Today was packed with many experiences, each offering a different glimpse into Seoul’s culture. We started the day off with an early breakfast at the hotel. The food was amazing and I had so many different foods for breakfast that I would never have usually like spare ribs and chicken wings. Once we were done with breakfast, we made our way to the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. Walking along the fortress walls it offered nice views of the city. The fortress even had an area where you could practice your archery by shooting ten arrows at a target. Unfortunately, I only hit the target around four times, but I still had fun for my first time. Just outside the fortress was this little park. It had a nice pond surrounded by some trees and plants, creating a peaceful break before lunch. We had a traditional Korean lunch, we tried squid, kimchi pancakes, and kimchi stew. At the end of lunch, I could not help myself and had to get a sweet treat, a strawberry ice cream cone. The ice cream was delicious, and it was a good way to stay cool from the heat.

Once the bus picked us up, we traveled to the Samsung Innovation Museum (SIM). The tour dove into the evolution of technology, highlighting the early days of electricity to the latest advancements in home appliances, televisions, smartphones, and other smart home products like air conditioners, lights, and curtains. It was fascinating to see how far technology has come and what is still yet to come. One of the interesting things that I saw there was a TV that could be rotated so that it is vertical, making videos from mobile phones like Reels or TikToks a better viewing experience.

Our final destination of the day was Myeongdong. It is a packed area filled with tons of shops and street vendors. We had some time to wander around before our welcome dinner, so I did some shopping and bought a couple of necklaces and a bracelets. The dinner was a great way to officially begin our time in Korea. After filling up on noodles and bulgogi, we had more free time and explored some more of the city and all of the shops. It seems like we won’t run out of things to do while we’re here. Day two was super exciting, and I can’t wait for more!