Arriving at Incheon Airport & Move-in - 8/17/2022
After a long 9hr 50 min flight from Honolulu to Incheon Airport, I finally landed! It was 7 PM KST when I landed. Going through the health inspection, immigration and baggage claim was quick. It took about 30 mins to get to the arrival hall. Once my taxi arrived, it took about an hour to get to my goshiwon.
Unfortunately, my goshiwon does not have an elevator. I had to walk up four flights of stairs with my heavy luggage. I was fortunate that I had someone to help me. My goshiwon is super compact. I would describe my room as a shoebox. It has a shelf, desk, closet with hangers, and a bed. Since I don't have a bathroom in my room, I have to use a shared bathroom with the other girls. There's a communal kitchen where you can cook your food. They provide rice, pasta, bread, ramen, kimchi, egg, coffee, peanut butter, jam, seasoning, pans, bowls, and utensils.
First Day in the City! - 8/18/2022
Quarantine is no longer required woohoo! First thing on the list is to get my PCR test after one day of arrival. I am super fortunate that my goshiwon landlord, Mr. Kim, drove me to the testing center and helped me translate.
The goshiwon made it easy to make new friends since they are all international students. There's no better way to explore the city with a group of people to familiarize yourself with a new environment and culture.
Writing a Letter to Your Future Self
We went to Nuldam Space - 널담은공간 해방촌점. It is a cafe where you can enjoy a drink while you write a letter to your future self. All of their menu items are vegan. The walk to the cafe was exhausting. We were all sweaty as we walked up the steep incline in the super hot and humid weather. This is when I realized that I'll be walking a lot of hills in the city 😭
The first floor is where you order your drinks and food. There's a wall that stored all of the mail. There is a station where you melt the wax to seal your envelopes. For the letters, you pick a post card and the color of the wax. I ordered the matcha latte. It was a little too sweet for my liking. I believe they used coconut cream as a milk alternative. After writing my letter, I went to the wax station to enclose my envelope. Then, I picked a date I want my letter to send out.
Address: 서울 용산구 신흥로15길 18-12
Walking Around Itaewon
After we sealed our letters, we decided to explore Itaewon after riding the wrong bus. It was a very hip neighborhood filled with many places to eat! It seemed like the dress code in Itaewon is an all-black, punk, and alternative outfit style. As we walked around, we stumbled across the K-drama Itaewon Class bar restaurant. It was so cool to see it in person!
We went to a photo booth called Photoism. Photo booths in Seoul are EVERYWHERE! Seoul's photo booths are on another level. They have a lot of cute accessories and props. They also have a vanity where they have a communal hair straightener and comb to make sure you look your 100% best.
N Seoul Tower
After an exhausting day from walking up many hills and stairs, we went to a convenience store to grab some snacks and drinks to enjoy the view of the Namsan Tower. The color of the lights at the tower was pink to commemorate Black Pink's new album Pink Venom. The juxtaposition of the bustling city and vibrant green trees was a breathtaking view. A great way to end the day :D
