Anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with cherry blossoms and have been since I was very young. I remember visiting my grandmother’s house growing up and staring out the window into her backyard each spring admiring the beauty of the blossoming trees in bursts of pink and white wishing they could stay that way all year round.
Korea has some incredible cherry blossoms, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of living so close to Japan during this magical time of year. Luckily for me I have some friends who were willing to take a quick weekend to indulge in a bit of Japanese culture.
We left early Saturday morning and arrived in Kyoto in the afternoon. After a quick bowl of ramen and some caffeine we were ready to take on the rain and start exploring.
The three of us walked from our charming Airbnb through the streets of Kyoto to Maruyama Park. Along the way we found a temple and a small river covered by the sakura which allowed absolutely picture perfect photo opportunities. Once arriving at the park we took our time to wander the winding pathways soaking in all of the blooms including this unbelievable centerpiece of the park.
After a few hours in the rain we decided to hunker down in a little wine café. Not the most traditional of choices, but it’s hard to turn down an evening of wine and cheese.
The following day we went straight to Nishiki Market to pick up some souvenirs and a little breakfast, and then we were on our way to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. While the shrine didn’t have many cherry blossoms it was definitely a priority of the weekend.
I’d seen tons photos of the shrine prior to our visit, however I was completely unaware of how huge this site is. I had imagined there being just a few rows of the incredible orange gates, but it turned out that there were miles of them. The shrine spans over acres of land going up and down a mountain in a hike that can take hours if you choose to walk the entire way. We spent about a two hours exploring before having to leave to make our flight back to Korea and work Monday morning.
Though it was a short trip, it was so worth it to see the blossoms and the culture of Japan in spring.
. . .
Just about a year ago a group of friends and I headed south for a weekend of festivals. We spent Saturday in Jinhae for the 
We woke up Sunday morning in Busan which was incredible enough on its own. Busan is a seaside city and always makes me feel like I’m in California rather Korea. It has a much more laid-back vibe than up north were we live.
Once everyone in our group picked up their color packets we ventured into the mass of people celebrating. Indian music was blasting, people were dancing, and color was everywhere. There were hundreds of people, some tourists, some fellow expats, and many transplants from India who were more than happy to share their culture with us; pulling anyone into the circle that seemed to be drifting away.
{Day Three}
On my last day in HCM I decided to take advantage of the hotel’s rooftop pool and spent the morning swimming and relaxing before taking to the streets to explore the side of the city I hadn’t yet been to.
There happened to be a little street fair on one of the side streets next to the post office which was the perfect place to waste an hour while I was waiting for the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica to open. I took some time to enjoy the beautiful church before it was time to grab a little caffeine and head to the airport and back to Korea. While it was a brief trip, it was an excellent way to spend a few days off from work and see an entirely new country.
After a wonderful
The hour or so journey there was actually pretty cool. As we traveled along we passed by small houses and tons of fishing boats. It was interesting to see the rural side of the country even if it was just for a brief moment. I found myself wondering what it would be like to live in one of the tiny riverside homes we passed.
Just weeks after beginning the new semester at school Chuseok weekend was upon us, and that meant the perfect reason to travel. Chuseok is essentially Korean Thanksgiving, and it allowed us a full five days off of work. While 
The morning started with a walk alongside the Saigon River and a shopping trip to the Binh Tay Market. I’d done a lot of research on the various markets in HCMC as markets tend to be my favorite travel experiences regardless of the city. I’d heard a lot about the Ben Thanh market and that it could be a bit touristy where as Binh Tay was where the locals shopped. I had plans to visit both, but Binh Tay would be first.
Once I made it inside the market I was greeted by two floors of a seemingly endless number of stalls with floor to ceiling merchandise including almost anything you could imagine. I spent hours walking from end to end and in between the countless stalls.
I toured this unexpected pagoda for another hour and then ventured back out to the street where I found a little side street market. Up until finding this street I’d been somewhat surprised about what Ho Chi Minh looked like. Of course, I’d seen pictures of the European style buildings, but being in Vietnam I still expected to see hundreds of older women wearing conical hats which seemed to be non-existent. Until I found this market that is.
After a few wonderful days in Jeju City, our vacation was dwindling down to just two more days. We had a few things left on our to-do list, one of which was visiting Manjanggul Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage sight that is a cave formed from a lava tunnel.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a vine covered staircase entrance into the cave. We followed along the one kilometer path through the lava tunnel enjoying the chilly climate that was so different from the sweltering streets of Jeju.
Our last day started with us packing our bags and quickly dropping them off at the airport before catching a cab to the beach to soak in some sun before boarding our flight that evening. We had an incredible cab driver pick us up who tried his absolute best to communicate with us in his broken English and we attempted our best broken Korean. Though we had to act out words for ‘beach’ and ‘swimming’, he had no problems telling us his opinions of what was at the time the upcoming 2017 presidential election.
After a few days 
Once we had taken 100 or so photos we decided to leave the refreshing mists of the falls and start making our way to Sanbanggulsa Temple.
In my travels I must have visited dozens of various temples at this point, but each one grabs my attention in a new way. They are so beautiful and feel so sacred and offer such an interesting insight into the beliefs of those who follow the respective religion.
Finally it was summer vacation. One thing I’ll say about Korea is that there’s a descent amount of public holidays, but they really don’t space them out efficiently. I joyfully boarded the small plane that would be taking some friends and I to 
We knew that the Cheonjiyeon Waterfall was within walking distance and at some places could even hear it. Finding it was another task entirely though. We walked around the island following maps and street signs for what felt like hours. Eventually we made it to the park for the falls, where we walked along the path stumbling upon little bits of character all the way.
After lunch our group split up. One friend and I decided to brave the 90 degree heat and walk the town. Along our way we found a bustling street market and a charming café filled with vintage books and tropical leaves on each stainless steel table top. I also had the best coconut ice of my life.
bbm travels 