The travel bug bit me at a very young age. So young that my very first childhood memory is putting on my rain boots and venturing to the bus stop all by myself, in the deepest depth of German winter—at the ripe age of not quite two years old. According to my mom, she had to pick me up there on several occasions.)

All my life, I enjoyed travelling, trying new foods, learning new things and meeting new people, despite being a certified couch potato and nerdiest nerd. My favourite memory to this day is a Blind Date that had me flying halfway across the Globe, from the German countryside to one of the biggest cities in the world, where I not only ended up traveling with a local garage band but also got my first tattoo (sorry, mom). The next trip I took me to the UK to learn the language, planning to be back within a few months. However, by sheer accident, I stumbled into a career and remained for sixteen years.

Korea entered my radar during that time, right at the beginning of the pandemic, when I watched Parasite and popped my K-pop cherry with BTS. My interest in country and culture grew, and I started devouring book after book by Korean and Korean-American authors. One of my favourite books until today is Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko. Once the world started to normalize and travel restrictions slowly disappeared, I felt the urge to explore the country with my own eyes.

Finally, in 2022, I booked my first venture to Seoul, thinking a week and a half would suffice to explore the city. How wrong I was! As soon as I returned home, I knew I needed to return, and I had to stay much longer. Yet, after having stayed for three months, I feel the same sentiment. Seoul, you captured my Soul!