yesterday we visited the trick eye museum in hongdae! i’ve been wanting to go for a while now so, i have to say, i was pretty excited about this one. it actually took us a while to find because we veered away from our directions to find somewhere to eat when we arrived. but after walking back and forth and wandering down the side streets, we found it!
unfortunately, when we went, the museum was under construction so we didn’t get to see everything. however, the construction brought the price down to just 5000 won (normally it’s 15000) and we got free admission to the ice museum! and despite all of the construction, i still had a lot of fun – there were still so many different pieces of art and pictures to take so i barely noticed the ones that weren’t open yet.
when we made it through the trick eye portion, we headed straight into the ice museum! they give you a little poncho-type blanket to wear inside but, believe me, it doesn’t help it all. it was cooooold. inside was actually pretty small but i think it worked out well for us – we could never have lasted in there if it was any bigger. they have an igloo, an entire ice house, a random assortment of figures, and a slide! the slide was definitely my favorite part.
to get to the trick eye museum, take line 2 and get off at hongik university station (exit 9). when you come out of the station, go straight 150m, cross the road, and turn left on hongik-ro street. then go straight 120m, turn right down the second side street (in between tonymoly and holika holika). walk for another 100m and then the museum will be on your right! enjoy!
after that, we wandered around hongdae and did a bit of shopping. areas like this are my weakness – the shopping is phenomenal and i always spend way too much money. and then, after we got tired of all the shopping, we went to this cafe that i had spotted and remembered from a video i had watched before coming. it’s called caface and it’s one of my favorite cafes i’ve visited so far. 
basically what you do is pick the latte you want and tell the barista you want to do the picture (which costs a bit more but it is so worth it). we spent around 6500 won each which feels slightly expensive but it’s not too bad when you realize that coffee in seoul runs around 5500 won on a regular basis. plus, this coffee is extra special. after you order, you go into this photo booth and take a selfie. then you go and wait. when your buzzer goes off to pick up your coffee… your selfie is on the whipped cream! plus, the coffee tastes so great so it’s just a win-win all around.
all in all, it was a fantastic day and definitely well worth it!
Author: ispykt
ihwa mural village
because we didn’t have any classes for the first week in seoul, my friends and i decided to make the most of it by visiting a lot of new places. one of my favorites so far? ihwa mural village. it’s this small village on the side of naksan mountain with murals, sculptures, and a lot of cool art everywhere.
to give a bit of history – as the city of seoul has grown rapidly in the recent years, there have been many towns that haven’t been able to keep up. they get nearly left behind in history because of their difficult location and poorer demographic. in korea, they’re given the name dal dongnae which means moon village (because being on the mountainside puts them closer to the moon). this particular town was originally set to be demolished – however, in 2006, a beautification project called “ART in the city” came about to breathe life back into these villages. the city of seoul brought artists in to paint murals everywhere and it quickly became a tourist hotspot.
i had an amazing time wandering through the streets and uncovering so many different pieces of art. and it was definitely nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of seoul for an afternoon. however, if you miss the neon signs and packed streets, there’s a lot of shopping and food in the daehangno area near the train station. unfortunately for us, it began to storm when we were there so we got forced home a little early. i know i’ll definitely be back though. i have more art to see and lots of food on my ‘to try’ list.
to get there, take line 4 and get off at hyehwa station (exit 2). go straight for about 200 m, turn left on dongsung-gil, walk straight until you get to the lock museum, and then you will begin to see murals. one of the first murals you will see is a map of the village with some of the most popular pieces shown. my tip would probably to head towards the fish steps and you’ll be able to find everything else easily from there!
predeparture + arrival in seoul
hi guys! if you didn’t know, i’m currently spending a semester in seoul, south korea studying at korea university’s business school. i’ve made it in one piece but getting to this point was a bumpy ride to say the least.
first, let me give you a little introduction to my school. while america has their ivy league universities, korea has SKY. SKY stands for seoul national, korea university, and yonsei university and they are the top three schools in the country. getting into these schools is extremely difficult and it’s believed to set a precedent for a successful future. because of this, everything is competitive here – from getting into housing to getting all of the classes you want. after receiving my admission, i read many blogs that said you have to be quick in order to register for anything. if you didn’t do it as soon as registration opened, you’d have a difficult time getting what you wanted. i didn’t necessarily believe it could be that bad when it came time to register for on-campus housing but i was so wrong.
the day that the housing email was supposed to come out, i was constantly refreshing my email to see if i got into my choices. however, with a 13 hour time difference, i eventually gave up and went to sleep. speed ahead to 3:30 in the morning – i woke up and checked to see if the email had come out yet. it was there and my heart completely sank. i didn’t get into housing. i had no idea what i was going to do or where i was going to live and i only had a month before i was getting on that plane. luckily, the business school was very helpful. they sent out an email to all of us who didn’t get housing (which was quite a lot considering KU doesn’t have nearly enough rooms for all of the exchange students who come) and allowed us to apply for three different goshiwon options that they had set up for us. the quality of goshiwon can vary drastically but they’re basically small, cheap rooms you can rent for longer stays in korea. i got lucky and was placed in my second option – rachel livingtel.
and then, after all of the drama of not knowing where i was going to live passed, it was time to register for classes. registration opened at 10am korean time/9pm my time and of course, i was scheduled to work. i figured i’d be okay and that i’d make it work because my managers would let me take a longer break to do this but i wasn’t expecting it to be so incredibly stressful. when it hit 10 minutes til 9, i sprinted out to my car and grabbed my laptop and ran inside. however, after sitting in my hot car all afternoon, it didn’t want to turn on quickly. and then, when it finally came to life and i tried to sign in, i couldn’t. it turns out, i needed internet explorer. after waiting an extra 10 minutes past the opening of registration, i gave up and gave my password to my friend who is on this exchange with me. i was able to get into 2 of my 4 classes but i was waitlisted for everything else. however, at KU, when you are waitlisted, it doesn’t mean you didn’t get into your class. you just have to wait until a later date to see if you got in. luckily, when that day rolled around, i got into every single class i needed except one elective. i was able to choose a different time for that class and got in immediately. i got so lucky to get into my classes because i know many people didn’t fare as well as i did.
but then moving along – with only one week before my departure, i think the stress definitely got to me. i was running to so many different stores to pull together everything i needed and, on top of that, i came down with a terrible cold. i was falling apart just a little bit. i powered through and then it was time for my flight! we left early in the morning on august 21 and flew into san francisco. i was so happy to be in one of my favorite cities but we barely got to spend any time there – our layover was only 45 minutes long and we had to sprint to the international terminal. luckily, our first flight was slightly early and the second was running late. then, we were off! 12 cramped and sleepless hours later, we arrived in seoul.
after finally making it through customs, we were greeted by KU’s buddy assistants (which are korea university students who helping out the exchange students) and were loaded into a giant coach bus with everyone else who arrived around the same time as us. it took around 2 hours to get from incheon to the area of seoul we were staying in – but we made it! i had finally arrived at rachel livingtel. it was a rough first night, for sure. i think i finally realized the enormity of the fact that i had just arrived in my home for the next four months and the fact that i wouldn’t be able to see my family or friends or pups anytime soon. but, i ended up going out to search for food with my friend and two other students who arrived with us and was able to begin to feel more at home here.
after that, it’s been pretty great here and i’m loving where i’m living. it’s only been a few days but, if you’re staying in korea, i highly recommend rachel livingtel. at first, my room felt incredibly small and claustrophobic and i was ready to beg for a larger room but i’ve been able to get used to it. i’m fortunate to have a room with my own bathroom/shower in my room, a mini fridge, lots of storage, and a TV. while i don’t have my own kitchen, there is a communal kitchen a floor up from me which is where all of the exchange students tend to hang out. i’ve read that people have had problems with their goshiwon not being as nice as the pictures online seem but rachel is exactly what i thought. it’s very clean and the manager, while he can’t speak english very well, is so friendly and helpful. i’ve also read that it does get quite cold in the winter because there isn’t any heat but i don’t think it’ll be quite as bad for me as i have an inside room and lots of blankets. it’s been a few days so i’ve finally be able to unpack and decorate and it’s starting to feel more like home. i’ll be posting a room tour video soon so check that out if ya feel like it!
last but not least, we just wrapped up orientation! yesterday was the first day AND my 21st birthday so it was a pretty big day. we went to a presentation all about KU, set up our university IDs, and went on a campus tour. and let me just say, this campus is insanely beautiful. i met so many new people during orientation and ended up going out for dinner and drinks with some people in my group. i tried delicious new food, weird beer, and then a girl from my livingtel went out and surprised me with a whole birthday cake! it was such a great day. as for the second day, we filled out our applications for our KU ID cards/bank accounts, registered for our alien registration cards, and went to a program about life in seoul. tonight, my group is all meeting up to celebrate with chicken and beer. i can’t wait to see what the rest of the semester holds! (ps i apologize for my terrible quality/iphone photos but this week has been so chaotic i haven’t been able to pull out my actual camera!)
canada and new england cruisin’
hi guys! i just got back from our big family vacation – a cruise throughout canada and new england. we crammed so many things into one week – québec, prince edward island, nova scotia, maine, and massachusetts. it was such an amazing trip and i had so much fun finally getting to visit these places (and getting to eat all of the food!). i also made a little video with some of the things we did so check it out below!
montréal
we flew in the day before our cruise began so we got to spend two days in montréal – i got lucky. on the first night, we took a taxi from the airport and nearly died. our driver was insane! but we made it in one piece to the marriott courtyard in downtown montréal. it was such a nice place to stay! we had the best view of the city (first picture) AND they sold kinder eggs in the gift shop. if you know me at all, you know how much i love those and how upset i am that they’re banned in the US. after settling in, we went on a mission to find food. we started out walking but, after flying all day, we were starving and just turned around and went to the restaurant in the hotel, le darlington. this is where i got to try my first poutine ever and it was insanely good. we all turned in early that night and woke up super early to get a start on exploring. we got brunch at eggspectation and then headed to the old port to see the place d’armes and notre dame basilica. after wandering around for a while, we stopped at my first tim hortons which made me such a happy camper. and then we were off to the cruise ship! all aboard the m/s maasdam – our home for the week.
quebec city
quebec city meant lots of walking. we got off the boat and immediately headed up – we walked through the tourist shops, to montmorency park overlooking the city, to the top of the hill to visit chateau frontenac, and then finally to the citadel. we stopped for lunch on the boat and then went out for our excursion – a bus ride past montmorency falls to visit île d’orléans for a wine tasting at isle de bacchus. their ice wine is to die for. i’m forever regretting not buying any before we left. after that, we drove to canyon saint-anne where they had three bridges that you could walk on overlooking the waterfall. such a gorgeous view.
st. lawrence river cruising
day three was spent cruising along the st. lawrence river. ’twas a lazy day full of mojitos, naps, and good food.
charlottetown, prince edward island
charlottetown marked the start of freezing cold weather on this trip – i definitely wasn’t prepared for it but we still ventured out to look around. there wasn’t too much to see there but it was still such a cute, little town. one of the first things i do when i’m in a new place is search for a good coffee shop and boy, i wasn’t disappointed by receiver coffee company. we spent some time borrowing their wifi and then checked out st. dunstan’s basilica before searching for somewhere to eat for lunch. we ended up at dave’s lobster rolls. this was my first lobster roll of the trip and so, so good. lobster rolls are forever the best.
sydney, nova scotia
sydney was kind of a dud. it was 40 degrees outside and pouring down rain for most of the day so no one really wanted to go anywhere. i only left the boat to hang out in the port terminal for the free wifi and for a quick trip to the nearest tim hortons with my mom. walking in the rain and cold for those timbits and coffee was totally worth it. the one bonus from that day? the world’s largest fiddle was right there in the port so you didn’t even need to leave the boat to see it. that night, we began to make our way to our next stop, halifax. it was crazy rocky on board – the water from the pool looked like a tiny tsunami and everyone, including me, was getting seasick.
halifax, nova scotia
halifax is such an awesome city. everything i wanted to see while we were there was in walking distance so we could easily see a little bit of everything. our first stop was the old burying ground – unfortunately, it wasn’t the burial ground that held those that died on the titanic (that one was too far to walk to) but it was still fascinating to walk through. after that, we hit the public gardens. the gardens are 18 acres of flowers with a coffee shop and an ice cream shop inside. it’s essentially my heaven. however, we didn’t get to stay too long.. we were on a mission to make it to the citadel by 11. by getting up there at 11, we got to see the changing of the guards, take a guided tour, and then see the noon cannon. it was so interesting and definitely better than the guards at buckingham palace because these guys wear kilts! when our tour wrapped up, we headed back down to the waterfront, got lunch at stayner’s wharf pub, and then walked down the boardwalk before getting back on the boat.
bar harbor, maine
i was sad to be leaving canada but i have to say bar harbor was had to be one of my favorite stops on this trip. the first thing i spotted when we arrived was coffee hound coffee bar. it has got to be one of my top 10 favorite coffee shops – it was so cute, had the most creative drinks, and the guy who owned it was the nicest. not to mention, the almond joyous coffee and blueberry hand pie i got were phenomenal. after that, we went on an excursion through bar harbor and acadia national park. we ended up on the top of cadillac mountain. luckily, we got there right before the fog rolled it and the view was gorgeous. after that, we were starving and went to the highly recommended west street cafe. their lobster roll was great but man oh man that blueberry soda stole a piece of my heart. after lunch, my family went off to look in what felt like every single tourist shop. instead of doing that, i went to sit in the park by the water. that was singlehandedly the greatest decision. it was so beautiful and the weather was perfect. i wish i could go back.
boston, massachusetts
sadly i don’t have any pictures from boston. it was our last day and all we did was wake up, leave the boat for one final time, and head to the airport. i’m definitely missing the cruise so much. the people we met were wonderful, the food was stellar and i miss waking up in a new city every day. i might have been skeptical when i was first told about this trip but i wouldn’t change a thing for the world.
first post + reminiscing on SF
hey everyone! as of lately i’ve been seeing a lot of friends and family visiting san francisco and it’s made me realize how much i miss it. around this time last year, i visited for the first time with my mom and sister and it was by far one of my most favorite trips i’ve been on.
june 14, 2014
we landed in san francisco early in the morning and, with only four days in the city, wasted no time before starting to explore. we rented a car and drove a little bit north of the city to the town of sausalito for lunch. after that, we drove up to the sonoma/napa area to visit some of the wineries and it was unbelievably beautiful. we even found a winery with our last name! it was day one and i was completely in love.
june 15, 2014
we woke up in petaluma, went to breakfast at hallie’s (which was amazing), and stopped in the most adorable market to pick up some treats. afterwards, we spent most of the day driving south towards monterey. we took pit stops at the golden gate bridge and our first in n out and when we finally arrived, our hotel was right on the beach! once we got settled in, we drove down to cannery row for dinner. it was nice but i definitely wasn’t expecting it to be SO cold.
june 16, 2014
our first stop this morning was first awakenings in salinas. i’m still dreaming about those pancakes – they were bigger than my face and hands down the best i’ve ever had. after we were sufficiently stuffed, we headed out and began our very scenic route back to san francisco. we drove down the 17 mile drive, past pebble beach, and then stopped off in carmel for lunch. it was insanely gorgeous. finally, we reached SF and while our hotel wasn’t in the best part of town, i loved it! it had a rooftop patio with amazing views and it was in walking distance from tommy’s joynt which i had been dying to try!
june 17, 2014
we spent our last day wandering all over the city. we took one of the cheesy tour buses because it stopped near all of the places we wanted to visit and it was actually pretty awesome. we got to see fisherman’s wharf, ghiradelli square, lombard street, the ferry building, and so many other things! and then the trip was over + we flew out that night.
i can definitely say that i left a huge chunk of my heart there. too much love for san francisco.
ISPYKT 
