For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to study abroad in college. I love to travel, try new foods, and experience new cultures, something my family instilled in me from a young age and encourages to this day. But at the same time, I’m a bit of a homebody — my favorite place in the world is my bed, and being away from it for an entire semester sounds worse than a breakup. So when my professor announced a new study abroad program in South Korea that took place over fall break, I immediately felt like this program was meant for me. Eight days of international travel and earning three credits during the process? And on top of that, not having to worry about a language barrier, thanks to the 10 years I’ve spent learning Korean? You don’t have to ask me twice.
I was lucky enough to go to Seoul in 2024 after graduating high school, and ever since, I’d been dreaming of going back. Now, as a third-year communication student at the University of Utah, I got that chance, as the first few days of the program was in Seoul. We went on guided tours and had a structured itinerary that, luckily, also allowed us a lot of free time to do, see, eat, and experience whatever we pleased. On this day, I decided to go to one of Seoul’s trendiest and coolest neighborhoods — Seongsu — before meeting up with the rest of the program group. Here’s how my day in Seoul went down!
9:30 A.M.: Get Ready For The Day
My program roommate, Sarah, and I got an early start to the day in order to see everything Seongsu had to offer. The forecast said it could rain at some point, so I threw on my thin windbreaker just in case.
9:45 A.M.: Hit Up A Cafe
We walked across the street to Paris Baguette to get a mandatory fun drink. I got a green tangerine ade — one of many flavors of my favorite Korean cafe staple — before heading to the subway station.
10:15 A.M.: Wait For The Subway
The subway is something I’d been looking forward to riding again ever since my first trip — nerdy, I know. Every train is clean and quiet, and the best part? Right before overhead speakers announce that the next train is arriving, each subway line has a unique jingle that plays before announcing which station you’re currently at and which station the arriving train is heading to.
11:00 A.M.: Arrive In Seongsu
When we arrived in Seongsu, my first order of business was getting another fun drink — this time just a classic, regular lemonade from Compose Coffee. Then, it was off to the main shopping streets!
11:30 A.M.: Wander Olive Young
At this point in the trip, I’d already stepped inside a handful of Olive Young locations (which is, essentially, South Korea’s version of Sephora). But that has never stopped me before. We shopped through every floor of the Seongsu flagship store, and I ended up leaving with a new lip gloss, powder compact, eye cream, and a soothing facial emulsion.
12:15 P.M.: Walk To Brandy Melville
The one and only Brandy Melville store in South Korea happens to be in Seongsu! I went inside on a mission to find a few souvenirs for my girlfriend that stores in the United States don’t carry. I ended up leaving with a new pair of socks and a souvenir shirt for myself, too, which I count as a major win.
12:45 P.M.: More Shopping!
We had about 30 minutes before we needed to get back on the subway to meet up with the rest of our program. I could’ve spent the entire day wandering through Seongsu, and I wish we had more time to do so! I guess that means I’ll just have to come back.
1:30 P.M.: Arrive At Starfield Coex Mall
We took the subway to Gangnam to meet the rest of our group at the Starfield Library. I’m an avid reader and lover of bookstores, so staring up at all of the huge shelves of books was incredible.
2:00 P.M.: Gangnam Style Statue
When I visited Starfield Coex Mall on my first trip to Seoul, I somehow missed out on visiting the Gangnam Style statue that pays homage to the iconic PSY song from 2012! I made up for it this time, though.
2:30 P.M.: Last Minute Shopping
We had free time to roam the mall until 3:00 p.m., so time was ticking to enjoy all of what Starfield had to offer! One of my favorite stores we wandered into, Butter, was full of stationery, trinkets, and all sorts of cute souvenirs that I had to bring home with me.
4:00 P.M.: Korean Cooking Class
I met back up with the group and bid goodbye to Starfield Coex Mall before getting on our tour bus and driving to Jongno, a neighborhood in central Seoul. We took a bibimbap cooking class with an award-winning chef. While the dish typically has a fried egg in the middle, I can’t stand runny yolks, so I disqualified myself from winning the “best in class” contest by scrambling my egg. Sorry, not sorry.
5:30 P.M.: Tattoos In Myeongdong
After our cooking class, we reboarded the bus and headed back to the neighborhood we were staying in, Myeongdong. The rest of the evening was ours! One of my new friends from the program, Grace, accompanied me to a tattoo studio she had visited only days before. While I’m typically not a spontaneous person, getting my fourth tattoo from a studio in Seoul seemed like the perfect forever souvenir. I couldn’t say no!
8:00 P.M.: Sweet Treat Time
After my tattoo and some more — you guessed it — shopping, we decided to stop for some tanghulu from a street vendor. The strawberries were perfectly juicy and the crystallized sugar was such a delicious touch. My mouth is watering just thinking about having this again.
9:30 P.M.: Call It A Day
After thousands of steps, delicious drinks, snacks, meals, an impulsive tattoo, and lots of shopping, I returned to my hotel room for the night. I showered, put on my pajamas, did my skin care (with my new products, of course), and fell asleep already excited for what the next day in South Korea would bring.