I was probably back home in California for about four-ish days from my business trip to Vancouver B.C. when I opened my email to see that someone had emailed this to me:
“…If it suits your schedule, I would like to kindly invite you as a Speaker at our Conference. The Global Content Conference 2018 is planned to be held from December 12-13, 2018 at Coex Hall in Seoul, Korea. It is hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), a governmental agency that is established to foster the Korean creative content industry, and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The big theme of the conference is ‘Connecting Content, Platforms and the World’.
With your highly respected reputation in relation to this field, I am more than convinced that you are the most suitable candidate for our conference.”
I had to REREAD that to be sure. Seriously, South Korean government (well, sorta) was inviting me to speak… at a conference I’d never attended? Yay! Also. Eek! I felt both emotions slam into me at the same time. Laugh or cry? Save energy and do both at the same time? Honestly, I didn’t do either. I sorta sat there and stared out a sunny window, happily stunned.
The day I flew to Seoul I had packed a ton of travel snacks bc #travelingwhilealwayshungry is my reality. I had already been warned by a conference organizer that my (serious) gluten & soy allergies were going to make eating in Asia “a bit challenging”, she said. Yet I always pack a snack with me. (My stomach has it’s own brain, people.) So I figured I’d be fine for the week… Except here’s how my day went:
Arrive at airport. Snacks are practically spilling out of everything, everywhere. Sits in a corner and organizes snacks. Walking with ease now thru airport, seeing more snacks. Restraint for the win. Yes! Oh but then... an airport worker passes me with a scrambled eggs 🍳 and something-or-other breakfast platter and now I want turkey bacon 🤷🏽♀️
me: this would go so well with my (three) hard boiled eggs I’ve got in my purse.
Miles away from my gate, I see a healthy-ish restaurant. Get there. See a super-long line.
*phone dings* Looks down. Message reads:
“United flight (whatever that was) is now boarding”. 😩
Soooo close.
Wouldn’t end up mattering though. When I landed in Seoul, I was required to TRASH all nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chicken jerky (what was I thinking?!) and essentially everything yummy that I packed to snack on… and basically pseudo survive on. Sigh. I was resigned and just happy to be there. Now I had to hope that hunger didn’t turn my mood into mush.
Great run-through at the tech rehearsal, the night before the conference began.
Thankfully, I very quickly forgot about all my now trashed snacks. I had something new to zero in on…the new news that my luggage was still on US soil in an airport somewhere… It hadn’t made it onto my connecting flight to Seoul. So, I had zero-clothing except the ones on my back (rookie move)… Fun times. All I could do was hope that changed. Hope and pray.
After wearing the clothing seen in my tech rehearsal picture for two days (sigh), My luggage arrived late the night before my talk. Super thankful and also, by then, having shopped the Coex mall (the mall of MALLS… seriously) I knew I was going to be okay.
My talk happened, felt fun, the panel was great too! Seoul had always been on my wish-list to see. So I remained for a few days (moving to the Shilla…AMAZEBALLS. Just such a wonderful hotel in every way!!!!). I did some unstructured exploring, bought fresh flowers for my hotel room, drank a local tea that I’m now forgetting the name of. So yummy! Brown, thickish and delish. I must have drank a gallon, by the time I left! I also went on one guided-tour to the the North Korean border (sans tourist stops to shops and food). I just wanted the bare bones history tour and feel. I took pictures but I won’t post those. It feels too ‘hey Mom look at me looking over into a place where….’ Just can’t. It was an ice cold freezing day. I’m glad I did go, for my own education.
Trips and experiences like these are expansive. The conference was filled with wonderful people; so many of whom I spoke to at some length afterward. A couple of whom I trust I’ll see again some day. What an experience. So grateful.
