Seoul is a great city to explore owing to the beautiful architecture, temples and endemic culture that is preserved amidst a modern, economic boom. The food is my world-wide favorite (sorry Lima now you and ceviche are now #2) — spicy, savory barbeque and lots of fermented vegetables — it is as if someone calibrated my palate to be magnetized specifically toward traditional Korean cuisine.
I’ve been trying to return to Seoul for the past four years after visiting in 2015. It took a while because of all of the other places in queue (at least thirty, I think) — this time around I squeezed two weeks in before returning to the USA for Thanksgiving. It was long enough to sate my cravings for Korean food but not long enough to be ready to leave Seoul again.
I secured a well-located Airbnb in the district of Songa-pu which besides being conveniently located via hyper-accessible transportation to nearby Gangnam had a lot to experience and explore in its own right. I joined a gym that I absolutely loved and the people were very kind and friendly. One of my favorite parts was the exercise uniforms they provided each visit; absolving my laundry needs considerably.
Another favorite memory is the walking route I took to the gym each day – a short 10 minute walk passing through an open, out door street market which always provided amble things to see, smell and taste. I would grab a pre-workout sweet potato baking in an oven on the sidewalk, eating it whole as I continued my stroll. The gym itself is great — Humake Fitness. One of the managers, Brian was so polite and gracious in welcoming there. The gym is memorable because they provide uniforms and towels to wear and use with each visit which is super convenient. The gym was very clean and everyone else there was exercising hard. I really enjoyed each day there — thank you Brian!
During the days I worked from cafes around the city — scouting out accessible, recommended locations from the web. Last time I was in Seoul I used the subway to get everywhere — this time it was mostly the bus. Between the two it really seems that there isn’t a place in the Seoul that cannot be easily reached in combination with a mobile application like Google Maps.
Seoul fit me this time around like a comfortable pair of jeans. I knew exactly what I was getting into in returning and wasn’t disappointed by the comforts of a place that surely is not my home — yet also a place I imagine could be.
