My Walk to Remember

Its the 28th May, the time is 11am, the weather is really nice and I'm having a latte here at the Ediya Coffee outlet at the corner of the street. It's also the last day of my trip here in Korea.

Sitting here with a morning coffee, thanks to my own absentmindedness - forgot to check if Lotte Mart was open! Thankfully a local mart nearby had what I needed, giving me some extra hours to sit here and have a relaxing morning cuppa!

The past 9 days here in Korea have given me some time to think, to feel and to also get an experience of Seoul. It feels different. Different from Bangkok where I grew up, there I feel an ultimate sense of familiarity amidst the chaos, where even though the language barrier still exist to a certain extent - I feel very much at home. Different from Taipei where I have spent countless holidays and now the duration of my Masters, where there are many long standing friendships, where I know my way around like the back of my hand, where I have become so comfortable that it sometimes feel just like home.

If Bangkok and Taipei are like long standing, deep relationships, built upon trust & strengthened through the years, then Seoul is like the flirting feeling of getting to know a new person - being wary of the unknown, yet eager to find out more, to know what she likes and also what she is like. Getting surprised by little things along the way, both in a good & bad way.

With some time stuck in Seoul thanks in part to my weakened immune system, I've had much less activity than I imagined, but that has also given me time to just wander around - taking in the things that are happening, listening and watching things unfold. I didn't know what to expect when I first arrived, but as the days unfolded, I learnt to be flexible with the plan & the expectations. Falling ill upon arriving meant I had to stay in Seoul and not run about from city to city, but with pockets of time each day I'd try to go out sightseeing. Some places were disappointing, just a photo-taking spot or overhyped, and then there were some more authentic experiences like the local markets. Going out and finding meals alone was a pain, as so much of nice local food would have been better when ordering in a group. Unfortunately for me, most of my friends were unable to meet me in the earlier part of the trip. So for most earlier parts of the trip it was just trying to get by, and spending time resting.

When I started to feel better, it was also fortunate that I could do something outside of "touristy", the cycling experience through Airbnb was a great way to go out and experience the city with someone playing host. Up until then, the trip felt pretty much a bummer. It wasn't just the language barrier, I had kind of learnt enough Korean in the last 2 months to read and tourist-talk, but it just felt so difficult to feel like a part of this city. Which is why I said it's different from Bangkok or Taipei - because people there really make you feel like you're super welcome even though you're a tourist/foreigner. The cycle-experience, was more than a workout in a different city, it was the conversations and little things, the sharing thoughts and insights about this place & the culture. That in itself made me feel much better and filled some time while I looked forward to spending time with friends.

Thankfully the latter part of my trip made the journey worthwhile. What made those last couple of days the best part of the trip? Spending time with friends! It wasn't all that smooth, some little hiccups in the plans, re-arranging schedules and rushing about, but to me the places to go or things to see were secondary. The most valuable things were just spending quality time, having meaningful conversations and just doing things together. It was short, those times flew by so quickly that it hurt. You just wish there was more time - and having booked a 9 day trip but only spending that little time together kind of makes it even more absurd. Still I've learnt to really treasure those memories, the laughter, the serious talk, the leisurely walks, the train & bus rides, our funny selfies, the conversations about life struggles, society issues & family, the sharing of yummy food, having soju or beer, or sometimes both together, and just every little precious moment of time that will not be replicable. Some of these moments are without photos, but they will be remembered clearly. They are like Pixie dust & Peter Pan, giving you all the happy thoughts you need to fly and of course like Peter Pan - not wanting to grow out of the moment! They were shortlived moments, but I took it all in, giving it enough time to sink into memory - where there are no SD cards or USB drives.

We each have our challenges and being so far apart means we don't have the chance to be a constant support for each other, but some friendships aren't limited by time & space. The distances hadn't diminished how willing we were to talk about some things. I guess it's something rare to have friendships that first start when traveling abroad, and then still managing to maintain and grow them while staying miles apart. Not easy but if you do them right, they can turn out pretty awesome. I have yet to fully understand the culture here, many things seem to be very traditional and of course there is a strong case of gender inequality. Through several conversations, I have become more aware of societal issues, but it is the underlying things that are so puzzling. Not something that can be solved easily through policies, as culture and traditions are set in the minds of people. Perhaps it might have me looking at things through tainted glasses, but still there are so many positives laid out on the paths that I've walked. Every phase of my discovery, there exists some little glimmers of brightness. So while I'm still unsure about my attraction to Korea, I'm pretty much sure that there will be more trips back here.

You said it's not goodbye, I said its so long for now. Who knows when we will meet again? From now till then, so many things might change or might happen. However, the things that we want are just on the other side of fear, so we just need to keep going out there and doing something that allows us to get past our fears. As for me, it will involve coming back again, to try getting to know her better, like how it was when I first started falling in love with Bangkok & Taipei - exciting!

#Korea #Seoul #backpacking #exploring #culture