads, modest structures, and taquerias. This differed greatly from the “tourist zone” which featured posh hotels, well maintained roads, and “sanitized” Mexican culture.

Admittedly I was a tad ashamed of our hotel when we first arrived. It was blatantly pandering to American tastes. Connection to local culture was faint at best. Pulling up to the entrance in my rental car I was confused by the look of our hotel. It looked like a mix between a Southwestern style cattle ranch and Spanish colonial outpost.

My skepticism faded once we were settled. While the hotel was divorced from the culture of the area, it did have a breathtaking view of the Sea of Cortez, had multiple pools and was remarkably empty the second week in December (see part I). The staff was also super friendly and helpful. My fiancé and I befriended the woman who ran the hotel’s pool house. She helped us find an awesome taqueria which served amazing baja style tacos and helped us navigate some of the areas outside of the “tourist zone.”

As I began to traverse Baja California Sur’s southern coast with my fiancé, I started to understand the allure of the place. It was far from perfect but the dry desert heat was very comfortable, people were friendly, and everyone seemed to be focused on celebrating the moment – something I took note of and brought home to Seattle after the vacation. At the time, I wasn’t sure what the trip would yield in terms of clarity about life goals or perspective but as always when I travel, I let my guard down, gave into the whims of the surroundings and was confident the area had plenty to teach and would provide ample moments of “ah” if I kept my eyes open.

To be continued… “Last Winter, December 2013: Part III”

Status Update – 10.28.13

Here’s a short post to round out this month. I’m…

Reading:

Red Herrings and Elephants

Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture

Learning:

New recipes

Basic fashion tips

Experimenting with:

Wunderlist

Duolingo

Mobile Day

Doodle MeetMe

Wrike

Playing:

Pokemon Y

Pikmin 3

The Wonderful 101

Watching:

Amazing Race

Mindy Project

Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown

Attending:

Navigating Grad School as a Working Professional

Seattle Goodwill’s Glitter Gala and Glitter Sale

Working on:

Becoming a better home chef

Refreshing joshuaholland.co

Planning a holiday escape

Visiting the dog park regularly again

Obtaining a personal CRM system

Starting a Delta Lambda Phi Local Alumni Association in Seattle

Hitting publish more regularly

A longer blog post…

[Photo courtesy of StevenW]

JHXXVI – Fresh Start, New Year

“Cut, it’s a wrap!”

Like many good things, my 25th year has come to an end. No big bangs or fireworks but many lessons learned from a challenging year which allowed me to explore my life as an entrepreneur, redefine my personal values, and lay the framework for some important “personal infrastructure projects” which I hope will pay off in the near future.

Looking ahead it’s hard to say what the new year has in store but if I learned anything from my 25th year, it’s that you have to put your best foot forward every day and plant all seeds of opportunity. The combination of these two actions will lead to the creation of a stronger and more prosperous future.  

In celebration of this milestone, I’ve created a personal curation project using Tagboard to capture the last few moments of my 25th year. I also drew up a list of personal improvements I hope to achieve in the coming year (listed below for reference).

To another year, *Cheers*


26th Year - Personal Improvement Opportunities 

• Make regular investments in my personal fitness

• Reconnect and maintain connections within my network

• Hit a little harder when it comes to point of view (POV)

• Recover quicker from “life blows”

• Push myself beyond my normal comfort zone

• Take action more frequently and ask myself “what’s the worst that could happen”

• Think more strategically about new opportunities and alliances

• Manage and respect my own time

• Step out of the weeds and look up at the bigger picture

• Don’t be afraid to take the lead occasionally   

• Own good work and learn quickly from missteps

• Strive to be the first to nod, smile, compliment, and forgive

• Draft faster, revise with care, and hit publish more frequently

• Exhibit a high level of emotional control

"Realign your life perspective frequently and often to avoid catastrophic derailments."