Two of our boys are South Korean. We traveled to Seoul 15 years ago and this made me long to return! Also, PLEASE don't give being cooler another moment of your time. You're perfectly Jenna. (Cool is so boring.)
Such a lovely trip! I lived in Seoul for about 3 years and I have never had enough of the amazing cafés and stationery shops. I wish I was more into painting and all when I was living there, but oh well, we can always go back, can we? :P
Glad you enjoyed and 100% agree on the medicine from the Korean pharmacy, I had the same in my very first trip and that cured my soul! haha
Your work trip/vacation sounds like a dream. Really made me miss my time living in Koreatown in LA. There was a Titanic themed restaurant! And so many tasty French/Korean fusion baked goods. Not so many stationary shops though... But I was literally only ever a block away from a matcha-or-coffee selling establishment. Loved this travel log. Thanks for letting us share the time with you!
This was an amazing travel diary! I loved the pictures immensely; seeing the food, drinks, and stores was so fun. I think, out of everything, what interested me the most was the self-serve stationary store. I’d never heard of anything like this! Did the owners have precautions in place to prevent theft, or did they simply trust their customers to pay?
Right?! It's a culture thing. So respectful. When I figured out that the shop was completely unmanned, I couldn't believe it. I'm sure there are cameras, but it really was just a system of trust! Watched a guy go in, pick a card, sit at the desk, write it, mail it, pay, and leave.
I delighted in every word and savored every photo of this post! I feel as though Korea is about experience a surge of visitors inspired by Feeling!
AND a moment to thank you for showing up with what brings you joy and creating authenticity, Jenna. You’re both a creative inspiration as well as someone who I believe many of us would love to be friends with. I think there is nothing cooler than that! Thanks for being here 💛💛💛💛
I’m majoring in mechanical engineering! I just wanted to say that your writing about creativity and finding joy in even the mundane parts of life is so inspiring to me
Two of our boys are South Korean. We traveled to Seoul 15 years ago and this made me long to return! Also, PLEASE don't give being cooler another moment of your time. You're perfectly Jenna. (Cool is so boring.)
You are the sweetest for this reminder. Thank you, Shannan. Also, how wonderful! That must have been so special to go with them!
I lived in Seoul 2010-2012 and I feel homesick seeing all your photos! It’s such a magical place, thank you for sharing ❤️
Ah, thank you for reading! Glad the photos captured the feeling of home for you. What a lovely place to be.
I loved the structure of this essay! It reminded me of a captain’s log!
Aye, thank ye skipper.
Such a lovely trip! I lived in Seoul for about 3 years and I have never had enough of the amazing cafés and stationery shops. I wish I was more into painting and all when I was living there, but oh well, we can always go back, can we? :P
Glad you enjoyed and 100% agree on the medicine from the Korean pharmacy, I had the same in my very first trip and that cured my soul! haha
This looked and sounded like such a lovely trip.
Oh it all looks so beautiful and peaceful!
I had to know what it was!!! https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20260421/imperfect-yet-charming-ugly-pony-bread-goes-viral-in-korea
Your work trip/vacation sounds like a dream. Really made me miss my time living in Koreatown in LA. There was a Titanic themed restaurant! And so many tasty French/Korean fusion baked goods. Not so many stationary shops though... But I was literally only ever a block away from a matcha-or-coffee selling establishment. Loved this travel log. Thanks for letting us share the time with you!
HA! Thank you for this extremely important research! Ugly Pony Bread is better than I knew it could be.
And living in Koreatown sounds dreamy. You’d never be far from coffee or delicious food, certainly.
Such a gorgeous trip!
It was very inspiring! Grateful to have gone!
The stationery is soooo good! 🤤 I was in Japan last year and felt a piece of me stayed there, adding Korea to my list ASAP! 😍
I think you would really love it!
What a DREAMY trip! Loved being with you every step of the way :)
Thanks, Olivia :)
This was an amazing travel diary! I loved the pictures immensely; seeing the food, drinks, and stores was so fun. I think, out of everything, what interested me the most was the self-serve stationary store. I’d never heard of anything like this! Did the owners have precautions in place to prevent theft, or did they simply trust their customers to pay?
Right?! It's a culture thing. So respectful. When I figured out that the shop was completely unmanned, I couldn't believe it. I'm sure there are cameras, but it really was just a system of trust! Watched a guy go in, pick a card, sit at the desk, write it, mail it, pay, and leave.
I delighted in every word and savored every photo of this post! I feel as though Korea is about experience a surge of visitors inspired by Feeling!
AND a moment to thank you for showing up with what brings you joy and creating authenticity, Jenna. You’re both a creative inspiration as well as someone who I believe many of us would love to be friends with. I think there is nothing cooler than that! Thanks for being here 💛💛💛💛
Oh I hope so! I would love for everyone to go be inspired by Korea! Should we take a field trip?!
And thank you, this means more to me than you know, Melanie!
Loved reading this so much! I've wanted to visit Korea forever, but now I *really* want to see it, the wanderlust has got me hard
It is really a wonderful place to visit. It's got all the fun of a big city, but feels so peaceful.
Wow, Seoul has been at the top of my travel list for a while but I had no idea it was a stationary mecca! Saving all these places thank you
Card, prints, stickers, journals...everything you could dream of!
I can’t believe you were briefly in Princeton! I’m a student there and a big fan of your Substack so it was so crazy to see worlds collides in a way
I LOVE the Princeton area! So fun you get to be there! What are you studying?
I’m majoring in mechanical engineering! I just wanted to say that your writing about creativity and finding joy in even the mundane parts of life is so inspiring to me
Aw! Thank you, Katherine! I so appreciate it. And WOW mechanical engineering!!! Incredible
Come back guys! Our kids are still mentioning you at least once a day. Loved reading through this and miss you already!
Tell them we miss them too!