Will be leaving for Seoul tonight, the beginning of my 88-days trip. “Why Korea?” A lot of friends have asked, to which I simply replied “Because I like it…”
It’s not quite the fact though. The irony is that Korea was not my first choice. None of the 60+ must-visit-before-I-died-places is located in Korea; and I would have picked Japan or China if it’s based on pure interest. So, why Korea?
I was eyeing East Asia to begin with; and I was interested to experience the living in a megacity for once despite the fact that I don’t really enjoy city life that much. Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo were the main candidates at that point.
I’m also hoping to experience winter and see some snow on the trip; these three cities fit the criteria anyway, so the weather is not much a factor.
Beijing was initially favoured because of ease of communication, but the Chinese capital was soon out of consideration after weighing in other factors, e.g. personal safety, internet access etc.
Tokyo turned hot favourite then. I’m always fond of the city; it’s probably the top city-to-go on my travel wish list. But travel visa is a huge tumbling block for Malaysians travellers who wish to stay in Japan for a prolong period.
On contrary I can visit Korea for 90 days without a visa; thus the Land of the Morning Calm (Korea that is) became the most likely destination against the odds.
The final factor that made Korea the place is the my tiny entrepreneur mindset. I’ve discovered a few things that’s worth exploring; if it works out as planned, the trip could be costless indirectly.
So, that’s the few reasons why Korea was picked for this trip. Nothing fancy, but circumstantial and opportunistic instead. It’s always an enjoyable thing though, to visit a new place and experience new stuff. Whatever reason it is… it’s going to be a fun trip regardless. Korea, here I come!
[Update] Arrived in Seoul, check out my first Seoul story.
