Catching Up on Some Chores

I woke up feeling great. This was the first real day of my vacation, and I was ready to make the most of it. Before heading to Taiwan, I still have plenty of things I want to get done — a mix of planning, preparation, and some more enjoyable activities too. I started the morning by updating my finances. I had neglected them for a few weeks, and I was dreading the task of matching credit card charges to actual activities… but thankfully, this blog turned out to be the perfect memory aid.

Once that was finished, I squeezed in a quick gym session, shaved, did my hair, and headed out for a full day of picture-taking.

Picture Day

I thought it would be fun to document this trip with a professional photoshoot — something that captures how I felt during my time here (and something that would make my mom happy, of course). I wanted to highlight the three main parts of my stay in Seoul: immersing myself in Korean culture, building a temporary work-life here while working remotely, and adventuring through the city.

A fellow digital nomad recommended a photographer, (Jazmin)[https://www.instagram.com/jazzinseoul_snap/], so I reached out to her on Instagram and we set a date.

At the moment of writing this, I don’t have the fully edited shots yet, but I’ll share them as soon as they come in.

Korean Culture — Hanbok at Gyeongbokgung

It’s a popular activity here to rent a hanbok, the traditional Korean outfit, and take photos at one of Seoul’s palaces. Rental shops surround the area, and you even get free palace entry if you’re wearing one. The grounds are always filled with girls in colorful flowing dresses and their boyfriends trailing behind as amateur photographers.

I met Jazmin at the rental shop she recommended. I immediately found a style I liked, and got dressed. The attendant had a bit of trouble finding shoes in my size, but the rest went smoothly.

At first I felt a little uncomfortable — my cheeks were already hurting from all the smiling — but after a while we found a rhythm that worked for both of us.

When we were satisfied with the shots, we headed back to the rental shop, changed, and took what was probably the most crowded bus I’ve ever been on back to my hotel.

Working Remotely — Dress Shirt in the Office

Next, I wanted to capture my remote-working life here in Seoul. We brainstormed a few potential locations but settled on the lounge at my hotel. It has great views, feels the most realistic, and — importantly — is the most convenient. We started an hour later than planned, but this actually worked in our favor, because we caught the sunset, the glowing skyline, and the quiet atmosphere of the later hours.

Jazmin told me to “pretend work,” but instead I ended up actually working on this blog, which made the shots feel more natural.

Going Adventuring — Tourist Fit in the Neon Streets of Euljiro

The third pillar of this trip was adventure. I wanted to capture my more adventurous side — something that shows me “conquering” the city. Jazmin knew a perfect spot in Euljiro, full of tiny restaurants, narrow alleys, crowds, and lots of neon. Exactly the vibe I wanted.

This was the hardest shoot of the day. We were both pretty tired by then, and the constant flow of people made it tricky to catch the right moments. We tried multiple angles and spots; now I’m just excited to see how they all turn out.

After we wrapped up the final shots, I thanked Jazmin for her time — both personally and financially — and we parted ways.

Myeongdong Food Market

Myeongdong was only a short walk away, and the last time I passed by there was a huge street food market. I hadn’t eaten much all day in preparation, so I wanted to check off some more local specialties. I bought the first thing that looked good and kept moving from stall to stall, ordering something new each time I finished the last.

While I was ordering a snack, some commotion suddenly broke out right behind me. A small group of young men was being escorted by security guards, followed by a cluster of teenage girls with their phones out. As soon as the group slipped into one of the smaller side streets, the security team — around eight of them — formed a barricade and waved the crowd away. After asking around, I found out it was TWS, a six-member boy group that debuted last year. They were there for the opening of a clothing store, doing some promotional work. The fan girls slowly dispersed, and the rest of the people around me were chuckling at the absurdity of the whole situation. It all happened far too quickly for me to get a picture, but I’m counting it as a cultural sighting anyway.

After that little incident, I kept trying different street foods until I ran out of cash — then called it a day.

Having someone follow you around all day taking photos is a strange experience, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how the pictures turn out. I’m sure my mom will love them.