My South Korea Travel Diary

Before this trip, I was drowning in anxiety. So much online noise had me convinced the worst would happen—discriminatory stares, laughter at my broken Korean, all the fears that come with feeling “out of place.” That unease hit its peak on my first night at Incheon Airport. My bank card wouldn’t let me withdraw cash 🪪; ride-hailing apps rejected my payment setup 🚗; I fumbled with subway ticket machines (and lost) 🚇; even maps refused to load… I ended up sitting on a bench outside the airport, shivering in the cold wind 🥶, feeling totally defeated. In reality, my older sister was waiting for me at the hotel. She offered to book a taxi to pick me up, but I said no—again and again. I hated how “helpless” I felt; I wanted to be the kind of person who could fix things alone 😔. Sister only stayed one day—she left after we watched the concert together. But we squeezed in so much joy: tons of photos 📸, icy fruit smoothies that tasted like summer 🍹, and even two lazy days surviving on convenience store snacks 🍙. The day I stayed back in Seoul was miserable—cold, rainy, and dark. By night, I still hadn’t found dinner. The café I’d planned to visit was closed, so I settled for sad, unfresh fruit and plain crackers from a CU 🥨. I sat there worrying: Would I find a good café tomorrow? Would the trip to Busan go smoothly? Busan’s sea breeze was even colder 💨, but it brought better days: I ate amazing spicy raw seafood 🦪, visited a café with ocean views so pretty I could stare forever 🌊, and walked a coastal path that felt like a dream. Then disaster struck—I twisted my ankle 90 degrees 🦶, spilling my coffee everywhere. But the baristas (such sweet unnie and oppa!) made me a new drink for free ☕, and the customer whose clothes got splashed only asked if I was okay—no anger, just care ❤️. For three days straight, I chased sunsets: different angles, different skies, different weather 🌅. I wanted to melt into that golden light… but I never wanted to endure burnt iced Americanos, charred cake, or sickly sweet lattes again 😫. When I got to Gyeongju, I was lost. It felt just like my hometown—quiet, small, with attractions 30km away. I picked a spot called , hoping for peace… but all I got was wind that ruined my photos 💨, weird bugs swarming at dusk 🐜, and a taxi ride to the suburbs (thanks to a wrong address 😅). The best surprise came on my last day back in Seoul. I finally waited for that café to open—and tried their “chicken cake-flavored” iced pour-over in a tall glass 🥂! I made friends with a Chinese-speaking barista unnie who bought me a coffee 🥰, chatted with another unnie about her trip to Harbin ❄️, and even got treated to cake by Korean customers 🧁. I sat there all afternoon, warm and happy. Now, I can’t hold prejudices anymore. After years of traveling, almost everyone I’ve met has been kind. And it’s not just travel—good people are everywhere: Airport staff let me use the priority lane because of my ankle 🛫; two Taiwanese unnies gave me a plate of strawberries at hotel breakfast 🍓. Here’s to more lovely people and sweet moments—In my life, in my travels, always 🌟. #SunsetEnthusiast #Travel #KindnessFromStrangers