Three countries in one month
A few months ago I held my first international line, which any flight attendant can tell you is an amazing feat. Since it was my first time and I have no idea when I’ll be this lucky again, I wanted to make the most of my month. That means going to one of my favorite cities, London, and trekking through three new countries.
Taiwan
The first stop of the month was Taipei, Taiwan. We arrived late, around 9 p.m., to the hotel. Usually, my first move would be to head straight to bed, but it was the perfect time to check out a night market.
Linjiang Street Market was within Linjiang Street Market walking distance from our hotel so I headed there with a few of my crew members. We had to get out cash at an ATM but then we were good to go. I got one of my favorite treats, Tanghulu. All of us were exhausted so we wandered a bit and got some dumplings to go before stopping at FamilyMart and heading back to the hotel.
For this layover, I had a whole day between flights to spend in Taipei. Since I had all day, I let myself sleep in before slamming some coffee and walking to Taipei 101. I took the speed elevator to the observation deck to get 360-degree views of the city. I got my twenty dollars worth and headed down to the ground floor of the Taipei Tower to get some food.
You may have heard of Din Tai Fung, or even eaten at one somewhere in the US, but it originated in Taiwan. There are many in Taipei but luckily for me there’s one on the ground floor of the Taipei 101. My first piece of advice is don’t go hungry because I put myself on the waitlist and wandered around the mall for an hour before it was my turn for a table. The wait was well worth it though and you can even place your order before you sit down.
I without a doubt over ordered but what can I say I wanted to try as much as possible. I got the cucumber salad, chicken xiao long bao, vegan buns, and for dessert, chocolate buns. The food was incredible and worth the wait, my favorite was the chocolate buns even after burning my tongue.
My last activity of the day was to see the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. The whole monument has an interesting background with the country’s democracy that they dedicated to “facing history, recognizing agony, and respecting human rights.” You can spend a while exploring there. On my way out I even got to see the guard mounting ceremony.
South Korea
I can admit that a big part of my excitement over going to Seoul was in snagging some Korean skincare… so much so that my suitcase was half empty on my way there. Do not fret, I still got out and enjoyed the city.
When I told my mom I had a layover in Seoul, she sent me a page out of Travel & Leisure.
There were a bunch of cute restaurants and cafes in Seoul, and there were a lot of great suggestions there, but I went with Cafe Onion. My only regret about my trip to Cafe Onion is not getting more than one pastry. I went with one with huge grapes on it, which did not disappoint. Once I got my pastry I went to a little deck on top of the bakery to sit outside and enjoy the weather and my sweet treat.
Next, I headed to the Gyeongbokgung Palace. I will admit I was too lazy to actually go in and walk around but I did watch the changing of the guard. The youngest member of the guard was probably five years old which was adorable to watch. The changing of the guard happened every day at 10 am and 2 pm, except Tuesdays. I had just so happened to stroll in right at 2 pm.
I wandered around and found an Olive Young. After my research on TikTok, I was somewhat disappointed in the store. I found some fun skincare but decided I needed what I was advertised on TikTok so I set out for the Myeong-Dong streets.
There were so many cute shops from stores full of jewelry to stores with only dog clothing. I wandered through a few cute shops but frankly had my eye on one stop. I walked up in awe to the two-story Olive Young bustling with people. It was SO busy. I would suggest going in with a few items in mind because it was very overwhelming.
I had a few items I had saved I found and threw in my cart and also snagged a recommendation one of the Olive Young employees suggested. Not only did I find all sorts of skincare items but also got some amazing snacks to have later as my girl dinner. At home now I have a stockpile of sunscreens, lotions, serums, and more that I hide from my boyfriend. My favorite things I’ve found so far have been a Cell Fusion C sunscreen and Bringgreen bamboo lip essence. I have a page where you can look at some of the items I bought but I’ll warn you they’re way more affordable in Korea!
I went back to my hotel with some treats from Olive Young and some random convenience store. I tried some strawberry wine which I must admit wasn’t half bad and watched the sunset in a hotel robe, a perfect end to a fun day exploring a new city.
Tahiti
I arrived in Tahiti in the evening and headed straight to the hotel. It was already dark so I didn’t do anything too crazy just got a cocktail with another flight attendant (who I worked with working to Taipei as well!) and enjoyed the warm weather. The next day I enjoyed the beautiful hotel and even though it was raining I enjoyed my day before having to work the redeye back to San Fransisco. The best way I can describe the greatness of Tahiti is through pictures so here are some from my trip!
