Today, we started our journey later than usual—around 12:00 p.m.—with the class, so I went to get breakfast somewhere other than the hotel. The place we ended up going to was really cool and had a jungle/rustic vibe. I decided to get a plain bagel since I hadn’t had one in a while, and it was really good. I also got a caramel latte, which I really liked.

After breakfast, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for our next activity. We took three different buses to get to the Seoul Tower, which is located on a high mountain and overlooks the city. The tower had many restaurants, small shops, and even an arcade on the fourth floor. I decided not to get food there because it was a bit more expensive than I wanted to spend, but I still had a great time exploring the tower. One of the coolest things was seeing all the love locks on the railings—there were way more than the ones on the bridge in Pittsburgh.

After visiting the tower, we decided to walk down the mountain, which turned into a fun little hike through the woods. We then took another bus back to the royal palace to pass some time before our cooking class later in the evening. While at the palace, we visited the museum. It was fascinating to see so many ancient artifacts and learn about the history behind them. I especially liked seeing the cars that the last king and queen of Korea used.

Finally, we made it to the cooking class, where we learned how to make Bibimbap, which translates to “mixed rice.” It was a really simple recipe—just cook some carrots, onions, chives, and meat, then add it to rice with some lettuce, and top it off with an over-easy egg. When you’re ready to eat it, you just mix it all together. It was delicious and so easy to make—I’ll definitely be making it again at home.

To end the day, I went to a gaming café and played some games.