SOUTH KOREA
Seoul, South Korea
November 16–21, 2025
Many people use the cliche, “I left my soul in Seoul”, and I always thought it was a smart silly play on words. Until I visited the country myself did I truly understand this statement. The food, the people, the atmosphere, it pulls you in and leaves you wanting so much more.
First Impressions
Seoul is a very advanced city, but what stood out to me most is how well it holds onto its culture and traditions while being seemingly well advanced.
Korea has everything you need, but it never felt overwhelming. The culture is rooted in respect—people were kind, considerate, and very aware of others around them. There’s a balance between fast-paced city life and a quieter, more traditional side that you notice pretty quickly.
The whole trip I was amazed how smoothly everything went. It seemed like the Koreans had figured out how to make everything just work and not simply just work but work in a way that is impressive. Everything was done in a smarter way.
Bukchon Hanok Village
One of my favorite experiences was visiting Bukchon Hanok Village.
It’s a traditional village with homes that have been preserved for hundreds of years. Walking through it felt very calm and intentional, especially compared to the rest of the city. You really get a sense of how much history is still present and respected.
It was one of those places where you naturally slow down. We got to wear traditional Hanboks throughout this village. Since Nat and I are both tall and blonde we turned a lot of heads. It brought us closer to strangers in a special way, especially the locals. This village is still very much a lively neighborhood. Older Korean women would smile at us and compliment us. It felt very empowering and soft at the same time. USA seems to quickly assume wearing another cultures traditions is rude or wrong, however everywhere I have visited getting to wear a Hanbok is an honor and a celebration. These countries want other’s to experience what they are all about. Of course done respectfully and in the right manner it is more about honoring one another than anything else.
The DMZ
We visited the DMZ, which was a completely different experience from the rest of the trip. It’s hard to fully understand the history between North and South Korea until you’re actually there. Being in that space puts things into perspective in a way that’s difficult to explain. It was like we were learning about the history but we were and are still very much living it.
We walked down The Third Infiltration Tunnel that was made by North Korea to invade the South. This tunnel was discovered by South Korea in 1978 and barricaded. We walked down a step hill to the tunnel. Once you reach the bottom you are bent over walking for another 500 feet. This leads you to be .1 miles away from the North Korea border. We looked right into North Korea.
After this we were taken to the Dora Observatory to look out to North Korea. We also saw the Civilized Control Zone which includes the propaganda village that North Korea set up. This was a heavy day. It was hard to be observing other people living in a completely different world. It was so interesting and kept our gaze, but also made me take a step back. I saw cars driving, people riding their bicycles, going on their normal day to day lives, yet there are people in this observatory every day looking out at them. It was important to experience this and learn about the history but I did leave feeling weird about viewing other people in that manner.
During this tour we were told what to do incase of an attack, meaning incase North Korea attacks. To enter the DMZ, South Korean soldiers came onto our bus and checked everyones passports and items. All reminders that this conflict is still happening today. It was definitely one of the most impactful parts of the trip.
Food & Coffee
Oh. My. Gosh. THE FOOD! There are so many restaurants in Seoul, I mean every where you look you see a cute cafe with loads of pastries.
You can walk into almost any place and have a good meal.
We ate our way through this city, and let me tell you, every single thing we ate, was amazing. I am trying to not write as dramatic in these but YUM. From the korean fried chicken to the yogurt bowls to the flaky croissants to the salt bread to the eispanner lattes to the and so on and so on.
If you like to eat, and I mean who doesn’t, go visit Seoul!
Exploring the City
Myeongdong was one of the more high-energy areas—busy, lots of shopping, skincare, and street food.
It’s definitely more crowded, but still fun to walk through and experience.
Outside of that, one of my favorite things was just walking around. Seoul is a city where you don’t always need a plan—there’s always something to see, and you kind of just find things as you go.
Final Thoughts
Seoul is a place that does a really good job of balancing modern life with tradition.
You can go from being in a very busy, fast-moving part of the city to somewhere quiet and historical within minutes, and that contrast is what made it feel unique.
It honestly felt like day to day living. I really could see myself living in South Korea, if the language was not really difficult! I do not know what it is, but Korean stumped me. I managed though!
Would I Go Back?
Yes—definitely.
If anything, I would stay longer next time. Five days didn’t feel like enough, and it’s the kind of place where you could keep exploring and still not see everything. I am counting my days until I can go back.
