CIEE: Top trips to go when teaching aboard 

The best thing to look forward to when a long weekend or break comes up when teaching aboard is the opportunity to travel around, discover new places, and have fun. There are different types of trips to take when teaching aboard. You can take one for a weekend getaway, one for just a day, or one to another country. Disclaimer: I have yet to travel outside South Korea, but I will share where I plan to travel to the next long weekend. I will tell you about some places in South Korea that I have traveled to. 

Weekend Trip/Solo Trip: Seoul

Even though I wouldn't choose to live in this city, it is a trendy spot for tourists and natives. There are many fun activities and attractions. I recommend visiting Seoul during the holidays because more events will be centered around the holiday than in small cities. I visited Seoul during the weekend just before Halloween. This was a solo trip, and I only had to pack a backpack. However, I recommend getting a second bag or luggage if you want to bring back some souvenirs or do excessive shopping. A good rule of thumb if you plan on going to another city in South Korea is to bring luggage that is easy to carry, especially if you are planning a solo trip. The one thing I would change about this trip is to research more about what activities were around during my time there. Another rule of thumb is that research is essential. Please search for events, attractions, and activities to avoid wondering what to do. I had a perfect time visiting Korea's most popular amusement park, Lotte World, located inside Lotte Mall. I got to enjoy a beautiful musical about Dracula's love.

 I got to drink some delicious blood strawberry lemonade. I even participated in the popular trend of uniform fittings. It is a popular activity to do when you are in an amusement park. I even took the opportunity to dress up as one of my favorite characters. So if you are looking for a fun, festive celebration, I recommend buying a ticket to spend in the world of Lotte. The most unique cafe I visited was Get That Shot, an Instagram picture dream. This cafe is designed to have different rows dedicated to color; you can enjoy a beverage and take pictures with each color row. It is one of the most creative cafe themes that I have seen. 
 

Day Trip/ Group Trip: Hanok village 

Hanbok villages are traditional Korean villages that tourists can visit to enjoy the many shops and restaurants and to rent a Korean Hanbok dress. Depending on where you are located in Korea, you can search the nearest hanbok village. It is a perfect opportunity to learn more about the rich culture of Korea and try uniquely pleasant dishes. I recommend visiting a hanbok village for the day because there is so much to explore and you can get through the whole day, which is full of activities. I took a day trip to Jeonju village with my coworkers from my elementary school, which is 2 hours away from Yeosu by car. I rented a hanbok to wear around for four hours with my coworkers. Hanbok is a traditional Korean garment; you can wear it around the village. There are many colors and styles of dresses to choose from. It was very comfortable, and I wore a cute winter vest that matched my dress. I also got my hair braided by the worker. It is essential to look for a shop that offers service in English; it will usually have a sign saying foreigners welcome. We walked around the village, learned more about the village's history, and took cute pictures. It has a calm atmosphere, like traveling back in time. We looked around the village to drink at a hanbok cafe with a perfect spot to take a picture above the beautiful village. We also visited a shop that sold postcards made by a local artist. For dinner, we ate at a restaurant that served hamburger steak meat, and we ended the trip by drinking lattes at another cafe. I am grateful that I had my coworkers with me because they helped me translate for the hanbok worker and made the experience more enjoyable. 

Another country trip from South Korea: Japan 

Perhaps you want to travel outside Korea for your trip; Japan is a top-rated destination. Japan is very close to Korea so that it won't be a long plane ride. The journey is no more than 2 hours long. That is like taking a plane from California to Texas. I can say the only problem is that the only airports that have international flights are located in Seoul and Busan. If you're like me and are located in a city about 3 hours away, you will have to spend a couple of hours just getting to the airport. Another transportation method you can take is a ferry in Busan that takes you to Osaka. This transportation is cheaper than a plane ride, but the condition depends on the weather and sometimes can be unreliable. I don't recommend this transportation if you have motion sickness. If you are traveling to another country, I recommend traveling with a group or someone who has been there before. This could be with friends, a tour group, or even family. It is always important to be safe when traveling, especially for female travelers. It doesn't hurt to have a friendly face around on your journey. It is also good to apply for traveler insurance in an emergency when you go to Japan. Remember, when I say that research is essential to traveling, it can also help you respect the country you are traveling to. Researching basic etiquette and unspoken rules can help you pay respect to how people live. It will also help you get around your trip by having basic sentences. Unlike Korea, Japan doesn't use a lot of English for their communication. Also, when searching for restaurants, shops, and attractions in Japan, you will get more results if you search them in Japanese rather than English. 

Of course, I am no travel expert and have only visited a few places around South Korea. However, I have learned a few things from visiting these places. The most important thing is researching ahead of time because I will admit, though, that I knew I was in a new place; I was just so overwhelmed with the possibility of choices and the lack of knowledge of any events I would be interested in. Also, this is an essential piece of advice I would like to give you: travel for you and not for other people. I know that sometimes when we see other people traveling around, we feel we need to travel. I can guarantee that it will not feel fulfilling if you only travel alone because you want to show other people you are traveling. Initially, I wanted to travel to Seoul with a group. However, most of the people I asked were either busy or had other plans for that weekend. I will not lie; I felt discouraged about going to Seoul, but I wanted to visit Seoul, and I am glad I went by myself. I plan on traveling to Japan, hopefully with my friend who has already visited Japan. Whether it is for a weekend getaway, a day trip, or traveling to another country, it is always essential to have a personal interest in the destination. It will make your trip more memorable, and you can build a deeper connection with the memories that you make. Also, safety is an essential factor when traveling. Make sure you have an emergency contact and look up the emergency services where you are.