Jim & Em: Adventures in Seoul

Hi friends! It is the very last day of 2017 and we just got back from our amazing first trip off island to Seoul, South Korea. It was such a wonderful way to end the year! We got to visit family, explore a new country, and EAT ALL OF THE FOOD! Getting to tour Seoul with people who actually live in the city was great, my brother and sister in law took us to all of the cool touristy places but also the secret little joints that nobody knows about!

We visited temples, museums, shopping districts, and palaces! The bus system and metro were very user friendly and cheap to use, and the people were very nice (except for the old people who try to run you over and the bus drivers that attempt to fling you off the bus every chance they get...)

On our Museum tour day, J and i visited the Korean War Museum and the Korean National Museum. The Korean War museum was beautiful and very interesting to see the Korean perspective on the war. The National Museum had all of the normal anthropological stuff, just with an Asian twist. After visiting the Louvre this fall I think we were a little burnt out on the history but otherwise it was a great museum.

We also got to visit the Jogyesa Buddhist temple which had the most beautiful colors I've seen. It was right smack in the middle of the city but felt like a completely different world! That same day we walked around the art district and saw some great street markets that were full of food, trinkets, and shops! It was a complete sensory overload...but in a good way!

The architecture in the palaces was incredible and it was so interesting to compare the it to Okinawan shrines and castles! Even the dragons and shisas had different characteristics. My favorite part was the sequence of figures on the roofs that protect the buildings from fire! The inclusion of the zodiac and astrological elements was also very neat.

Some things to keep in mind while traveling in Seoul:
-Pick an Airbnb that is near the stuff you want to see (Seoul is huge and spread out!)
-If you are a vegetarian, there are plenty of food options for you so eat up!
-Know what the weather will be like and dress appropriately (it was like 15 degrees...)
-Utilize the public transportation!
-Wear comfy walking shoes because you will be walking all over the place!
-Learn a few key Korean phrases, most young people have some english but not everyone
-Try everything!
-If you know someone who lives in Seoul, ask them for their favorite places

Overall, it was an amazing trip and I feel so lucky that we get the opportunity to travel to all of these amazing places! Here are some photos from our Seoul exploration...hope you enjoy!

Now time to plan our next trip!
Em

We. Made. It.

Well guys...we made it! I'm not going to say that moving across the world with two large dogs, seven bags, and a language barrier is easy, but with a good sense of humor and a lot of help from A LOT of people...we made it. Our flights were long but breaking down the journey into two days really made a difference for us, especially with the pups. Also, having afternoon flights was crucial for us since we had to get to the airports so early to check all of our baggage and get the dogs situated! We made sure we arrived early and had plenty of time so that we ended up spending a lot of time in airports but never had to rush or worry too much about missing our flights.

The puppies had never flown before but did amazing! No accidents (praise!). And I can't say enough good things about Alaska Airlines and their pet policy, they were so helpful and kind, and didn't charge us an arm and a leg for traveling with so much stuff and dogs. ANA was also super helpful and very attentive and kind to us. We must have looked like the Griswold's pushing all of that crap through the airport, but I think OCONUS PCS moves must be kind of like childbirth because I am already forgetting the trauma of this move haha! And, yes, some would say that it was indeed a bit traumatic. BUT! We are now finally in the land of Totoro! And I am so excited to begin exploring this beautiful country.

We are so thankful for everyone's kind words and thoughts during this transition and can't wait to share more exciting stories from our adventures here in Okinawa! Right now we are busy getting settled in and doing all of the usual PCS things like looking for housing, trying to buy cars, preparing for a giant typhoon that is coming through this weekend, you know, normal things like that.

But we will keep you all posted here, and hopefully have some fun stuff to share soon!

Stay Tuned....

P.S If you want to stay up to date on our daily adventures you can check out my instagram stories at: @emmmienardi