Busan!

It has been a few weeks, but I thought I would talk about another fun trip I got to take at the beginning of this month. With the support of the Office of International Affairs, we new international students were able to take a day trip to the city of Busan with the Korean students who helped us throughout orientation. School had been keeping us so busy that we had not been able to really spend time together since that first week of orientation, so it was really nice to get to do something with the first friends I made here.

Early in the morning we piled onto a bus and set out. It was only about a two hour trip, and the majority of us slept almost the whole way. It was just before noon when we arrived at our destination.

Busan is one of the biggest cities in Korea and one of the most famous. It is the biggest port city in the country, and famous for events held there like the International Film Festival that was actually taking place while we were there. The city itself was not as intense as Seoul; at least not the parts of it we experienced, which I was grateful for.

To start with we went to a famous noodle place for lunch. The noodles were served cold--in fact, there was ice in the bowl! We also had some delicious dumplings.

After lunch we had dessert! We went to another famous place known for its Patbingsusu, an amazing shaved ice dish here in Korea. So we enjoyed a bowl of our own, full as we were from the noodles.

With our stomachs full, we all split into groups of three or so. With my roommate and a Korean friend we went out to see more of Busan. The streets were crowded with shoppers, sightseers, and volunteers who provided fun activities to do for the public. I got my hand painted.

We climbed many stairs in order to reach the top of a hill so that we could get a good view of the city. Busan, like Seoul, also has an observation tower. We did not ascend, but instead just enjoyed the breeze and the sights. I have to say, though, it was not much fun to walk up and then down all those stairs!

As the afternoon progressed we explored the markets and got to take in all of the many aromas of the street vendors. I bought a few souvenirs and did my best not to get lost in the crowds. Because of the international film festival, the city was more crowded than usual. There was one portion of the street that was similar to the sidewalk of Hollywood—imprinted and signed by actors who had been there for the film festival in the past. I thought that was neat.

We also tried some street food:

 Delicious.

The whole group reconvened to move on to our next activity—the aquarium! It was my first time to go to one. I had so much fun looking at the creatures God in all of His imagination formed. His creativity never ceases to astound me. I loved it.

My favorite part was definitely the jellyfish. Jellyfish are some of my favorite things, and this was my first time seeing them in person. They are so mysterious, graceful, and elegant. So beautiful.

Once we all had our fill of the underwater sights, we went out to Haeundae beach which was beautiful as the sun was setting and the city lights were flickering to life and reflecting on the waves.

After a few minutes on the beach we went to supper. We went to a place called Ashley’s Buffet which is all you can eat American cuisine. It was some of the fanciest American cuisine I had ever had. An incredibly good, incredibly filling meal.

After eating way too much, we all made our way slowly back to the beach where we explored together for a while. The wind was cool, but not cold, and the crash of the waves on the rocks accompanied our wanderings. I could have spent many more hours there. There is something about the sea at nighttime that I really love. It was very poetic scenery, and I would not mind returning there someday.

(Photo taken by a friend with a better camera)

We were all tired from all our sight-seeing by that point, and it was time to return to the bus. It was another sleepy trip back to school late at night, and we were all very grateful to go to bed after a really good trip. If you want to see more pictures, I uploaded them all to my Facebook as usual.

One thing the trip reminded me of was just how important it is to value all of these opportunities I am being given. Here I am in Korea with friends from all over the world making these special memories… it won’t last forever, and this season of my life will never be repeated. I was reminded to really cherish this season, and to treat every moment as having meaning. This attitude is also something I want to adopt when I go home. There is beauty everywhere, whether I am standing on a beach at night surrounded by people who speak dozens of languages—or whether I am walking beneath some Texan pine trees with lifelong friends.

I am very blessed to get to have these experiences. I am blessed to have any opportunities at all. This time in Korea has really opened up my eyes to so many of the good things that I can go home and enjoy—the blessings don’t stop once I leave Korea. I am so grateful to be here. I am learning far more outside of the classroom than I am inside of it.

Anyway, thanks for reading! With midterms taken care of, I should have more time to update you guys soon. If there is anything you want to hear about in particular, feel free to let me know.