Things are feeling quite normal here in South Korea. I have my daily routine, which you can see here in the form of a ‘Day in the Life’ vlog, and my weekends are filling up quicker than ever. The weather has turned so I’ve become a sticky mess for 85% of my life. Luckily, I have a full functioning air conditioning unit in my apartment.
I’ve had a very relaxed, yet productive week so far. My students were cuter than normal this week, I got to Skype my mom, uncle, and aunt in Hawaii, I booked my first trip overseas, and last night I went out to dinner with my mountain peeps. In addition to all of the above, here are some more notable things that have consumed me as of lately:
Daegu
Oh, wonderful Daegu. After my road trip through the southern part of the country, I decided to remain closer to home leading up to my next adventure {this weekend!}. I wanted to take full advantage of the gorgeous weather we are having here in Korea, so I spent the majority of the last two weeks outdoors. One of the most spectacular moments I’ve had in Korea {and in life} was witnessing Dalgubeol Lantern Festival. I had my very own ‘Tangled’ moment when the lanterns rose up into the clear sky.
Another experience worth mentioning was my afternoon at the Daegu Arboretum. First of all, it’s huge. But not only that, it is filled with Instagram-worthy backdrops with some of the most amazing gardens. I plan on returning in a week or so {now that I have my tripod, and taking some glorified selfies} in the different greenhouses. With an iced coffee in hand, it was a fabulous way to kill an afternoon with friends.
Bites
I swear, drop me in any country in this world and I will still find brunch — it’s what I do. After a year in New York City, I definitely consider myself somewhat of a brunch connoisseur. Before moving to Korea, however, I imagined my talents would be put to waste. But alas, with a bit of research, and some eager gal pals, I brunched once again. There are actually multiple brunch locations in Daegu, one of them being La Mia Emily.
I ordered the brunch spread, complete with scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon, salad, and toast {of which I avoided like the plague}. We sat on the patio, soaked up the sunshine, and it nearly felt like we were spending a Sunday in the East Village — nearly.
K-Beauty
Want to know the most depressing thing I’ve realized since moving to Korea? My skin hates Korean skincare products. Ugggggggggh. Yes, it’s depressing. That being said, I have found a few products that I enjoy. One of them being the Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream. I put this on every single night and I’ve already received a compliment directed specifically to my under-eyes. That’s a win in my book.
Travel
My first adventure abroad {apart from South Korea obviously} is booked! Come August, I will be spending 13 days traveling through Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. For the most part it will be a solo trip, but my fingers are crossed that my best friend in the whole world can join me for {as we refer to it} a friend-moon before she gets hitched.
Regardless, I cannot wait to explore Southeast Asia. This popular area of the world is one that I have been anticipating for years now. Unfortunately, as you can read about here, my skin hates the horrible humid temperatures of this part of the globe. That being said, I am going to attempt to fully prepare prior to leaving and then hope for the best. Any and all suggestions are always welcomed in the comment section below!
Tunes
Alright, I’m going to keep the tunes short and sweet this week. I’m completely obsessed with Charlie Puth’s new album ‘Voicenotes’, but if I had to choose favorites they would be ‘BOY‘ and ‘Slow It Down‘. Seriously, you’ve probably heard them playing in the background of every vlog and Instagram story this month. ‘Back To You‘ by Selena Gomez is some truth. It definitely gives me ‘The Heart Wants What It Wants’ vibes. ‘Like To Be You‘ by Shawn Mendes feat. Julia Michaels because anything Julia Michaels touches is gold. And ‘I Miss You‘ by Grey feat. Bahari because I do. And I could watch the video over and over and over and over.
Tomorrow I leave for a quick solo weekend trip to Busan. Lucky for me, getting to this beach town from Daegu is only a 40 minute ride on the KTX. I am bringing my tripod to get some {hopefully} amazing shots, as well as my GoPro to vlog the entire thing.
You’d benefit from reading the travel tips from two blogs super centered around Southeast Asia (they are basically the small blog queens of SEA) Silly Little Kiwi Blog and The Quarterlife Collective! Both cool girls, one whose lived in the region and the other is exploring it at the moment.
Thanks Jessica!