DL 0189
In the early morning of May the 4th, I departed Nordenberg Hall with my fellow Plus3 Korea group members for the adventure of a lifetime! For our trip, we had two flights; the first flight departed Pittsburgh to Atlanta, and the second flight, Delta flight 189, departed Atlanta to Seoul/Incheon. The flight to Seoul lasted 15 hours. For the first part of the flight, I rested, attempting to adapt to Seoul time (+13 hours), while for the second part of the flight, I tried to catch up some Docker LinkedIn Learning. Throughout the plane ride, I shared some laughs, as well as, looked at possible places to visit with my seat partner, Matt Ketas. Before long, we landed at Incheon International Airport, where we were greeted with the University of Pittsburgh’s Asia Institute Partners. In the hour and a half trip to Myeongdong, where our hotel, the Sejong Hotel, is located, we reviewed safety tips and the itinerary. Altogether, I could tell this was going to be an exciting trip!
서울/인천
After settling into the Sejong Hotel, a stream of rain met our group efforts to acquire food. That being said, we bravely ventured into the unknown! Before we acquired any tasty treats, however, we withdrew Won from a local atm, which in it of itself, was a mini adventure. The Korean ATMs are different from American ATMs, which made them rather difficult to use; however, by working together, we were able to troubleshoot our minor problems. Shortly after, Taylor Schulz, a fellow group leader, and I perused the street vendors in search of some local cuisine. In a matter of minutes, we tried exquisite fish cakes and spicy grilled chicken, pictured below.
After finishing our treats, we walked through the streets of Myeongdong to peruse what the vendors had to offer. I entered a Starbucks, where I bought a mug depicting Jeju, a history-rich island of Korea. I am excited for the next two weeks, for the opportunity to expand my cultural and professional knowledge!
“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them [as such]”.
-Unknown
