You Don’t Always Have to Leave the City: How I filled my Holiday Weekend Staying in Seoul

When you are studying abroad, there is a lot of pressure to make the most of it. Sometimes you will catch a bad case of FOMO (fear of missing out) when you see all of your classmates going to other countries for the holidays and long weekends. But traveling abroad can cost you, literally and metaphorically. As most people know, traveling during the holidays is already more expensive than during the off-season. But do not fear because there is so much to do and explore within your own study abroad country that you may not be able to do otherwise. 

This semester at Yonsei University, we had a five-day weekend at the beginning of May due to Children’s Day and Buddha’s birthday. During the long weekend, I knew many people who went to Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and More. There were also a lot of people who did a few days in Seoul and a few days outside of the city, and I would also suggest doing that to go to unique parts of the country. Looking back at how I spent that weekend, I slept a lot, went to a lot of pop-ups, enjoyed the Seoul Spring Fiesta, and so much more. So here are some of my highlights of how I spent my holiday weekend in Seoul: 

1. TXT/ Other K-pop Pop-up Events 

   Twitter and Weverse/ other fan platforms are a great tool to take a look at before your trip to Korea. The day before TXT released their Love Language single, they announced that they would be having a mini pop-up event and giving out balloons on their Instagram the day before. There are always things happening in the city with your favorite idols. 

   

2. Seoul Spring Fiesta 

   The Seoul Spring Fiesta is a festival put on to promote K-food, culture, music, and more. The Seoul spring fiesta starts off with the Seoul Wonder show that showcases a variety of K-pop groups, including: NCT Wish, The Boyz, KiiKii, Hearts Hearts, and so many more. There are tons of cultural events throughout the city to explore and enjoy!

   

3. Seoul Outdoor Library 

   If you have a good book, want to listen to music, or just enjoy the weather. The Seoul outdoor library is a great place to do all of that, solo or with friends. I enjoyed the outdoor library at Cheonggyecheon Stream for a couple of hours during my long weekend.

   

4. Enjoying live music and Busking 

   Throughout Seoul, there are so many places to enjoy live performances! Busking in Hongdae, Sinchon, and even some performances by the palaces always get me to stop, watch, and enjoy. I was able to see and hear a lot of live music from these neighborhoods as well as the Spring Fiesta Wonder Show. 

   

5. Trying new cafes and Bakeries 

   During the weekend, I found more time to try new bakeries, coffee shops, and look for and find some new food restaurants close to my dorm, and even in some not-so-popular neighborhoods. 

   

There is so much to see and do in Korea. I even had time to visit the Seoul Botanical Gardens, and see some new art instillations at DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza), and The Snickers Pop-up with Mingyu of SEVENTEEN in Seongsu. As I mentioned before, there are so many places to visit outside of the city, some of my favorite cities and day trips I have taken were to Gyeongju, Jeonju, Gangneung, Suwon, Busan, and even Incheon. The KTX will definitely be your friend during your study abroad, so make sure to use both the subway and train to make your way around the city and the country! As I entered into my second semester here in Korea I realized that the time you spend living in a new country is so special and truly is a once in a lifetime time experience so really take the time to go and explore the hidden gems, and hard to get to location of your home away from home during your time abroad.