I.SEOUL.U

After being home for about a week, I am on the road again! Week one of this 10 week adventure is in the books! It's been more like a year-long crazy adventure but I am very thankful for the opportunities that have come my way! I am constantly learning about myself and adding new skills with every step along this journey.

So, this past week was spent in Seoul with Taylor as we planned and hosted a golf event. We made a few trips to Seoul before the tournament to plan the event and get the logistics sorted so this was actually our 3rd trip to Seoul. We were able to host the event at the elite Sky 72 course in Incheon where the LPGA Hana Bank Championship will be hosted next week. Needless to say the course lived up to the hype! I was so impressed with the spectacular views throughout the whole course with plenty to offer golfers of every skill level. The course is located right next to the Incheon airport so planes were landing and taking off next to us the entire round and you could see them for miles! It was seriously a one of a kind course. It was so interesting playing golf in Korea for the first time and noticing how different some aspects are. In Korea, all the caddies are females, which is completely opposite than most places we've seen and visited. They use golf carts that seat 5 people and are wirelessly driven if needed! The caddies come out to the fairways with all the club options for everyone, click a button on a remote, and the cart follows along on the path by itself...definitely a unique experience!

We were very busy this trip but we did get to check out a few areas of Seoul that we hadn't yet experienced. One of our favorite places was the Gangnam District. Although we only spent a few hours there, it was such a cute area filled with a lot of character and charm different from the area we were staying in.

We were able to check out a unique restaurant called Ope’Neat. I found it through doing research online and I am glad we decided to check it out! The restaurant itself is hard to locate because it is on a side street so you have to know what to look for. I loved the colors of the food! I have always been told to “eat the rainbow”- meaning the more colors on your plate, the better it is for you! Ope’Neat had exceptional health juices and very unique options for each course.

After our meal, we went to check out the shops and walk the streets and do some serious window shopping. The area had such a great vibe, the streets were very wide and gave plenty of room to walk around without feeling like you run into everyone (like other parts of Seoul). I think we would definitely go back to spend a little more time to explore this unique and colorful area of Seoul.

One thing that we wanted to do but didn’t get around to was the hiking! I had heard that hiking is very popular with the locals because Seoul has a lot to offer and has spectacular views once you reach the top. After doing research, I decided that it might be too difficult for Taylor and I to manage alone. We aren’t advanced hikers and I was nervous that once we got a taxi to drop us off at a trailhead, we might end up being stranded with no way back to the hotel… which would've been quite the nightmare! So, we didn’t get to try that adventure but it is something we would have an interest in for next time.

Since we didn't get out on a hike, we got to go watch the UL International Crown event at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club on our last day in Korea. I had a few friends playing in the event who we had been trying to get out all week to go watch and were able finally make it work on Sunday. Taylor and I were amazed at the crowds! The fans really treated the players like celebrities and were so excited to have the event in their country; women’s golf is crazy popular in South Korea! It was so fun to watch with such great energy, so I can only imagine how cool it would be to play in front of those crowds. I was so thankful to be able to see some familiar faces and to be able to be around the LPGA again. I really miss being able to play and being on tour but I know that I am where I am supposed to be. I have such great respect for the girls out on tour and it was so nice to be able to reconnect with a few of them!

In some personal news, Taylor and I got a call while we were in Seoul that my great uncle suddenly passed away. It is always hard to be away from family but especially at a time like that. Taylor and I wish we could’ve been there but my Uncle Charles was very proud of us and all that we are accomplishing. He lived life to the fullest and made the most of every day so we decided he wouldn’t want us to be upset. He would've wanted us to keep making him proud. So thats what we continued to do! We are so thankful to have such a close and supportive family.

So now Taylor and I are going back to Singapore! I will be with her for a week and then I will go to India before she joins me in a couple of weeks. Thank you all for following along on my adventures!