Outside Seoul: Jeju Island

This past weekend, I took a spontaneous leap to go to Jeju Island with a group of eight other international students from my university. Just three days before we were to depart, I became the ninth and final addition, which led to a speedy night of booking tickets and sorting out finances. This excursion was definitely a major step out of my comfort zone because of my lack of familiarity with those I traveled with, though, a surprisingly easy decision, still; I subconsciously knew it'd be deeply beneficial to my personal growth and connections to other students studying at Konkuk. Overall, the experience became one that will remain unmatched for some time, with both the sights to see and memories made likely to remain as experiences that I'll never forget.

Thursday, Sept. 17

Thursday was our main travel and settle-in day. We all arrived and took our flight to Jeju at around six in the evening, landing on the island just an hour later. We gathered everyone together at the host airport and headed straight to the car rental site. Lucky for us, one of the students was old enough and licensed to drive a rental car. This proved to make an enormous difference in our ability to travel as a group and do the things we all wanted to do without having to worry about some of the limitations of public transportation. After we loaded into our rental car, we headed to the Airbnb just outside the main city of Jeju, unpacked our luggage, admired the beautiful level of the house we'd booked and skedaddled off to Emart (the Walmart of Korea) to get groceries and supplies for our stay. After we returned, many were tired and went to bed while the other half of us stayed up, chatted and played a few card games. This was my first time really getting to know most of the people in the group.

Friday, Sept. 18

Friday, our first full day on the island, started off really early at around 6 a.m. Initially, this was going to be the day we were to hike Hallasan, a mountain in the region. Unfortunately, the weather decided to push that plan out of our minds. Rain resulted in the trails being closed, altering our plans from hiking to sightseeing. Therefore, we decided to visit Jeju Stone Park. The rainy weather genuinely upgraded this experience from a typical stone park, making the structures look like scenes straight out of a dramatic, eerie film. It was incredibly atmospheric and beautiful.

After our lengthy time at the park, we made a quick pit stop at a nearby famous crater before heading off to one of the traditional villages. Here, we enjoyed Korean barbecue in a local restaurant. The group ordered and tried Jeju Black pork for the first time. Following this, we took a short trip to Seongeup Folk Village, where we walked for some time and even spoke to one of the residents, who gave a short tour and some context behind the buildings, their uses and some of the products that are produced there.

The day didn't stop there. After our visit to the folk village, we squished back into the car and drove to Seopjikoji Coast, where we sat by the water, watched the waves and admired the moody atmosphere created by the cloudy day and surreal cliffs. Finally, we headed back to our Airbnb, where we enjoyed Korean spicy chicken stew made by one of our lovely group members! We stayed up late in the night chatting, playing games and enjoying each other's company.

Saturday, Sept. 19

Saturday was no short day either, though we did all end up sleeping in later than we admittedly wanted to. Our day began with an hour-long swim at Jungmun Saekdal Beach, which was then followed by a quick stop at a tangerine cafe–Jeju is famous for its tangerines–along our way to Cheonjiyeon waterfall. Following our excursion to the waterfall, we all felt pretty hungry and decided we should try a nearby food market. Though limited in my ability to try most entrees, I was able to taste fruit mochi and toasted marshmallow ice cream, which were both quite delicious.

Sunday, Sept. 20

Sunday was the last day for half of our group, so we were more limited on time. Therefore, we all went and visited another beach — Hyeopjae Beach — which ended up being my favorite one out of the two because of how clear and beautiful the water was. From here, the group split in two, with one party visiting the Jeju Hello Kitty World Museum and the other party visiting Sanbangsan Mountain. We weren't able to stay long because of the time constraints of those who needed to get to the airport, but the view we received was still extremely unforgettable. Luckily, I was one of the people who decided to stay the extra day, so I spent my night lazing around and getting good rest for the events of the next day, which we decided would be the hike we unfortunately couldn't do on day one: the hike at Hallasan.

Monday, Sept. 21

The hike at Hallasan took roughly 10 hours. There were definitely spots that were quite rough because of the steepness, especially on our way up, but once we arrived at the top, it was fantastical. We were above the clouds. We stayed up at the summit for a good two hours, napping and enjoying the view. With time, the clouds dispersed and revealed the coast all around us; we truly felt like we were on an island. Thankfully, the hike down was significantly easier, and the entire experience was worth every second, even if I still feel the lingering pain and soreness to this day. Due to the smaller size of the group, this activity was truly a highlight of the trip because it was one of the main moments where I felt I was able to grow a little closer to and get more personal with the individuals I spent time with.

Ultimately, my experience traveling to Jeju Island, as cliché as it might sound, truly did change me. Not only did it make me appreciate the insane and indescribable sights of nature, but the instance that brought me to the island — my spontaneous joining with a group I had not previously known — helped me grow as an individual. I made connections with people who I likely wouldn't have met or talked to much otherwise, and these connections seem likely to be ones I maintain throughout my continued time here.