Seoul amazing; a short trip to Korea

What I learned in Seoul

1. You are not too old, or too cool, to wear a hanbok (princess dress). Rent one, wear it, and photograph the hell out of it. It is ridiculous and it is great AND you will get into the traditional landmarks for free. And strangers will take your picture (this will likely happen anyways so you might as well be sparkly for the occasion).
2. Soju is strong (-er than you think. Do not underestimate it. And get the grapefruit kind). After you consume it, your chances of a group rendition of Spice Girls while walking through the streets will go up by approximately 80%. Everyone will love it and you will definitely be on key.
3. Enjoy just being where you are. Odds are you don’t have enough time to cover all of Seoul, and if you do I’m jealous.
4. Korean food is really spicy, and really good, and probably really good for you. Eat kimchi a lot. In fact, start eating it at home because apparently it will make you live longer (seriously look it up).
5. Keep your eyes open for people who’ve recently had plastic surgery. It’s common to see people with bandages on their faces walking around, and I personally thought it was a really interesting contrast to Western culture in which people are ashamed of having plastic surgery done.
6. Shaved ice is a must
7. So is Bibimbap (try to get the egg to the bottom of the stone bowl before you stir, or you will end up with somewhat raw egg).
8. Let the girls in the makeup store help you. They know what they’re doing. Buy some face masks.
9. Read on for some thoughts about the Korean bathhouse. If the thought of nakedness freaks you out, stop here and erase this sentence from your memory.

A travel tip that most people probably don’t need: you need more than three days in Seoul. 

!!!MENTIONS OF NUDITY!!! Not for the faint of heart! But neither are bathhouses, so know your strengths and stick with them.

For an excellent lesson in sitting with discomfort, take a visit to a bathhouse in Korea (or many other places in the world. I just happened to be in Korea). Do your research before you go. Most importantly, know that, ultimately, you will be completely naked and you will very likely do something wrong. It will be uncomfortable in a lot of different ways, and only one is the actual and prevalent nakedness of everyone around you.

For obvious reasons, I do not have photographic documentation of the bathhouse, but you can look it up, and if you’re ever in Seoul you should look it up (Dragon Hill Spa). I do have photographic documentation of the very stylish and always flattering one size fits all basketball shorts and t-shirts which are supplied for you to wander around the non-nude areas in, but I do have some self-preservational instinct so I will not share them here. Picture a muumuu, but change the bottom half into shorts. If you’re thinking mental image begone, you are not alone, but trust me, it is worth it.

Everyone I went with agreed that our skin felt amazing afterwards and we felt better in general.