Seoul has always been on my family's bucket list because we LOVE Korean food! Cait and I have also recently become K-pop fans, so this added to the appeal of this vacation. All in all, we really loved the city for the vibrant food scene, abundance of beauty (facial/laser/nail/eyelash) studios, as well as its safety and convenience of public transportation. The people were all very kind and helpful too (we asked for help multiple times for directions and to order food at restaurants.) Here are the notes I took during our 6 day stay." 🏨 Hotel: RYSE in Hongdae
=========================== DAY 1 (Half Day) ✈️ Flight Lands at 2:55 PM 🚊Airport Railroad, Unseo Station bound Fast arrival to Hong Univ Station (total travel time 1 hour, 50 min on the train, 10 min walk)
Day 2 -- GANGNAM AND MYEONGDONG ☕️ Paul Basset in Starfield Mall
============================ DAY 3: HAIR AND SKINCARE DAY 🥐 Offer Cafe and Bakery (@offer_mapo)
- The Plain Jewelry Store
-============================= DAY 4: INSADONG AND SEOUL TOWER 🥐 Offer Cafe and Bakery (@offer_mapo)
- Cheongsudang Tea House and Gallery
🗼Seoul Tower BOOKED -- (ticket can be for any day/time, but tower opens only at 12 on weekdays and 11 on weekends, may be nice to go at sunset)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ not as good as bonchon though it was 50% the price! ======================= DAY 5: PHOTOSHOOT, PALACES and DDP 🍱 Modern Kimbap (near Gyeongbokyung Palace Station)
===================== DAY 6: SHOPPING AND MORE 🥐 Offer Cafe and Bakery (@offer_mapo)
======================
DAY 7: TRAVEL HOME 🥐 Egg Deurap Hongdae
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To be honest, we initially chose Lisbon as our first destination in our family Europe trip in March 2022 because it was the shortest (and cheapest) flight from the states. The city turned out to be our favorite city we visited -- Dad doled out the biggest compliment when he muttered "I could retire here" on our last day in Lisbon. We loved that the city was so walkable, and also that there was so much to see -- from palaces to monasteries to lookout points and more. The food was also incredible. So many fun pastries to try and blends of Spanish/Asian flavors and ingredients. Finally, one thing we noticed in particular was how kind everyone was. Especially compared to Rome and other European cities, the people in Lisbon were so down to earth. We never felt like we were trying to be ripped off (even the taxi drivers were super fair and very cheap compared to other European cities!), and felt safe walking everywhere, no matter the time of day." DAY 1: LANDMARKS OF LISBON Jerónimos Monastery (booked ahead of time)
DAY 2: DAY TRIP TO SINTRA Breakfast: Manteigaria
Dinner: Sr. Lisboa, reservation @7PM under Sabrina Chen
DAY 3: LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS Breakfast: Hotel Castelo de Sao Jorge
Our family hardly has any time for vacations anymore, so we took the opportunity this May when we all had a couple days off to fly to Banff. It seemed like the perfect location because it's not too far from California (3 hour flight), it's full of beautiful scenery and outdoorsy activities like hiking and kayaking. Besides being a bit chilly (there was still snow in May,) it was a very fun and relaxing trip. Banff is also one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Below is the itinerary we PLANNED to use. A couple of the roads to major lakes were still closed when we were in Banff, unfortuntely, but we still had a great time." DAY YOUR ARRIVE: Arrive at Calgary Airport (YYC). YYC is super clean, super deserted and super efficient. We were welcomed by some workers in cowboy hats (not sure why?). After picking up our rental car, we had dinner in Calgary and then drove toward Canmore. We stayed in an Airbnb in Canmore (about 20 minutes from Banff) because it was cheaper than staying directly in the national park. Canmore was a nice place to stay because it had its own host of restaurants to explore!
We also had some pretty YUMMY eats in Canmore/Calgary/Banff. We were surprised by how good the food was, considering there usually aren't too many choices at national parks. Here are some of the cafes and restaurants we tried."
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLATBREAD (CANMORE) $$-$$$ ***3.5/5 stars*** Solid pizza place with good selection of beer and hand tossed, wood fired pizza. This place gets really REALLY crowded, so make sure to have reservations or come early. We enjoyed the bbq chicken pizza and their seasonal pasta dish with sausage and tomato sauce. We also ordered the brownie for dessert, which was a bit overpriced at $8. Nothing too fancy or too special, but it was a good way to end the day. COMMUNITEA CAFE (CANMORE) $$ ***3/5 stars*** 5 star for vibe, 2 stars for food. We were unimpressed with the smoothie bowl, which was really watery and had some grainy, stale granola and minimal fruit. Also the breakfast sandwiches were not warm enough. We did like the free samples of tea at the front of the cafe though!
Honolulu is the city my mom grew up in, and holds a very special place in my heart. It is also probably my favorite food city in the world. The islands’ original Polynesian residents: immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, Portugal, the Philippines, brought some of their own cultures and foods to the island. Mixed with some American influence, the Hawaiian cuisine was born. Since the chain "L & L Hawaiian BBQ" is a family business, I've grown up eating spam musubis and chicken katsu. These quintessential Hawaiian dishes have made their way to the mainland, but there's something different about eating them on the islands. From pillowy soft malasadas, to technicolor shaved ice fresh guava, melt-in-your-mouth poke to perfectly grilled garlic shrimp, I can never get enough of what the island of Oahu has to offer. I've put together a list of some of my absolute favorites. You won't find any fancy white napkin, four dollar sign restaurants here. What you will find are some quality, local-tested eats that scream Hawaii to me."
LEONARD'S BAKERY / LEONARD'S MALASADA TRUCK If you like donuts, you'll love the piping hot, pillowy soft yet chewy malasadas coming straight off the fryer at Leonard's bakery. Remember, moderation is key here. I remember when relatives used to gift us dozens of these sweet morsels right off the plane, we would gulp them up until our tummies hurt. This ruins the taste completely. Try a single classic malasada, covered in sugar, or maybe the cinnamon sugar, or split a decadent filled one (they have flavors like coconut and chocolate) with a friend. Pro-tip, if you don't want to wait in line at the original bakery, stop by one of the trucks around the island. There's never too long of a wait, and the malasadas are just as fresh.
ONO STEAKS AND SHRIMPS TRUCK If there's one place that MAY beat L&L for their plate lunches, it's going to be Ono's. A no-frills, family-owned shack on the east side of the island draws locals with a menu of traditional Hawaiian plate lunches. Try the kalbee, steak or garlic shrimp. Each protein comes with two scoops of white rice and macaroni salad, traditional hawaiian style.
Girl and the Goat: quirky, no frills, and definitely intriguing. Ever since I saw this restaurant, with its 8000+ reviews and 4.5 star rating on Yelp three years ago, it’s been on my Chicago bucket list. Even more exciting, I later found out that the restaurant was the brainchild of the first female Top Chef winner, Stephanie Izard. But weekend reservations are almost impossible to come by and weekdays aren't a whole lot better (that’s coming from Andrew -- an expert Open-table user.) So this afternoon, when Andrew told me there was an opening at 5 pm today, I jumped at the opportunity. This meant a lot -- that I was willing to travel 1 hour to downtown Chicago for food -- considering I had spent the last 2 days hibernating from the sub-20 degree weather. For the record, it was very very worth the trek. We arrived, fingers nearly-frostbitten, to a casual, warehouse/loft style space with wood tables and Edison bulbs. Servers and chefs walked around in goat-logo T-shirts with cute phrases: “what happens at the goat, stays at the goat.” This was going to be fun, I thought. Our greeter excitedly brought us to our table, mentioning “you have the two best seats in the house tonight.” Indeed, we were seated right in front of the open kitchen. The kitchen itself stretched across the entire back wall, and we found ourselves warmed by the blazing wood-burning oven that gives many of the restaurant’s dishes their smoky aromas. Over a dozen chefs fluttered around busily in the kitchen, a happy, teasing banter that seemed to permeate the restaurant. The menu was simple enough, 3 columns: vegetables, fish and meats, with less than 10 dishes under each column. Our server helped us through the menu, and the chef located in front of us chimed in with some of her personal recommendations (we were discouraged from ordering a 4 pound goat shoulder, for example.) Andrew and I decided on 4 dishes, wood-fired broccoli, crisp braised pork shank, wood fired blowfish tails (chef’s recommendation), and duck tongues (yeah, we’re pretty adventurous). Our server let us know that the dishes would come out based on flavor pairings. First dish: duck tongues. So the first time I ever ate duck tongues was when I went to Andrew’s house and his dad offered me goose heads. I didn’t want to be rude so I watched him excitedly teach me how to remove the meat from a goose head and savor the best part-- the tongue! To be honest, it wasn’t too bad. But this duck tongue was completely different. Lightly fried, paired with a tuna and black bean poke, and topped with a peri-peri sauce, it was Asian fusion done to perfection. We ate every last piece and practically licked the sauce off the plate. Next, blowfish tails. The chef we were seated in front of recommended this one. “Tastes hearty, like fish chicken wings,” she said. What a perfect description. These were marinated topped with this green-looking hoisin based sauce and a ton of delicious fried goodness I couldn’t figure out. The chef told us that almost all of the dishes at this restaurant had tamarind and fish sauce.
For dessert, Andrew had been eyeing the caramel corn and malt balls for a long time now. I have to say, it tasted even better than it looked, with caramel popcorn infused whipped cream, milk chocolate truffle pieces, and pure vanilla ice cream with a chocolate shell. Again, we scooped up every last drop. All-in-all, tonight has been one of my favorite food experiences. Andrew prides himself on choosing great date spots: we’ve sat at the chef’s counter at Roister (a one star,) sipped on wine at Marea (a two star,) but nothing came close to the environment and intimacy at Girl and Goat. This restaurant isn’t particularly bougie. Instead, it deserves 5 stars because everything is done exceptionally well. Also, the food actually comes out in decent portions and you don’t feel like the servers are watching you every moment to change your plate. The flavors are bold but pair beautifully, though I might be biased to anything with an Asian twist. Nevertheless, Girl and the Goat is definitely a place I’ll return to again, hopefully the next time I find myself in Chicago!
50 TOTAL FLIGHTS (including connections). This year, I've travelled more than ever before. I thought I would compile a list of my flights long train/car rides (over 3 hours) to remember the year and the places I've gone to. Even though I claimed I would be spending my gap year "home," my parents said that I was away more than I was in Saratoga! Key: [ ] = Airplane { } = Train Italics = New Places JANUARY: Jan 2 [SAN JOSE --> PORTLAND]: 6 meals a day, adding gas in rental car, waterfalls, donuts, first time Salt + Straw, mediocre sushi, getting carded (oops!) Jan 4 {PORTLAND --> SEATTLE}: introspective train ride, fancy starbucks, pike's, SHIROS ruining sushi for me, glass sculptures, clear umbrella, fourth times the charm ;) Jan 7 [SEATTLE --> SJC]: finished that Studio Ghibli movie we didn't the night before, first teary goodbye Jan 18 [SJC --> BWI]: Back to school to finish off my last semester! FEBRUARY Feb 2 [BWI --> CHICAGO]: Someone pls tell me why I keep going back to Chicago in the most freezing time of year, tried new restaurants, per usual (Roister, steak, restaurant week) Feb 5 [CHICAGO --> BWI]: Reality hits again MARCH: March 16 [BWI --> SAN JOSE]: Spring break! March 21 [SAN JOSE --> VEGAS]: 21st birthday, too much food at Wicked Spoon, best pizza, afternoon tea, photos galore March 23 [VEGAS --> SAN JOSE] March 25 [SAN JOSE --> BWI]: Back to school, gotta get crackin on that ERG project!! APRIL: No air travel, had to really GRIND that research thesis. Boat cruise, last WPHLS conference, cherry blossom festival X2 with my two favorite people, really bad allergies MAY: May 5 {BALTIMORE --> NYC}: Girl's trip just days before finals, Bibble and Sip, Cronuts May 7 {NYC --> BALTIMORE}: Time to take my last finals! May 17 [BWI --> CHICAGO]: One word, eight letters, HAMILTON, also more good eats (Boka, Jeni's, Velvet Taco) May 21 [CHICAGO --> BWI]: Graduation :') May 26 [BWI --> SAN JOSE]: Coming home for the last time! Cait's grad + lots of fam things JUNE: June 24 [SF --> OSAKA] (1 stop): cute airBNB, meditation in front of Osaka Castle, ramen factory, best ramen EVER June 26 {OSAKA --> KYOTO}: Bamboo forest, making Cait dress up in a 4 layer kimono in 100 degree heat, feet r dying on the train ride back June 28 {OSAKA --> HAKONE}: cannot find hotel because it is legit 3 rooms, we run out of cash, Shirley refuses to go in hot springs, also beginning to receive secondaries! JULY: July 1 {HAKONE --> TOKYO}: Romance car!, HEAT, more ramen, Disneysea, daily soft serve and grocery store run July 6 [TOKYO --> SFO] (1 stop): July 13 [SJC --> ALMANSA] (2 stops): 33 hour commute, breakdown on renfe train, nightmares of Madrid Atocha station begin July 19 [ALMANSA --> PARIS]: Solo travel, new friends, cheap wine, enjoying Eiffel tower until the morning hours July 22 [PARIS --> ALMANSA]: getting to know students better, tea party, filming KHS application in front of Almansa castle July 27 {ALMANSA --> MADRID}: Gugu visits me in Spain, lots of walking and tapas, flamenco, Sangria, good talks July 30 {MADRID --> ALMANSA} AUGUST: August 4 {ALMANSA --> VALENCIA}: Favorite Spanish city, palm trees, gardens, science center, good reads, all day shopping August 5 {VALENCIA --> ALMANSA} August 11 [ALMANSA --> SFO] (2 stops): Finally home again, spending time with Andrew + friends before they head back to school, interviews start rolling in SEPTEMBER: Sept 12 [SJC --> LAX]: First interview @ UCLA!, love the people + my host is the sweetest person ever, hospital is beautiful Sept 13 [LAX --> SJC] Sept 19 [SJC --> SAN DIEGO]: All the 85 breads with Zi, weirdo people @ UCSD interview, cool school+good tour Sept 20 [SAN DIEGO --> SJC] Sept 23 [SJC --> CHICAGO]: Seeing Jaime start college, NU Sept 27 [CHICAGO --> ANN ARBOR]: cute town, no ubers, UMich Sept 28 [ANN ARBOR --> OAKLAND] (1 stop): coming home for enough time to do laundry OCTOBER: Oct 2 [SJC --> BWI]: thought I would never have to go back... longest interview stretch begins, UMD + Hop, nicole gets wasted on wine, good mems! Oct 9 [BWI --> SAINT LOUIS]: loved this city + the people, great food, jeni's ice cream, WashU is beautiful and everyone I meet was so genuine Oct 11 [SAINT LOUIS --> RALEIGH]: oof, NC did not make a great first impression, storm + flight delays, power outage Oct 12 [RALEIGH --> NYC]: really REALLY missing home now, Columbia + Cornell, catching up with Angie and Arielle, got into first school!, decide to skip last interview, fly to second home, Chitown Oct 17 [NYC --> CHICAGO]: Surprise!! Instapot cooking, lotsa cleaning, quality time Oct 24 [CHICAGO --> SJC] : Finally. HOME. Oct 26 {SAN JOSE --> DAVIS}: Loved Sacremento vibe + time with parents Oct 27 {DAVIS --> BERKELEY --> SAN JOSE}: picked up Cait, caught up, took fam pics with AMY! NOVEMBER: Nov 23: [OAKLAND --> CHICAGO]: cold, Blackout Friday, Zoolights tour, kitchen table talks Nov 28: [CHICAGO --> NYC]: meh meh out of practice, meet up with Sher over yummy Japanese food, saw Katie for first time in a decade, first sample sale, lit time with Jen DECEMBER: Dec 1 [NYC --> SJC] (1 stop): hardcore working 2 jobs for a couple weeks Dec 14 [OAK --> CANCUN] (1 stop): best. vacation. ever. alone time on beach first day, blackout night, yummy gummies, fun couple games, good talks Dec 18 [CANCUN --> OAK] (1 stop): jamming to T Swift for 4 hour plane ride Dec 21 {SAN JOSE <--> TAHOE}: sick but great family time, 18 people in cozy cabin, gingerbread house, just call troy Dec 27 [SFO --> HONG KONG]: Nicole, I'm coming for you! Over the past three months, I had an excuse to travel all over the country — medical school interviews. My parents joke around saying that even though I’m living at home, I’m away more than I am at home, (which is, arguably, more or less true.) Some of the places I’ve visited include:
Chicago (easily the coldest place I've ever been, but also home to my favorite skyline and amazing Italian food) Manhattan (UGH. sometimes. but also the most captivating city I have ever travelled to) Baltimore (charm city lost its charm for me 6 months into college. I do love the cheap Chipotle though. it will always hold a special place in my heart) Los Angeles (traffic. sucks. but also cheap asian eats are a huge draw) San Diego (my ideal weather, all year 'round) San Francisco (my heart... the perfect combination of beach and trees, sun and fog, cheap eats and Michelin star restaurants, I could live here for the rest of my life if not for the horrible rent prices) Sacramento (pretty nice, I could see myself here too) Raleigh (stormy weather, and not very culturally diverse. also the airport here is a hot mess) Ann Arbor (quaint, full of super overly kind people who have so much pride for this town) St. Louis (lovely. kind people, amazing green spaces, good shopping + jeni's ice cream) My heart will always be true to SF, but I’ve had a great time seeing what these different cities have to offer. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of “city favorites” to share some of my top eats, shopping areas or instagram-worthy spots. More than anything, it’s also a reminder for me to return to some of my favorite spots the next time I’m in town. When you’re not sitting across from someone else, you’re sitting across from the rest of the world." One month ago, I flew across the world to face a few of my biggest fears: spontaneous decisions, being alone, and the MCAT (again).
I arrived in Madrid two flight delays and 31 hours later. In the first of two trains I needed to catch to travel from Madrid to Almansa, I collapsed in exhaustion in a small corner next to the bathroom. Spanish Elements 1 had taught me to count to 100, but my speaking skills still weren’t even good enough to find my seat or ask for help. The conductor spoke at three times the speed of my Spanish professor, and I had no idea where I was headed. If that weren’t bad enough, it seemed as though I should have already switched to my second train. I had never felt so terrified and so isolated. A nice man offered me a tissue as I wiped away my tears, “Where are you going?” Finally, someone who spoke English. “Almansa, but I think I missed my connection.” “That’s my hometown, and where I’m headed! It’s the next stop, just follow me. Don’t worry, you will love it. It is small but perfect. There are 200 bars, but just one laundromat,” he laughed. When we arrived in Almansa, his wife and parents offered to drive me from the station to the hotel. I was a bit skeptical of a possible kidnapping, but the thought of a 1.5 mile uphill walk in 100 degree heat convinced me to trust this family. I made my first friends in Spain, and I learned that people wanted to help; all I had to do was ask. Solo travel in a foreign country is sink or swim: deciphering Google Maps offline version, learning to communicate in pantomime, gauging who to trust and learning how to making new friends. Since I had the mornings off from my MCAT teaching job, I roamed the streets of Almansa armed with a camera and the few Spanish words I’d picked up from my semester long course. Practicing my Spanish with whoever would talk to me, I discovered a culture of strong familial ties and an appreciation of leisure I’ve come to admire. During my long weekends, I travelled to different cities in Europe. Each place I visited — Madrid, Paris, Valencia — pushed me out of my comfort zone in a different way. Fears of language barriers, getting lost, and being kidnapped, quickly dissipated as I met so many kind people: a hotel owner who taught me Spanish over breakfast every morning, an AirBnb host who took me to taste real french pastries, another solo traveler looking for someone to take basic pictures with. I drank cheap wine in front of the Eiffel Tower, had a picnic in the gardens of Valencia, and learned how to dance the flamenco. Every day, I grew I little more confident, a little more independent, and a little more openminded. I read voraciously, wrote occasionally, ate simply (and alone), and drank tastefully. Ironically, being by myself allowed me to think more about my relationships with others — both the people I met and my friends and family back home. This trip taught me to enjoy real moments of solitude and self reflection. When you’re not sitting across from someone else, you’re sitting across from the rest of the world. |