My Favorite Place in South Korea

“Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”

― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

Aside from Girls Generation, there was nothing about South Korea that I liked. I am not fond of watching Korean dramas and I think Koreans in the Philippines are rude, loud, and annoying. I actually can't remember the reason why I agreed to book a flight to Incheon last June, probably just out of pure fandom of Chyng Reyes. 

Then a month after, a fateful day came and I met the most amazing guy in El Nido who happened to be Korean. I fell in love with him but he eventually broke my heart so it just made things worst between me and the land of BB creams.

And as if a broken heart is not enough, I had a hard time getting my Korean visa (because of the not-so-responsible HR personnel from the company I work for). I almost gave up on this trip and I already planned a random escapade to Nepal or Batanes, thinking that South Korea and myself are not meant to be. But destiny and it's odd sense of humor let things fell in to place and made this trip push through.

I thought that by going to Korea, I could reclaim my heart from the Korean guy that stole it away from me but South Korea ended up captivating my mind, body, and my whole being instead. 

I love everything about South Korea. 

My friends complained about the food and long walks but those are the things I enjoyed the most. I love the fact that a person could live healthy while in the city. Unlike in Manila, finding a restaurant that serves heaps of fresh vegetables is not hard in Seoul. The Koreans are very helpful and courteous. Even those who don't understand English are still very friendly. I think they are generally people who are happy with their lives. I love the fact that their old palaces are well preserved amidst the modern buildings surrounding it. If it was in Manila, the palaces would have been replaced by an SM Supermall already.

My friends said that amongst all of the places we visited in South Korea, their favorite place is Jeju but for me it is somewhere else.

My most favorite place in South Korea is in between his arms. With his hands on my waist and my forehead on his chest. Where I breathe in what he breathe out. That peaceful place where I don't have to worry about anything, a place where I am sure I am happy. A point where I could closely hear the beating of his heart. A beat that I long to hear. His heartbeat that brings warmth to my soul and gives hope that maybe, just maybe, one day it will sing the same rhythm as mine. But I know it is a game I lost long ago. 

I put the hanbok-wearing couple figurine from him with my check-in luggage and this is how they looked like when I opened the box after arriving in Manila. I decided to leave them that way.

I will not be opening this box for a while, or I may not open it ever. Maybe it is destiny playing tricks on me again but it is about time that I take back the control. I've been love drunk for too long, now I have to face the hangover. It will not be easy, I know, but it is something I have to endure to get my mind and my life back on track. 

This is the third time that I bid you goodbye and this will be the last. I will be forever thankful for having been given the chance to know you and have you change the way I travel. You are an interesting arc but your story ends here. It is time for me to let go and move forward -- away from my favorite place.


The South Korea Series:
Itinerary and Expenses for Seven Days and Six Nights in South Korea 
10 Things To Do in South Korea
My Favorite Place in South Korea