On day one of the study tour all of the students embarked on our first journey with a visit to JBICA ( Jeonbuk International Cooperation Agency). From here we went to make traditional Korean stamps that had our names translated into Hangul. After a fun session of stamp making we left to walk around and shop at Jeonju Hanok Village. Dinner that night was extremely special as we made our own dinner. Our dinner consisted of bibimbap, a mixed rice dish, and soup. As this was our first day in Korea, it felt especially memorable and was definitely a day that will never be forgotten.

This image is one of my personal favorites from the trip. It was taken on an hour-long cruise in which we fed seagulls Saeukkang (shrimp crackers) and danced with older men and women in the basement of the ferry. Throughout the first three days of our trip, we were accompanied by Park Rangers from the Byeonsanbando Ecological Exploration Center. They traveled with us to all of our events and meetings, and many of us became good friends with them and still remain in contact. Myungjin, pictured above, is one of those park rangers. After the ferry and lunch at the ecological center we headed to the Naesosa Buddhist temple. At the temple, we went on a tour and indulged in a tea ceremony with one of the monks. Following the temple, we had dinner at the ecological center and left to sight see at Byeonsan beach. Here we went to the observatory and the beach itself to play traditional beach games. This day was by far one of the most memorable, looking back I feel so lucky to have been able to experience everything I did this day. But I feel even more grateful for the people I got to spend this day with.

Day three was another busy day. We woke up bright and early for the Chaeseokang trekking tour which took place at the Jeonbuk National Geopark. This trek ended up being our last tour with the Park Rangers making it a bittersweet moment leaving the friends we adored so much. Something we all learned very quickly was that saying goodbye would never be easy. Following the trek we traveled to Yeungnam University where we went to a lecture from the University’s president. Shortly after, we got changed into hanbok (traditional Korean dresses) for our coming of age ceremony. Following the ceremony we were given the opportunity to walk around the folk village where it took place. This was one of the most beautiful experiences of the trip and I am so grateful to be able to have had this experience.  

Taking place on day four we went to Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Heavy Industries. Here we took a few tours of the buildings and learned more about their industry and history. Following these tours, we drove to Gyeongju, where we went to see the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms were so gorgeous, to be able to see them in person was such a special moment. Taking pictures with friends and exploring the cherry blossom covered trail was for sure a highlight and moment I will never forget. 

Day five was particularly special. This was the day we visited Poongsan High School and met the students. The first activity that we did with the students was visit Hahoe Village in Andong. The village was so beautiful and so fun to explore but meeting the students made it even more special. After an hour or so of exploring the village we headed down to Poongsan High School where we would be eating dinner and ending our day. At Poongsan, we were welcomed with many fun performances from the students and did many activities including creating our own traditional flags, and taekwondo. Before we left the high school for the night we had a late night snack that consisted of fried chicken and various drinks. The day was very well spent and saying good bye that night was hard, however, we still had a full day ahead of us the next day and we were reassured that we would see the students again the next morning.

Day six was a day very well spent. Our morning began with breakfast at Poongsan high and ended with playing fun games and making traditional masks. Throughout our afternoon at Poongsan we made arts and crafts, talked with our new friends, played traditional games, and most importantly learned K-Pop dances from the dance club! However, this would be our last day with the students making it a very bittersweet day. During the trip we met so many new people and made so many connections with those we never thought we would. But by far meeting the Poongsan High School students was the most valuable to me, as it is because of this experience I now have friendships that I will value and remember forever. I will always look back on this specific moment in the trip happily and think back on how grateful I am to have met the Poongsan students.

On day seven we finally made it to Seoul! Our first activity for the day was to go to the National Folk Museum of Korea. This museum was one of my favorite museums we went to. After the museum we walked around a few markets around Jongno and had free time to shop around. Following the markets we went to Doota Mall where we continued shopping. This day was full of free time and was a day full of walking and fun.

Taking place on day eight, we went to Gyeongbuk Palace. Before visiting the Palace we changed into hanbok, at the rental store we got to pick whatever hanbok colors we wanted making it a very personal and fun experience. Despite the cold weather and rain, the palace was so beautiful and was such a unique experience I will always remember. After the palace, we headed to the Center for Unified Korean Future where we attended lectures and participated in fun activities. At this center we would stay overnight and eat dinner. 

Day nine was short and sweet while also being one of the most eventful days. We started the day off at the Center for Unified Korean Future and took a bus ride to the Odusan Unification Observation Deck that overlooks North Korea. Taking place after the observatory we went to lunch and to a small village called Hanjang Province Village. After a long detour at the village we headed to dinner that would be taking place in Myeong-dong. Myeong-Dong is a huge, crowded, shopping center with tons of food options and tons of store outlets. We spent the duration of the night here shopping and hanging out with friends. This made the second to last day special. I will never forget the bustling streets, the smell of delicious street food, and the company of my friends.

Day eleven was our final day in Korea. The day began like usual with a new adventure. This day happened to be the Starfield Library and the Korean International Trade Association KITA). After the first two events of the day we headed to have our last lunch of the trip, fried chicken. After the delicious lunch, we left for Kochon Memorial Hall. Here we took a tour and had a meet and greet with the representatives of Education. They then took us to our last stop of the trip, Daedong Taxation High School. At the high school, we did more crafts like making our own soap and mosquito repellent. Dinner, a huge buffet, was also served at the high school. Again as expected from the high schools the friendships we made here were very special and will always remain as a huge part of our trips. But now it was time to say goodbye to each other.