South Korea Trip, August 4

Good morning Gangnam!  I woke up early at 5am because I am so excited to start this day.  Today will be another highlight day, possibly the most meaningful.  I will try to do a good job.

The weather is still overcast, but it's starting to clear up.  Of course, with the sun not being as blocked, the temperatures will rise. A high of 32°C -- that's 90°F for those back home in the USA -- is expected today.

Today's Agenda

Today is an extremely special day. I have wanted to do this day's activities for over a year. Because this afternoon is so important, I feel like I must spend the morning studying for it. It is very important to me that I do a good job.

• Study and prepare for my afternoon plans.
• Travel to Namyangju for Hyelin's birthday support project.
• Go out with friends to Oak-n-Odd restaurant.

Today's Experiences

Today was epic, but I'm also exhausted.  Half of me wishes that today will never end, and the other half of me is looking forward to sleep.

Travel to Namyangju

I left for Namyangju at noon.  Everything went well until I got to the intercity bus depot and got lost.  Because I was on a tight schedule, I used my "help me!" lifeline.  My friend got me back on track quickly.  Then I hopped on the intercity bus and left Seoul behind!

Outside of Seoul, the fanciness of South Korea diminished, but it was replaced with beautiful lush green forests and cute little gardens.  I was enjoying the ride very much.

The bus arrived at Namyangju too soon.  Maybe I should just take a ride through the countryside one day.  Today, I had plans.

Hyelin's Birthday Support Project

One of the two main reasons that I came to South Korea was to help with this project.  I will remember this fondly, and I hope that we made Hyelin very proud of us.  I think we did something good.

Unfortunately, I must keep the support project activities a secret for now.  It will be shared on YouTube in a couple of weeks by someone.  I don't want to spoil the surprise.

I do want to share an accomplishment I had while waiting for my friends to arrive.  I was thirsty, so I went into a cafe and asked for water in Korean.  The store staff and I chatted for a minute until my friends arrived.

Oak-n-Odd

Hyelin worked at the Oak-n-Odd restaurant after her contract was up, because she just needed something to get her out of the house every day.  She no longer works there, but it was nice to imagine what it was like when she did work there.

I ordered some delicious food, and my friends and I enjoyed it very much!

Going Home

After Oak-n-Odd and then coffee, my friends drove me most of the way home.

It was really nice to be around other LEGGOs (fans of EXID).  We listened to EXID's music almost exclusively, we talked about their show appearances, and we shared stories about interacting with them.

My friends dropped me off a few blocks from my place.  We said our goodbyes.  I already miss them.  I am looking forward to seeing them all again on the 13th.