Being a student at Korea University, there is not a lot of time that can be used to relax or explore South Korea. The amount of work, projects, and assignments that are needed to be done take over your life. This does not only stress you out but can take a toll on your grades. To help myself improve my mood and keep my mind in a fresh state, I take a day in a week to explore and pamper myself. Having saved a list of things I would like to see; I chose 4 things to do. I start my day by going to class, which is always in the morning and finishes no later than 11:50 am. The first place I chose to explore was named “A Space Filled with you”; A café that is full of quietness and a great view. It comprised writing 2 letters to yourself or a person of your choosing, which will be sent a year later on the month you specify. I also had one of the best lattes since my stay in South Korea, it was green tea matcha (I recommend getting it if you ever get to go this place). Being in this café by myself, I had the time to listen to the silence and watch the moving clouds and great view, which I appreciated.
I then proceeded to my next adventure, the Bukchon Asian Cultural Art Museum; paying for this place, you had the option of getting a tea which was part of the admission fee. Having a fear of heights, this place was not as bad as other places I had been to. It was a place of beautiful art, which started with showing a tea museum that had history.
Moving to the outside, there was a pond, a bridge over the pond, and an elegant passageway.
Thinking it was over, there was a separate traditional house that had paintings, this was the highlight of the museum for me. It looked like royalty that conveyed colors of all kinds. This entire museum cultivated my interest in trying a tea house before leaving South Korea; It showed culture, which I plan to experience for myself later.
Craving some spicy food, I moved to a restaurant named Namsan Pork Cutlet in Insadong. I ordered a Kimchi Udon, which I have always wanted to try. This food had a perfect proportion of spice, full of kimchi, pork, and udon. Finishing the udon in the soup, I paired it with some rice, I recommend this place if you want to have some really good varieties of pork cutlets and soup.
To complete my self-care day, I treated myself to a pedicure at Itaewon Pro Nails. This place was recommended to me by a friend, which I tried for the first time at the beginning of my stay in South Korea and have been going there since then. It is not priced really high, and they make sure to pay attention to your every need; however, a reservation is needed.
Taking this day out for myself, I felt relieved and refreshed as I was overwhelmed by the things I needed to do as a student. I believe that pampering yourself can assist in restarting your mind and makes your thinking clearer and better.
Ruona Odharo is a student at Sam Houston State University. She is an ISA Identity & Inclusion Blogger and is studying abroad with ISA in Seoul, South Korea.