7/11/19 - 2 of 1,000 checked, 998 more to go...

Day 25. When you lug around a 10-pound book on a year-long trek, you most certainly better read it! It is critical to justify that kind of weight with the varying and frustrating baggage limitations we have faced; I’m convinced airlines have a secret competition over who can frustrate their passengers more. Each airline tries to outdo the last sending us its last-minute tizzy while we stuff, shed, pack, roll every item in our plethora of luggage. I’m convinced by the year’s end, I’ll shed my belongings so much that I’ll be only carrying dental floss and my iPhone to appease them!

So I’m happy to report that today I used the heavy book and we covered 2 of the 1,000 Places To See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz.

The first was the Royal Palaces of Josdeon Dynasty which was first built in 1392 and later restored and rebuilt. We notice that several young people - more than 200 in fact - were dressed in authentic beautifully designed outfits of Korean tradition called hanboks. Our amazing tour guide Jade shares that for young people it is customary to visit the palace wearing the costumes of various Asian countries. For me, I’m overcome with the the joint feeling of joy /panic — as I realize the beauty of this moment being in this spectacularly significant place while simultaneously realizing I’m terribly underdressed!

We visit the National Folk Museum where we learn various life moment traditions of the Korean people. Our favorite is the career predication at one’s first birthday party. The baby - who might be crawling or walking at the time - is placed on a table with several items - coin, pen, stethoscope, etc. The item the baby grativiates to is the career prediction for the child. Coin for banker, pen for author — ah, you get the point.

The buildings of the Royal Palaces are brightly painted and surrounded by stone statues of various animals. We learn that around 1400s the Korean language was developed in 40 years right in that center where scholars lived and worked on the project.

After the palace, we are taken to an amazing street known as the Antique Market with stores with amazing offerings. Clothes made of breathable linens. Gorgeous artwork. We see a craftsman take a single strand of honey and stretches it over and over for several minutes to develop more than 16,000 strands include a sweet treat called chocolate honey tail.

Later for dinner, we sojourn to the second of the 1,000 must-sees. Seouls’ Design Boom! Apparently, some International organization of Industrial design named Seoul the World’s Design Capital in 2010, so design, architecture and comtemporary everything is important in Korea. We experience such where our National Children’s Chorus Welcome Dinner is held - the Floating Island Convention Center. The room is filled with 360 participants which include staff, choral members, volunteers, chaperones and family members. Its a room filled with joy, excitement, and bodning as we meet NCC folks from LA, DC and New York on this 12 day tour.

As the night falls, the building offers us a rainbow light show and there are several Instagram-worthy displays strategically placed around. The dinner offers us another amazing buffet meal with so many Korean dishes to try. Kyle is partial to the Kimchi, a spicy cabbage dish which we learn is the staple in school lunches.

I flip more through the book learning that, on past trips, I have already visited several of the 1,000 sites. But then I think to myself, how both aspirational and incredibly de-motivating this book title is! Now who could possibly visit all 1,000 and are you a failure if you only visit 1 or 2 before the end of your life? Of course not. What’s wrong with just sitting at your closest beach with a margarita for your precious vacation days - and should one feel guilty of such? Of course not. My big question is….. Has Patricia Schultz (the author) visited them all? I decided I simply am not going to make Patricia’s suggestions my personal travel bucket list as travel IS personal …. but I’ll be excited if I hit 100 of her suggestions before I kick the bucket. Don’t need to be an overachiever here, you know?

To save weight in my luggage, I’ve now purchased her book’s online version so I can equally ignore Ms. Schultz’s suggestions in the digital version. Seriously, though, each day on this journey so far (Day 25), I wake up feeling so grateful for this opportunity for me and my family.