Today is May 6th, and this is a special day because it marks the first full day of the Plus 3 Korea study abroad program. The Center Mark Hotel had amazing accommodations for their rooms. But most of all the beds and pillows were excellent, meaning I was able to fall asleep right away. Although I did wake up several times throughout the night, I would say I slept well for the first night. I set my alarm for six o’clock in the morning to allow myself enough time to get ready for the day and attend breakfast at seven o’clock. Once packed, my roommate Jordan and I took the elevator down to the kitchen area. The breakfast served was a buffet style, and they had a variety of choices. I went with pineapple, potatoes, eggs, bacon, dumplings, and three americano coffees. Even though all the food was excellent, I would say the best part of the morning was drinking the coffee which brought my back to my early morning routine.

Soon after breakfast, the whole group met in the lobby, and we boarded the bus to go to the Royal Palace. The ride took about fifteen minutes. On the way there we were able to see the Blue House, which is like the White House in America. As we entered the Royal Palace, we were able to see the ceremonial changing of the guards and take some pictures of this event. After the guards were finished, we took the tour of the Royal Palace and learned about some of the history surrounding the palace. In addition to this, we were able to take many pictures of the palace grounds and the beautiful greenery in the surrounding area. One of the most interesting historic qualities of the palace is that it was built to maximize the Feng Shui. To achieve this, the ancient Korean people built the palace in a specific location so that it would be in front of a mountain. This location would create a positive Feng Shui and would clear the minds of the current rulers so that they would be able to make the best decisions for their people when in power.

Following the tours, we left the Royal Palace and went to lunch. The restaurant was located right near our hotel and required that we remove our shoes before entering. Again, I really tried to use the chopsticks, and to my surprise, I wasn’t too terrible. The food was excellent and consisted of a beef noodle soup with some traditional side dishes. I honestly think I burnt the roof of my mouth being that I was so hungry at the time.

When lunch was over, we took the Seoul Symbolic Tour. The first stop on this tour was a small Buddhist temple in the center of the city. This temple was very sacred, and many people from the area would come here for daily prayer. Outside the temple, there were a plethora of lanterns, which signified prayers, and a 500-year-old sacred tree. Next was the Bukchon Hanok Village. This village was comprised of historic looking housing which is being lived in today. This area was filled with tourists and showed how traditional housing of the past aristocrats looked during that time. Each house has its own traditional appearance which added to the uniqueness of this site.

Once we were done in the village, we took the bus to the middle of Seoul and visited the Cheonggyecheon Stream. The stream has previously been completely paved over due to an abundance of trash and filth. However, recently this stream was rejuvenated and revitalized into an active site for both locals and tourists to visit. Viewing this natural site surrounded by modern buildings was breathtaking.

To conclude the day, the group then traveled to the local market area. Here vendors selling literally anything would congregate for the local and tourists to shop. The street food was absolutely amazing. My favorite dish was a Bibimbap spring roll and the cooked chicken with a sauce similar to honey mustard. At the end of our shopping, I had purchased two shirts and four ties. Later on, we had dinner and tried Korean pizza. The pizza was delicious and had a very thin crust. Finally, we ended the day with some more sightseeing and decided to head back to the hotel for bed.