Cecelia ChangMy first trip to South Korea was everything I imagined it to be: fun, memorable, and a little chaotic. Even though I am not a massive fan of K-pop culture, I have always dreamed of visiting South Korea and living out my own K-drama fantasy.
Last month, my friends and I finally embarked on a long-awaited trip to Seoul and Busan. But as with most adventures in life, not everything went according to plan. Here’s a lighthearted look at everything that went ‘wrong’ during my South Korea trip. I hope it makes you laugh a little, and helps you avoid making the same mistakes as I did!
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1. Forgetting to take my air sickness medicine
Maybe I got a little too excited, or maybe I was overestimating myself. But yes, I forgot to take my air sickness medicine, which I always take, before my flight to Seoul! It wasn’t until take-off that the nausea hit me, and I started feeling really uncomfortable. I had to quickly ask the flight attendant for a cup of water to take my air sickness medicine as soon as the plane stabilised.
If you get airsick like me, you probably understand how dreadful this can be. And this was just the beginning…I hadn’t even landed in Seoul yet!
2. Losing my single journey train ticket
Despite knowing about the existence of the T-Money Card and Climate Card, my friends and I decided to get a single journey train ticket from Incheon Airport to Hongdae. Reason? Well, I thought I could get a cuter T-Money Card design from the convenience stores in Hongdae.
I was happily chatting with my friends until I realised my tiny yellow ticket had mysteriously vanished. Yup, I lost my single journey ticket and was stuck at the exit gate. To make things worse, there wasn’t a single staff member around to help.
Thankfully, my friends came to the rescue and got me another ticket so I could finally escape the station. In hindsight…I should probably be grateful that it wasn’t a T-Money Card that I lost…right?
3. Expecting cherry blossoms and it…snowed?
Trust me, we did our research before actually flying to South Korea. The official forecast predicted that cherry blossoms would start blooming in Busan on the 23rd, but throughout our four days there (26th to 29th), we could only see tiny buds of the cherry trees. Not to mention, the weather was extremely chilly; it almost felt like we were still in winter.
Then came the biggest surprise of the trip. When we were back in Seoul on the 30th, it snowed! Yes, unexpected, actual snowfall. While I didn’t get the picture-perfect rows of pink blooms I had imagined, I was gifted a magical, snowy moment instead. I still feel grateful!
If anything, this taught me a valuable travel lesson of preparing more, not less, especially when travelling between seasons. The weather can really be unpredictable.
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4. My film camera getting wrecked by the cold
Continuing the theme of freezing weather, I realized the hard way that my film camera wasn’t immune to the cold either. As someone who hasn’t travelled to a place with temperatures this low (the coldest we experienced was about -2 degree Celsius!), I completely missed out on the fact that my film camera needs to be protected from the cold, too.
It started freezing up on the fourth day, I couldn’t press the shutter button. And by the sixth day, it went haywire and rewound the film on its own!
Clearly, I’m not only an amateur traveller, but also a beginner film photographer…
5. Taking the bus in the wrong direction…at night!
It was around 10pm, and I was on my way to Lotte Zettaplex in Seoul for one last shopping spree before leaving the country. Yes, I checked Naver Map (aka South Korean Google Maps); Yes, the bus number was correct; But no, it wasn’t heading the right direction.
I quickly hopped off when I realized I was off course and replanned my route. Thankfully, Seoul is known for being pretty safe even at night, so I still made it to Lotte Zettaplex on time and wrapped up my shopping mission successfully.
It was quite scary still, so if you’re a female travelling solo in South Korea, make sure to double-check the map or confirm your destination with the bus driver, just to be safe.
6. Leaving my phone at the airport security checkpoint
People often say I’m clumsy and forgetful, but leaving my phone at a security checkpoint for 20 whole minutes without realising? That was a first.
It happened at Incheon Airport. While going through security, I forgot to place my phone in the tray with my other belongings, so I had to quickly toss it into a separate container. After that, I completely forgot about it and proceeded to clear immigration without a second thought.
My friends and I were about to split up to do some duty-free shopping, until I felt something was missing in my pocket. That’s right, I left my phone at the security checkpoint! I rushed back into the immigration office for help. Luckily, the immigration officers were kind enough to let me go back to retrieve my phone. And thankfully, my phone was still there, safe and sound.
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Despite all the chaos and (occasional) panics, it’s moments like these that make a trip truly unforgettable. I will always remember the unexpected snowfall, and the night I took the bus in the wrong direction whenever someone asks about my first trip to South Korea. When mishaps happen during your travels, embrace them with an open heart. You’ll realise that everything works out in the end, and you’ll even make funny memories that will last a lifetime!
All images are credited to Cecelia Chang.
