AJ and I have had South Korea at the top of our travel bucket list for years, and I’m so happy we finally got to make the trip last month. AJ spent three months there in 2019 visiting a close friend from childhood and has loved the country and culture ever since. Since it's a casual 16-hour flight, we wanted to wait until we could take a couple weeks off to really make the most of it.
We flew into Seoul and stayed at L7 Hotel in Hongdae, in Seoul. It was the perfect neighborhood, so vibrant and full of energy. There is shopping on literally every corner, incredible food, cafes, live music, and a great late-night scene. We got into a good routine there and every morning we’d walk to the same coffee shop to get Americanos and the most beautiful pastries I’ve ever seen.
After four days in Seoul, we took the 3 hour KTX train to Busan for a few days. Busan is a coastal city with a more relaxed vibe, the best ocean views, and lots of fresh seafood. We stayed at Signiel Hotel on the 21st floor and loved it—we never wanted to leave our room/balcony. Our last day in Busan, we took the Sky Capsule, a colorful little train that takes you along the coast between Mipo and Cheongsapo in a private car. Our friend helped us book that in advance since their whole website is in Korean, but if you aren’t able to book ahead of time it’s pretty easy to just book it there, especially if you’re traveling in the off season like we were.
We went back to Seoul for the last leg of our trip and purposely didn’t really have an itinerary. We wandered around a historic area called Ikseon-Dong that is known for its narrow alleyways, restored hanok houses, boutique shops, artisan cafes, tea houses, and small restaurants. We balanced walking (20k steps a day) and eating—my favorite meal was beef bulgogi with squid and glass noodles. We had kimchi pancakes everyday and ended most of our nights with bingsu. AJ’s friend James was the best tour guide and took us to all his favorite restaurants.
I was so impressed by how clean and safe the city felt. The Seoul subway system was so clean and easy to navigate and anyone we talked to was so kind. Truly the biggest highlight of the trip was getting to meet and reconnect with some of AJ’s old friends. We got to spend so much time with them and they opened up their lives to us so generously. 
Last but not least, every girl I saw on the subway seemed to be carrying a bag from Olive Young, Korea’s Sephora. James’s girlfriend helped stock me up with her favorite K-beauty products, I’m dropping a few of my favorites that I brought home here:
OK that’s all for now. Korea, we love you and we’re ready to go back now!