GW at the 2018 Olympics

Leading up to this trip, I had people asking me if I was going to do a DMZ tour. I honestly hadn't given it any thought and when I finally did the idea scared me (if you don't know, the DMZ or Demilitarized Zone is essentially a 4km border between North and South Korea). The more I looked into it and talked to people about it, though, the more intriguing it became and I decided I wanted to go. I looked into all my possible options and decided I wanted a DMZ/JSA tour and found one through the USO for a reasonable price.

The first stop on the tour was to the 3rd infiltration tunnel. Since the war ended, South Korea has found 4 tunnels that North Korea was in the process of making to use for a sneak attack on South Korea. As the name suggests, this is the 3rd tunnel that was found. Many South Koreans believe there are around 20 more tunnels that have yet to be discovered. Before you can enter the tunnel, you have to leave all bags and cell phones/cameras in a locker and go through security (no pictures are allowed in the tunnel for security reasons). You walk down a steep, long path to the tunnel itself and once you reach the tunnel you can walk a few hundred meters to where it has been walled off. The tunnel is very short in height and narrow in width, and at the end are 3 bulletproof walls that were installed to prevent North Korea from invading.

 

After gathering our belongings, we headed to the next stop: The Dora Observatory. From here, you can see North Korea. I was lucky to go on a clear day and I could see everything very well. It was surreal to be looking into North Korea and to be so close!

After the Dora Observatory, we went to Dorasan Station. This is the last train station before the border. It is still in use today and could eventually be used to go between the two countries if they ever reunite (the tracks are currently connected, but no trains run between the two countries at this time, although they have in the past and even as recently as a few years ago).

After Dorasan Station, we headed to the highlight of the tour: The JSA or Joint Security Area. This is the only place where you'll find both North and South Koreans. It is where any meetings between the two countries take place and it is always staffed by military from both countries, as well as United Nations and U.S. military. We were able to see the buildings where these meetings take place and even step inside one. Halfway through this building, you are in North Korea - so I've stepped a few feet into North Korea!

I'm so happy I decided to book this tour because it was fascinating to learn more about Korean history and see things that not many people have the opportunity to see. I would highly, highly recommend it to anyone visiting Korea. It's a great reminder to be extremely thankful for the freedom we have.

I've been full of Seoul puns since we got here and I'm sure my friends are really sick of seeing them on my Instagram but it hasn't stopped me yet!

 

When I found out I was accepted to this program, I knew I wanted to have a spa day in South Korea. Korean beauty products are all the rage right now so I figured their spas had to be great too. I found a spa that was highly rated and booked appointments for Caroline and I to get the "Diamond Package" which included a massage, nail design, facial, and a skin treatment.

Fast forward to now...when we got to the spa today, we tried to explain that we had booked this package and they kept shaking their heads "no" at us. Luckily, there was an employee who spoke English (probably for people like us...you'll understand soon) who came over to help us. We told her what we had booked and she explained that the package we chose isn't offered anymore. We told her we wanted to do the next package down and she looked at us with horror in her eyes and assured us we didn't want to do it. Apparently what we had signed up for (in both packages) was to get fully nude and, quite literally, boil ourselves. She said it was a common treatment among Korean women (not sure what the benefit is) but that she would not recommend it to anyone because the water is so hot that it burns you and you're sitting in a hole with all naked women. We quickly told her this is not what we wanted and opted for just the massage.

After she helped us get oriented with the spa, and showed us around the 10+ saunas, game room (yes, I'm serious), and the changing area, we went to get our massages. Don't be fooled - these are not relaxing. I've never had someone dig into my back so hard. It was incredibly painful, but I knew it would help get out the tension. The massages are not conducted in quiet rooms either - our masseuses talking to each other, leaving to go answer the phone, and the obnoxious music from the video games outside all made for an interesting experience.

We spent some time in the different saunas after our massages were finished. Each sauna is a different temperature with a "theme." The first one we sat in was a "rock salt" room. People were laying in the rocks and on the floor (apparently that's normal) and it's a relaxing experience. The next two were shaped like the ancient pyramids - one was scented and the other was a "jade" room. There were three igloo saunas - one freezing and two very hot.

We played a game before leaving to get the full experience then headed on our way.

 

All this being said, I'm very glad we went and experienced a true Korean "spa," although it wasn't the same luxurious, relaxing experience we get at a spa in America. My back was sore for days to the point of feeling deeply, deeply bruised, but I don't feel as tense anymore. I'd probably visit again, but it's not something I'd need to add to my routine and I'll know what to expect next time.

The day we've long-awaited is finally here - we are on our way to the Olympics!

Caroline and I (along with our 34 pound bag of snacks) have a 25-hour travel time, going from DCA-LAX-ICN. It will be the longest flight I've ever taken, but I couldn't be more excited to finally visit Asia and the Olympics!

 

Leg one - DCA-LAX: Overall, not too bad. We had a good amount of leg room and were able to get some work done and sneak in a nap. When we landed in LAX, we had quite the trek from our arrival gate to the international terminal (hey, good practice for all the walking we'll be doing in PyeongChang). We stopped and grabbed something to eat and after many failed attempts of getting into an airline lounge, found a spot by a window to wait for our next flight.

 

Leg two- LAX-ICN: Getting on this plane, it was like they were trying to torture us. Every cabin you walk through gets progressively less nice and has smaller seats. Luckily, we weren't at the very back, but we were pretty close. This was easily the least leg room I've ever had on a plane, and it was going to be a long 13 hours. We ate some dinner then settled in for "bed" for the next 8 or so hours. When we woke up we only had a few hours to go and watched some TV.

We are finally here and are so ready for what is to come! Caroline and I will be spending 2 days sightseeing in Seoul before meeting everyone in PyeongChang. I can't wait to share my experiences with you!

Join us as 21 students, 7 Olympic volunteers, and 3 alumni attend the 2018 games in South Korea! See what we see, and hear from us first-hand about our experiences at the Olympics throughout February.

Today I am in Busan, visiting friends.  Busan is in the southern region of Korea.  This is a location where the torched passed through in November of 2017 leading up to the Games, so there is a touch of the Olympic spirit here as well. At the beach they have Soohorang and Bandabi statues for people to take pictures with.

Additionally, there is a are disposable water bottles sold at convenience stores with the Olympic Rings.

I also noticed an Olympic building when riding from the Busan airport to the Marine City area. Speaking of the Airport, when riding from Seoul to Busan, Korean Air did not have any of the Olympic themed magazines or marketing items. This implies that the marketing for international flights is different than national flights, and for some reason, they did not feel the need to market internal to the country.

Korean Air is one of the official Korean Olympic sponsors for the Games. I was lucky enough that I found an direct flight on Korean Air on Korean Air.  So far, it’s been great! The flight staff have been super nice, one thing that took me aback was just how polished the flight attendance are.  My last flight was to/from Germany (very different experience). They had a couple items with PyeongChang 2018 Olympic branding. One was a sleep pack for the trip another was a magazine. This was the magazine for the airlines.

The Morning Calm had a picture of the Korean bobsled team on the front and magazine included articles about food in the regions near PyeongChang as well as a short overview of the Olympics.  Unfortunately, I forgot to reserve a seat, so I am stuck in the middle for the next 13 hours (lesson learned). Also, if you are flying from Dulles, I recommend doing web check-in. Once you get there, there may be a smaller line for web check in, as there are no automated kiosks for faster check in– I only check 2 items at it was free.  There are other people there with several boxes with shipping locations… I am not sure what that was all about, may be someone can explain that to me later.

Arriving at the Inchon incheon airport was pretty easy going, after landing I needed to stop and get my credentials laminated, the Olympic Welcome Center process was easy to find, and the line moved quickly.

I was able wonder around the airport for a bit because had a transfer to Busan to see a friend before heading back to Seoul. I kept a look out for Olympic merchandise and marketing.

Marketing was subtle, Samsung had a large screen and interactive demos.

It took awhile to find any Olympic branded merchandise.  They only store I found was by gate 252 in the transfer terminal, that was marketed for the Olympics!

They do warn you to expect an increased time for additional screening through customs.