Today I woke up bright and early at 5:00 am for our departure to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). While this was the earliest wake up for the trip so far, it was one of the things I was looking forward to the most. Being such a historic location filled with a complex past, I was excited to see the DMZ and actually lay eyes on North Korea. Once we arrived, we spent some time eating some snacks and street food items. I got a ramen dish that I made myself at the nearby ramen station. After enjoying my tasty ramen and other food items, we headed off on our tour of the DMZ, starting by getting our passports checked by a Korean military officer. Once we were approved, we drove around the area to various points where our in-country guide, Kay, told us about the deep history here. One of the notable things I saw was an old train from the Japanese colonial period that was blown up and riddled with bullet holes from the liberation movement. I also noticed the silence and nature around the area. For such a militarily tense place, it was surprisingly calm and peaceful. Then we drove over to the observation deck to see North Korea from the DMZ. At the deck, I could clearly make out the North Korean flag and some notable structures in the country. It was a surreal experience to see such a place, an opportunity I will likely never have again. Something I found interesting is that I could even see North Korean soldiers moving around on what looked like a runway. This was crazy being that the country is talked about so much in the news and media. At the end of the day, they’re just people too. Getting to visit this site was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to see what adventures tomorrow brings.