Today, I spent the first half of my day packing up and traveling out of Seoul to Gyeongju, Korea’s old capital. I was still feeling pretty nauseous and tired, but I made sure to drink lots of water and use the bathroom frequently while traveling. Thankfully, the travel time wasn’t too long, as our group travelled via the train, which can travel at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. I was impressed with how smooth and quiet the travel was, as U.S. railroads are slower, louder, and dirtier. After two hours we got off the train and drove our way to Golgulsa temple, the Buddhist temple our group would be staying at.

After unpacking my bags, I decided to participate in the Sunmudo class despite my health. Martial arts has been a major hobby of mine for most of my life, so I did not want to miss out on this opportunity. Sunmudo was much different then the other martial arts I have learned previously, as we primarily focused on very slow movements and traditional techniques. Although I could appreciate the cultural value in learning these movements, I did not find it as interesting as the martial arts I currently practice. Still, this class helped me to expand my understanding of the Buddhist culture.

After the class, our group had an exclusively vegetable dinner. Meals at the temple are supposed to be silent, but they permitted our class to talk quietly if we wanted. During dinner, I made sure to keep my voice down, and eat plain foods that wouldn’t upset my stomach. Soon after dinner, I went to bed in our traditional temple room, which featured floor mats that we sleep on instead of beds.

Throughout the night, I had very poor sleep due to extreme stomach pain that would come every few hours. I was unable to sleep for long periods of time, leading me to be delirious and tired the next morning. Instead of joining in on the activities planned for the next day, I ended up spending most of my time sleeping and resting to recover from whatever sickness I was dealing with. Although I was very upset that I missed out on what was planned at the temple, keeping my health in check is the most important thing I can do on this trip.

The second half of the day we spent traveling from Gyeongju to Pohang. Once I arrived at the hotel in Pohang, I took a shower and stayed in my bed for the rest of the night. Hopefully I can see a doctor soon!