After a long, long day (or two…) of traveling, we finally landed in Incheon at 4 a.m. Korea time! It still feels surreal that we’re actually in Korea.
We spent some time at the airport before meeting our tour guide and taking an hour-long bus ride to our hotel. The drive from the airport was really pretty, and it was cool seeing the scenery right away. After dropping off our bags, we took the subway to Gyeongbokgung Palace. The subway experience in Seoul was super different from what I’m used to in the U.S. — very clean, quiet, and calm, especially compared to New York.
At the palace, we watched the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which was really fun to see. The tradition and attention to detail were impressive, and it was interesting to watch something so rooted in history still being performed today.
We then explored the rest of the palace grounds — it was way bigger than I expected. I also learned that each roof corner has small animal figures called Japsang, which were meant to protect the buildings from evil spirits.
Next, we visited the Blue House, Korea’s presidential residence. Since elections are coming up soon, it was really crowded — people are trying to visit before it’s closed to the public under the new president. It was interesting hearing about past presidents and even some of their superstitions about colors. I liked learning how opening the Blue House to the public was part of Korea’s focus on democracy after gaining independence from Japan — it really reflects the country’s values.
After that, we walked to Tong-in Market, a small tunnel with food vendors, souvenirs, and produce. There weren’t many vegetarian options, but I did find a really good bread twist.
We wrapped up the day with a race back to the hotel — no guides or professors, just our phones to figure it out. It was tricky at first, but my group worked together and ended up sprinting to the hotel. We came in second place, which means we get a free dinner with Dr. Yun later this trip!
Overall, a great (and very full) first day. Now we just need to power through the last few hours and beat the jetlag…