How I'm keeping my favorite Japan and Korea travel vibes alive
One thing about traveling is the inevitable letdown when it’s over. I miss the sights, the food, the daily adventures.
So this time, after two weeks in Japan and Korea, I am trying something different. I’m finding ways to maintain what I loved in my daily routines.
Here are 5 things that are sticking with me:
Why shouldn’t cuteness be a lifestyle? From phone charms to cute tote bags to plushie purse keychains to celebrity cardboard cutouts that you can pose with on a street, there were sprinkles of cute everywhere. It made me wonder why there isn’t more of it in my life. Where are our cute cafés like the one in Seoul decorated with penguin plushies? Cute things make you smile, and that’s something we should get more of regardless of age or gender.
Cool and luxurious experiences can be accessible. The Villa Fontaine Grande onsen (hot springs baths) in Tokyo costs $35 and you can stay as long you want. It is beautifully designed and maintained as part of the hotel. In addition to baths, you can use the various sauna rooms, too. In Seoul, Rettre helps you craft your own perfume based on a memory you want to capture. You fill out a form asking you to describe a treasured photo in scents and feelings. The answers are used to choose scents, and your reactions to them are measured with a type of brain monitor. Then you’re given the formula for the perfume and you make it yourself. It was an incredibly fun experience for about $25! Now, whenever I use the perfume, I am not only reminded of the photo but of the trip. On the free end, from April-October, the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain in Seoul puts on a 20-minute water show set to music. It’s a wonderful public space to sit and relax.
Freshly prepared food should be affordable. At Whole Foods, the salad and hot food bar costs $11 per pound. A study just came out about how half of Americans are worried about rising grocery prices. So you’ll believe me when I say I nearly fell over when I saw at the local grocery store in Tokyo: 10 fresh dumplings for $3, 6 pieces of nigiri for about $5 (on discount because it was evening). And yes, the convenience store cuisine did not disappoint! For a few breakfasts, we had the pork or egg salad sandwiches for less than $3 each. At the I’m Donut store, which sells artisan donuts that people line up for, prices ranged from $1.50 to $3.25 per donut.
Worship your skin, not the sun. If you see someone walking around Kansas City on a sunny day under an umbrella and wearing arm sleeves, that’d likely be me. As hot as it is in Japan and Korea in July, I saw a lot of people in long sleeves and pants. Many used umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun. And as one who gets a rash from intense sunlight, seeing people in arm sleeves made me feel less self-conscious about wearing them. Skin care is a priority!
A culture of consideration is comforting. To keep the streets clean, Tokyo has very few public trash cans. So people learn to carry their own trash in backpacks or totes. It’s certainly an inconvenience — and trust when I say it got to the point when I would notice trash cans — but it’s one everyone manages for the greater good. On escalators, people automatically lined up on one side so those who wanted to walk up had a lane. In Seoul, on buses and subway trains, seats were marked with different colors for senior citizens and pregnant people. No matter how crowded it was, riders left these seats open. Being part of this general consideration for others soothed my soul.
With all this in mind, I’ve decided there are small ways to practice what I loved. I can appreciate the stranger who holds the door for me; I can wear pants and long sleeves in the summer; I can visit beautiful public spaces more; I can be better about making more fresh food; and I can add a charm to my phone.
This is how I’ll keep the travel vibes alive and the cuteness cute-ing.