Goodbye to Seoul

Ending the Korea arc with feelings, not thoughts

Author

Timothy Huang
August 03, 2025

Sunday, 6:58am
Orlando, Florida

Hello from the land of gators in Orlando, Florida! 🐊 

On Friday, I flew out of Seoul and back to the US for a two-week stop to see family and friends.

When I first arrived in Seoul, it was hard to avoid comparing Korea to Japan and Taiwan, given their cultural and geographic similarities. But over time, I noticed—and grew to love—many of the unique quirks of Korean culture:

  • Cafes that never open any earlier than 8am.

  • A widespread iced Americano dependency.

  • Weirdly well-curated playlists, even from your local ajumma.

  • A culture of directness—especially from older folks. If they’re annoyed, you’ll know.

  • “Healing fiction” is a genre. A very popular one.

  • You can buy groceries on a payment plan.

  • Hanok villages sit next to towering skyscrapers.

  • A global outlook, shaped by capitalism, trade, and a distinct national identity.

I thought for a while about how to share what my time in Seoul meant to me. But ultimately, I realized it wasn’t a thought. It was a feeling.

So instead of my usual journal-style reflections, I’ll keep it simple with a poem I jotted down this morning.

it was another summer of strong feelings
of cicadas, of language learning, of new friendships
of new routines—and striving, always striving—
for peace, for contentment

and in the moments where you can’t help
but be a hundred percent there
repeating after the teacher
laughing at a friend’s joke
sipping coffee in the morning, mid-conversation
ordering kimbap from ajumma

you live the peace

thank you, seoul
for another chance
to live freely and wholeheartedly 
to feel the joy of being
the joy of connection

to bring me closer
to whatever it is
i’ve been searching for
all along

Thanks again for following along 🙂 Those in the Bay—I hope I catch some of you while I’m there.

Until next time!
Tim

P.S. Cafes in Seoul deserve their own writeup. Shoutout to this bar / cafe which ChatGPT described as Playful Retro-Kitsch with a Neon Anime Twist.

Playful Retro-Kitsch with a Neon Anime Twist

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