Editor's Note
Welcome back to school after the long and extremely hot summer vacation! To encourage your new start of school life, the Kookmin Review reporters have come back with special stories both on and off campus. As one of those stories, we wanted to hear from Kookminians who went on their own travels during summer vacation. I planned to carry out this 'Travelogue of Kookminians' project because though I do like my own style of travel, I was curious how other Kookminians travel and what they feel during their trip. One's travel type cannot be a standard for all travelers around the world. As a small example of that, some people prefer to plan what they will do for each day of their trip before their departure, while others might like to just set out their trip without any plans. So even if two people travel to the same place, their stories and memories will differ. Let us share various travel stories from Kookminians!

Soo-Min Kim 
The Kookmin Review Editor-In-Chief
sera20834@kookmin.ac.kr

Hong Kong 
-June 29, 2018- July 2, 2018
Hee-Young Mo (Dept. of Sociology)

For the first time
"As I am a freshman this year, it was my first time planning a trip by myself. My parents or other family members had planned trips before, and I just followed them. I planned to go on this trip with my high school friend. Before our departure to Hong Kong, we were happy to be together for four days. When we arrived in Hong Kong, we were so hungry that we just went into a restaurant randomly. We ordered shrimp soup and duck meat there. However, the soup tasted like there were too many spices and the meat smelled so awful that we could not enjoy our first meal in Hong Kong. So, when we came back to our accommodation, we ate ramen that we had brought from Korea. Even though local foods did not suit our taste, we were happy to share that moment and laugh at the experience."

'Travelling' for undergraduate students
"It could be my own opinion, but it seems like travelling has become mandatory thing for all undergraduate students these days. It surely is a hard thing to go abroad as it costs a lot and students usually don't have a lot of money. There can be students who feel burdened by both time and money. When we look at social media, it seems like everyone travels abroad. However, there can be people who do not like to travel. I think if someone does not think that a traveling is necessary, they don't have to go, and hope they don't feel a loss about it. Either for me, it was quite a burden to travel abroad by myself for the first time in my life. However, I was happy to be with my best friend for four days in abroad. So, I do not regret my travel to Hong Kong with her."

Brazil
-July 4, 2018-July 20, 2018
Da-Eun Kim (Dept. of Political Science & International Relations)

Special local friend
"Three years ago, my younger brother became friends with a man who is living in Brazil. When I heard my brother was planning to go to Brazil to meet his friend this summer, I said I also wanted to go. Brazil is a country where many tourists are concerned about safety problems before their trip and I was also one of them. So, it was lucky for me to travel with my brother and his friend."

During the journey
"During the first week of our journey, we stayed in a city called, Curitiba. I think it was a well-organized and ecofriendlier city than other cities in Brazil. Oh, at this point, I want to tell one thing for people who are planning to visit Brazil. I had thought Brazil was a warm country before I went there, so I didn't bring any thick clothes. But including Curitiba, some cities are so cold that I had to dress in layers. Hopefully other tourists check the weather there and are ready with the appropriate clothes. After our one week stay in Curitiba, we headed to Itaruma. I could feel how large the country is by 12 hours of ride to there. However, the city was worth our long journey to there. We stayed at the house of our friend's parents. It is such a small municipality that there were no electric signboards or streetlights. There was no wi-fi, and even the TV didn't work well. However, the leisurely pace of life in that city was so impressive to me. Nature was all around that I could easily go to the riverside or farms near by the home. Also, our friend's family was very friendly and treated us with their heart. If someone asked me where my favorite best place in Brazil was, I would say Itarumã."

After my journey
"I was feeling some kind of pressure before my journey. My mind was almost always full of thinking 'I have to do this and that.' And at some point, I wondered what I really like. I mean, I could not know what is the most important thing for the real me. After two weeks of travel in Brazil, I learned and felt 'relax' from the country and people there. While staying in Itarumã, the countryside, I napped in a hammock, enjoyed swimming, and read some books. Seeing sunsets and hanging out with local people there, I came to think I want to live a relaxing life like them. As I am in the end of my university life and looking for what I want to do as my job, it was so hard for me to take time to relax. Through this journey, I learned I could still do things I planned with some relaxation and calmness in my mind."

Camino de Santiago
-July 2, 2018 – Aug.1, 2018
Bom Lee (The Voice Department)

Why I chose this road
"I am not sure from when I began to think about walking the Camino de Santiago. I guess it was always in my mind from my teenage years. At the start of last year, I planned to go there, but it was cancelled because of a sudden emergency with my friend who was going to accompany me. So, this time, I thought it could be my last chance to go there before I go back to school. Ultimately, I went on the long journey by myself!"

Being alone does not mean you are lonely
"Even though I went there by myself, it was not hard to meet new people. Since many people are walking on the same path heading toward the same arrival point, I could easily meet Koreans and other foreigners to walk with every single day. What is interesting is all the people I met there were completely new to me, but we said hello and naturally talked to each other soon. Especially, every time I met elderly couples, I could feel their warm heart. I had to walk about 19 to 20 km each day on average. At the beginning, it was definitely beyond my ability and I was exhausted by walking and hiking mountain routes for such a long time. One day, an old lady traveler was passing me and asked if I was okay. As I was not okay at all at the time, I said 'No, I am not'. She then said I should lie down on the ground and raise up my legs. As I lay down, old ladies and other passerby elderly people held my legs. Then they started to discuss about how I could walk more comfortably. It was such a heart-warming moment for me. I felt like my grandmother and grandfather were taking care of me. She also switched backpacks with me because mine was heavier than hers. I was so thankful and also felt sorry for her. Just like my experiences, even if you go there alone at first, you will not complete the whole journey alone. I mean, every traveler on the same path is ready to help and talk to you. So, don't be afraid of being alone!"