a pure love unrehearsed

I arrived fairly late my first night (got into Incheon at about 6 and then got to my hotel at about 9pm) and that worked so well for me cause I was able to go to bed pretty immediately after dinner and a shower.

I booked my DMZ tour for the first full day I had and it helped a lot because I had a schedule and couldn’t just sleep in the first day so I didn’t have any jet lag at all.

I stayed in Myeongdong and I highly recommend it, if you can. It was inexpensive and like a five minute walk from the subway station and bus stop (I didn’t love the bus but that’s mostly because they drive like race car drivers; you’ll get to your destination on time but you might have a concussion by the time you get there).

I didn’t really consider myself much of a morning person before this but I really am a morning person and you might struggle if you are, too. Most things don’t open until 10 or 11 am. I wake up pretty naturally around 7/8 and even if I took my time getting ready and having coffee, I found myself kind of waiting around for things to open, which I didn’t love. Things are open pretty late, though, which is nice. I was worried about dinner my first night and didn’t need to be. The only places open kind of early are places like Starbucks.

I flew from the US and, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I flew basic economy there and back and it was a 15 and a half hour trip for me. I got a little antsy toward the end (with like two or three hours to go) but other than that, it was fine.

Neighborhood wise - I loved Seongsu. I know it’s trendy and cool, but it’s trendy and cool for a reason. The shopping was really nice and the popups are so cute. Check out the Tamburins flagship store there if you’re into perfume! White Darjeeling smells amazing. Didn’t love Hongdae as much but I’m not really into partying or drinking. I was also alone so I didn’t go out to any bars or anything but if that’s your vibe, Hongdae might be it for you! Samcheong was so, so, so pretty. I loved walking around. Gangnam was fine. I don’t have high end shopping money so it was kind of like, meh, for me 😂 but if you shop luxury, definitely check it out. Starfield library in Gangnam was not worth it. Definite tourist trap. Gwangjang market was also overrated, go to Mangwon instead.

I really only used cash for my t-money card (recommend over the climate card; t-money is just easier) and for Gwangjang food stalls. I only got about ₩150,000 in cash and left with about ₩2,000 still after putting ₩40,000 on my t-money card.

Naver maps is definitely the move for maps. I didn’t download any other apps or anything and I was fine.

I was solo so I was worried about finding places that wouldn’t turn me away but didn’t have any issues. And for a group, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Tourists were everywhere and I know people say they get stared at but no one looked twice at me (maybe the ones who get looks are just pretty or something). I did manage a few small conversations in Korean. Mostly interactions when shopping. I didn’t run into a ton of other Americans. It was mostly Europeans (quite a few Brits and Germans) as well as a good chunk of Australians.

It was super hot the first few days I was there and then it cooled off to about the mid 60s. I live somewhere pretty chilly (our summers only get up to about the mid 70s on average) so that was T-shirt weather to me but just keep an eye on the weather. And look for the area you’re in, not just Seoul as a whole because it was raining in one part but totally dry in another.

I only had one sort of negative experience and it wasn’t the worst experience I’ve had. There was a woman (older, drunk) that was harassing people while we were waiting for the airport bus. She got pretty aggressive and was screaming and kind of thrashing around. I was more worried she was going to walk into traffic than actually hurt any of us, though. But that was one moment. The rest of the time, I felt super safe walking or taking the subway alone.