Justin-Klein.com – Life of a Traveling Programmer

The Seoul skyline at dusk.

As many of you already know, my fourteen months of living in Japan officially ends tomorrow. There’s so much I want to say about this, but because I’m still significantly behind on my posts (ever notice how all the fun seems to pour in at once?) I’m going to continue chronologically and talk about the trip back to the US once I’ve completed Korea and the following business trip to Kyushu.

So, without further adieu, here’s a summary of my one full day in Seoul.

A pagoda in the back corner of Gyeongbukgung. This palace was seriously enormous – I almost missed the pagoda entirely.

First up: Gyeongbukgung, a palace built by the Joseon Dynasty in 1395, which was spectacular and without a doubt worth a visit. It reminded me of the Forbidden City in Beijing except that it wasn’t under construction for the 2008 Olympics 🙂 We were even treated to a special bonus: something Yun-Yeong, who lives in Soul, had never herself seen.
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The world is my playground

Alright, so the truth is that I’m already back in Japan. I’ve finished my travels in Busan as well as Seoul, Gyeongju, and the DMZ. I’m already part way through my next trip in Kyushu, Southern Japan. Too much fun, too little time to write about it all.

But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I’m gonna skip out on anything. It just means that the content will be a little behind the actual events. I’ve been good about keeping brief notes during the trip so that I won’t forget what to write about when blog time rolls around 🙂

Chie and I in Seomyeon, Busan

Plus I want to make sure that I take my time and write about all of the interesting little cultural differences that I see and unique experiences that I take part in. This blog is partially to keep everyone back home abreast about my life, but it’s also a personal journal. Ten years from now I hope to look back on these posts and think “Oh my god, I remember the first time I went to Korea! It seems like it’s been years!”

Well, I guess it will have been.
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Off we go!

You know, I have to say that this vacation really has been an interesting and new experience for me.

Ever since I started traveling on my own I’ve tried to keep my trips as high-paced and packed with activities as possible. I try to make the most out of every single minute I have. With this in mind, I was a bit apprehensive at first about coming to Korea with a group of friends who have spent most of their lives living here; certainly they wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as myself about walking around every day until their feet hurt and their camera memory fills to the brim.

Huh huh, I’m a jerk. (Please observe the sign on the door next to which I’m leaning)

But you know, there’s really something cool about traveling like I’m not traveling. Even though I might not be out running around during every free minute, I feel like for these last few days I’ve just been living as someone who grew up in Busan might: going to hang out with my friends at the beach, grabbing a quick bite at a local food stand, or killing a few hours on my day off from school. A foreign country through the eyes of a native. Pretty cool stuff.
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