When one thinks of a spot to chill out in, Seoul may not necessarily be the first place that comes to mind. This metropolis is buzzing with action, history, culture, fashion and everything you want in a dynamic city. And yet, for me, it was a sublime chill fest.
This visit wasn’t my first time coming to Korea (click HERE to read up on my previous adventures in Korea). This time I was coming to celebrate the wedding of a close friend which was an unmissable event but also something I need to work into my calendar. I couldn’t come too far in advance because my friend would be busy with planning the wedding and I couldn’t stay afterwards as she was going on her honeymoon and I wanted to discover somewhere new. So I took the time to just rediscover the cute spots I had found in my first trip, connect with some new friends and gorge myself on delicious Korean cuisine. It was absolutely amazing. There wasn’t really a day with a fixed itinerary apart from the day of the wedding and this was absolutely fine with me. I got up at whatever time I chose, went for a walk, got on a bus or jumped on the metro to shop and sight-see but at a snail’s pace which suited me just fine. I didn’t realise how much I just needed to relax until I got there and my body literally shut down and I had no choice but to stay in and take it easy the first two days.
Some may call it a waste of a trip but I loved every single moment. Seoul really was the perfect getaway for my soul (I had to do that!). It wasn’t so much about rushing from one tourist spot to another trying to get as many Instagrammable photos as possible. It was more about just enjoying being there, people watching and gorging myself stupid on bibimbap and Korean BBQ. It was just the boost that I needed…especially before the second leg of the trip where I need to be fully recharged and ready to go into turbo tourist mode!
