Korea: Seoul searching // 韩国的首尔

After many weeks of research, anticipation and excitement (& stress), I set out on my first ever solo-trip to a new country that I could finally mark off my list – South Korea!

I had a bit of trouble choosing between Jeju island and Seoul, but I finally decided that I was more-so in the mood for a city adventure, so Seoul was the only way to go. The Korean capitol of cosmetics, kimbab, soju and shopping! And actually, probably one of the best places in the world for girls to visit solo.

I was also excited to try my first Airbnb home stay in Seoul. It was definitely one of the best parts of my experience in the city. Not only did I meet other young, international solo-travelers but I also got to stay with the sweetest local Korean family. Despite all the stress I had prior to the trip, when I walked through the door to Bauhaus, I literally felt like a wave of relaxation washed over me. I made it to Seoul! It was time to explore!

After working out all my trip details and places I wanted to see around Seoul, it turned out I had only about half a day to explore Hongdae and around Bauhaus, so as soon as I said my “hello’s” and rested a bit, I was up and out the door.

Hongdae & the Hong-ik area is known for its street art, fashion, cafes and bar streets. It was a great place to stay because there were so many university students around and it felt really laid-back and artsy. Also there were so many cool cafes and awesome boutiques to check out and try. When I return to Seoul, I will definitely stay here again.
After all my shopping and exploring, I was working up an appetite and figured it was about time I tried the amazing street food I had heard so much about. I was looking and looking but nothing seemed to be what I was really in the mood for. And then finally… I saw it… KIMBAB! It was like love at first sight.
Kimbab is what I would call the Korean version of sushi. The main differences are that kimbab doesn’t include any raw fish and the rice is prepared differently so it has a completely different flavor. They are perfect to grab and go and they are so healthy! My food choices after kimbab, however… not so healthy 🙂