My First SeoulMates Experience at Gyeongbokgung Palace!

As I climbed the stairs from Gyeongbokgung station, I wondered with nervous anticipation what my SeoulMate and fellow CIEE peers would be like. Future me writing this blog post is smiling at the idea that I was even worried in the first place. I had the best time at my first SeoulMates meeting!

Firstly, shout out to our SeoulMate, 아영씨! She truly made the experience so heartwarming, welcoming, and fun for everyone!

We started the day off by dressing in Hanbok, which guarantees a free entrance into Gyeongbokgung Palace. Now, to share some of my thoughts, I know that there is a bit of a debate on foreigners wearing Hanbok, and to tell you the truth, I used to be one of those foreigners who wasn’t planning on wearing Hanbok out of respect for the culture considering that I am not Korean. However, I think it all depends on your intentions and whether they are well-meaning. Because I am Nicaraguan, we do have traditional dresses as well. When I thought of it differently, such as seeing a non-Nicaraguan person wearing a traditional Nicaraguan dress, I wouldn’t think much of it! In fact, I would be super happy to see them wearing something so important to my culture. Thinking of it in that way and appreciating and respecting the culture for what it truly is can make a great experience overall. However, I understand it is entirely up to that person’s preference and what they are comfortable with. In addition, if you are feeling a bit nervous at first, almost everyone at the palace is dressed in Hanbok, so hopefully, you’ll feel a part of the crowd!

I ended up stepping outside my comfort zone and decided to wear a Hanbok. It was gorgeous and elegant! Although it was sweltering and sunny that day, because of the dress’s flowy nature, I didn’t sweat as much as I thought I would have!

Many people, from older adults to children, wore different types of colorful Hanbok. Some kids even ran along the palace stones. Fun fact: you may notice that the stones are uneven, which were made for various reasons, and one is to avoid running. But kids will be kids!

Nevertheless, witnessing the awe-inspiring architecture of the palace left me undecided whether to fully take it in or snap as many photos as possible. Safe to say, I ended up doing both! And yes, I had to upgrade my storage due to the sheer number of photos I’ve been taking!

After taking tons of photos with my SeoulMate group, we decided to head out for lunch. We ended up eating at 옛날국수 맛집, which had delicious food, but most importantly, the lady serving us was the nicest! She noticed we were hungry and gave us extra broth as we downed the soup.

Lastly, we had a quick cafe stop before departing back to campus. Shout out to Kuma’s Coffee for the cutest einspanners I have ever seen!

And that was my first SeoulMates excursion! I hope you enjoyed reading, and I highly recommend that if you ever get the opportunity, please visit Gyeongbokgung Palace as well as take a quick stop at 옛날국수 맛집 and Kuma’s Coffee (쿠마커피)!

Happy Adventuring!