My trip to Seoul was the first time I had a list of things to do written out but ended up doing none of those things. One of the reasons was South Korea had their own holiday during the weekend that I was there. This — along with the constant rain — made me change my plans.

Instead of going to the more known and more popular Gyeongbokgung Palace, I went to Changgyeonggung Palace because it was outside of downtown Seoul. There were fewer people inside, and that made it easier to walk through. It was so quiet that I could hear the cicadas. I liked the colorful roofs of the gates.

The other traditional Korean area I went to was Seochon Hanok Village, instead of Bukchon Hanok Village. These villages are a mix of old and new. The design is from the past but there are still modern stores and cafes. People still live there, so I had to be careful of where to go and what to do there. I did not stay long because it was so small. It was a nice looking area, but I did not think anything about it was special.

Seoul has many modern areas, including this one off the Han River. Le Space inside the Inspire casino in Incheon was a lot like Team Labs in Japan. Incheon is a city next to Seoul, but it is not easy to get to. Le Space itself has a few good areas, all with LED screens.

Korean food can be quite spicy, so much so that it was hard for me to eat sometimes. Japan is also easier to get around in than Korea. It takes longer to get from one place to another in Seoul than it does in either Osaka or Tokyo, so it would be smart to not plan too much for one day.

If you like K-Pop, or anything Korean, a visit to Seoul is a good idea!

My main hobbies are studying Japanese, writing stories, reading books, listening to music, watching movies/TV, and traveling whenever I can. I also like to exercise by walking, so you may see me walking through the streets of Ashiya! I have been to places on four of the five main islands of Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu). I want to walk across the Nakasendo Trail and go to Shirahige Falls in Biei, Hokkaido. I look forward to meeting everyone and helping them practice their English skills.