In the last two-and-a-half months I have developed a standard playbook for each new destination. Navigate the maze. Seek shelter. Find sustenance. Befriend locals. Exchange money. Breathe In. Breathe Out.

Seoul threw curveballs. Air Tags do not work. It took three hours from arrival to accommodation. Google Maps is useless. My hostel was subjectively Orwellian. The infrastructure demands your foot mileage. Banks are few and far between (though the Korean Kinkos is great).

Good food is readily available at the Basement 2 level in Nordstrom Rack.

Korean BBQ is an exclusively two-person affair.

Yet in retrospect, the novel frustrations of long-term travel were trivial compared to new sightseeing. Visiting Gyeongbukgong Palace was an insightful view into Korean history and architecture. I enjoyed KBBQ alongside an acquaintance from Scotland. A walk to Jong-Ru market revealed hottak – hot cinnamon pancakes. The scenic hike to reach Seoul Tower. Marveling at chrome alien surrealism in Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

A rainy afternoon spent watching Hollywood’s interpretation of Arrakis (Dune 2).

Though I must confess… my joy in Seoul was in part thanks to Yireh. After isolation in Tokyo, the friendly company was welcome for the extrovert in me. Yireh and I met in Chiang Mia. She offered to act as a de facto guide to South Korea.

We tasted traditional Korean dishes and visited the incomprehensible sixth-tallest building in the world. On our second meeting, we toured famously serene Seoul cafes.

Yireh speaks her truth without filter or fear. I admired her openness and candor. One of our last coffee conversations I can only describe as unabashedly real, leaving me with a keenly profound human connection.

As a respite from pavement pounding, Seoul provided time for reflection. To compound my goals. To examine unnecessary habits. To consume classic cinema and literature. It was partially preparation, mentally and physically, for the final curtain call before intermission. For a place where rulebooks might not apply, and where my profound conversation with Yireh might stand as baseless or blasé.

A passage through India’s golden triangle.