Today we arrived in South Korea! The total travel time was estimated to be about 24 hours, including bus rides to and from the airports and two flights. We arrived in South Korea at 4 a.m. Although it was early, we hit the ground running. One of our first stops was a convenience store called “CU.” They had so many different options, such as chocolate banana milk, whole corn on the cob, various meats, and many kinds of chips. I decided on these crunchy fry chips (pictured below). They tasted just like fries—only crunchier and very salty.

After that, we went to our hotel to drop off our bags since we couldn’t check in yet. We then decided to get breakfast at a 24-hour restaurant, which was amazing! I got a traditional soup that contained pork and vegetables, along with a side of rice.

After an incredible breakfast, we headed to the Royal Palace, where we saw a reenactment of the changing of the royal guards and toured the palace itself. We learned about the kings and many of their traditions, such as where they lived depending on the season.

The last thing on the agenda was lunch at a street market. I got chicken from a vendor that tasted phenomenal, and I also tried mochi with red bean filling. It was sweet with a chewy texture, and I’d definitely have it again.

To end the day, we raced back to the hotel in teams to see who could navigate the public transportation system the best. Our team came in first and won a prize—dinner at a nice restaurant!

See you guys tomorrow!