I woke up this morning and just kept rolling around in bed. Woke up at 5 am and couldn't fall back asleep, so I watched *Gukppong* (nationalistic hype) YouTube for hours. As the Gukppong flowed, I felt proud to be a *Kimchiman* (Korean). They say the lower your IQ, the more you fall for Gukppong, and I think that might be true.
Normally I don't skimp on trying local food when I travel abroad, but in England, I found myself trying to save money. Around 13,400 KRW for one beer? Are you kidding me, you dummy...? But I drank way too much anyway. I'm crazy, I'm crazy, oh no, what do I do, what do I do? This morning, I finished my humble breakfast of cereal provided by the hostel at 7 AM.
After eating cereal, I lay around for a long time watching more Gukppong YouTube.
My bath products. I've been using these since the pilgrimage. I use one DeBong soap for my whole body, face, and hair. Since my hair is like dog fur, I finish with conditioner. Highly recommended for backpacking. My skin is sensitive, but I only had acne four times during the pilgrimage. I'm thinking of using this system even when I go back home. It's so convenient and great. Finding a soap container was tough, but in Spain, they sold these little disposable cups with lids. Three for 1.89 euros, I think. They were the perfect size for soap and light plastic. Super recommended. I'm keeping it to use on future trips. Added to this: a 3,000 KRW Daiso hairdryer and a 5,000 KRW Olive Young hair roller. Seriously, a perfect setup. Especially during the pilgrimage when there were no hairdryers, this was super useful, and even on this trip, hostel hairdryers are often old and crappy, so I used mine constantly. Small, light, powerful. Fits right in the bag. Seriously unbelievable for 3,000 KRW. Daiso's best item. ...But why is the hair roller more expensive than the hairdryer? Anyway, since the trip started, I haven't used the shampoo or body wash even if the hotels/dorms provided them. Soap is the best. Am I becoming a veteran traveler now, heheh.
This accommodation had too many restrictions. Having to vacate the premises from 10 AM to 6 PM was tough because sometimes I was tired from traveling and just wanted a quick rest. Also, I had to buy towels. Of course, I was hardened by the pilgrimage, so I managed to dry myself well enough, but right now, I'm a tourist! *Ehem*. A bit disappointing. The place I'm going to in Rome said towels are unlimited. That was great news. When I first got here, I was grateful, calling it a hotel compared to an *albergue* (pilgrim hostel), but people change when they find better options. I'm so fickle. I had my cheeks puffed out with complaints, but the daughters here were pretty. Complaints vanished. Thanks for the stay, mother-in-law (future mother-in-law vibe). I'll be back.
My flight was at 3:30, so I had plenty of time to chill. I also exchanged money at the station. They wouldn't take Korean Won, though. I pointed at the flags and did a whole performance: "Korean?! Korean?? Why!?' The teller burst out laughing and said, "I'm sorry~" and accepted it. When they asked where I was going, I said Italy, and they, who were from Italy, told me to enjoy the gourmet food. "Italy is very delicious! I'm eat, I'm eat!" I said, and they loved it. While exchanging, I was hungry, so I ate the leftover *gimbap* from yesterday. I ate at 7 AM, then again at 10 AM. This is a problem. Maybe my body got used to Spain's 5-meals-a-day culture. If I go back and eat 5 Korean meals a day, I'm going to gain weight like crazy. Oh, and after the pilgrimage, I weighed myself with the brothers (travel buddies). Two of them lost 5kg and 7kg, and someone else lost 17kg, but I only lost 2kg... I was only eating baguettes for breakfast and lunch... Was it because I ate dinner too heavily every night and went straight to sleep...?
London weather, which had been full of clouds and rain for four days, cleared up the day I left. In a way, I'm a weather fairy, right? At least it's nice on the day I leave. I got to see the blue sky for 30 minutes!
I remembered that when I first arrived, the bus ride supposedly took 2 hours but ended up taking 3 hours due to traffic, making me feel sick. So I took the subway (tube) this time. I never knew it would be this easy and fast. Thanks to that, I arrived 4 hours early...
But then they demanded 50 pounds, claiming they were issuing a fine. What the hell for? Why?? They said I didn't buy a ticket. I clearly tapped my card to enter the airport train, so why did they say the card didn't work at the destination and I needed a ticket???? What kind of system is this? Ah, London, sh*t, really. I started liking London last night, but today I hate it again. Ugh. I like the high level of civic consciousness, but the system is a—
I arrived too early. The gate isn't even open yet... But since I only had a backpack, I just went and asked the counter, and they gave me the boarding pass.
My puffer jacket looks like it's saying, "Please, just kill me now." No. Endure.
I really don't skimp on eating out when I'm overseas (even though I might save money domestically). I believe in paying a bit more for something good rather than eating something mediocre, but the unexpected spending in the UK was huge. Plus, all the card payments from the pilgrimage hit my account at once, and I was like, "Uh oh? My balance?" There was an Italian pizza inside the airport I wanted to try, but I held back. I figured I'd eat it when I got there anyway... But I regretted eating this (the tuna sandwich). I chose it because it was a large portion, but the fishy tuna smell was amazing. I should have just gotten the pizza...
And since that didn't fill me up, I bought another croissant. Am I possessed by a food ghost (glutton)? Anyway, looking at my balance, I guess I have to give up on changing my car next year.
While waiting, I chose the cheapest + biggest portion + highest ABV. It tasted like Bacchus (a Korean energy drink). Every choice I make today is a miss. I tried to drink something cheap and strong to get drunk quickly and sleep on the plane, but alas, I always try to use my small brain (schemes) and fail because of it. What an idiot (poop-dummy).
Maybe because it was daytime drinking, I felt tipsy after one beer, so for the second one, I just said, "Screw it," and got the most expensive one. It was delicious. Ah, maybe that's why Kimchimen like me prefer things more if they're expensive...
Whether it was the tipsiness or if it was truly beautiful, the sunset was fantastic. It's beautiful. I, who used to find flights agonizing, keep flying. I, who watched the movie *Around the World in 80 Days* and saw it merely as a fun story about someone else—something that never resonated or seemed possible—am now traveling the world myself. It is beautiful. It's sad, painful, and hard, but if you endure and live, things change. Life has never gone according to imagination or plan, not once. That unexpected irregularity makes life richer and more beautiful. There's no law saying you must die. Honestly, life pushes you right to the brink, but you still have to endure. The time just before dawn is the darkest, and though it seems like it will last forever, the sun always rises eventually. Of course, *it's person by person*, and my dawn might be particularly long compared to others, but shouldn't we hold onto at least one such hope to have joy in life?
The bus I got on after landing at the airport didn't charge me.
I went to get off at my stop, but the bus just drove past? Turns out if you don't press the stop button, it just keeps going.
They dropped me off in the middle of some country road, and I was so scared.
I walked back from the skipped stop to the train station. Luckily, it was close. But this place seemed free too? The gates were open, and I just walked in. Something felt off starting here. Right before my flight, I watched a YouTube video about Italy saying what you must do, or else you'd get fined 100 euros, specifically targeting unsuspecting tourists. Since I just got ripped off in London, I had a bad feeling.
I arrived at Termini Station, and it was suuuuper complicated. Right now, there's only one way out, so it doesn't matter, but what am I going to do about this later? I'm already worrying again. Ah, I promised myself not to worry and feel anxious by thinking ahead, but here I go again.
And bad feelings are never wrong. When I tried to exit, I needed to scan a ticket... but there was nowhere to buy one! I was going crazy. The exit was guarded by police, and I couldn't move forward or backward, when a person behind me asked, "Are you Korean?" Ah... I was so thankful T_T. A young guy helped me out. I finally got out... He said I had to buy tickets from a certain kind of machine, but there were none where I got on the train! Anyway, he said he was going to visit the Vatican, and if I was going, to contact him, and we exchanged KakaoTalk info and parted ways.
I put in the wrong address here and got lost for a bit. Wasted about 20-30 minutes going the wrong way. The hostel owner was waiting outside, and I felt so bad, gosh.
And as I walked, there were fewer and fewer people. Coming from bustling London where you could barely move, this lack of people felt unfamiliar and a bit scary. Isn't Rome, Italy, a famous tourist spot? It's 8 PM now. I found out later that the neighborhood is known to be a bit shady.
The owner was an 80-year-old grandmother. She had been outside shivering, waiting for me... I felt terrible. I told her I would stay for three days and let her know if I needed to stay longer before heading out.
It's truly desolate. There are sometimes Black guys standing on the street, and when I pass by, they stare holes through me. Super scary;;
I came to eat the Italian pizza I wanted at lunch. Italy apparently has two types of pizza: Roman style and Neapolitan style. This is probably Neapolitan. Roman style has a thin crust. I had a glass of wine with it, and the ABV was high. It was good.
When I paid, what was that 1 euro charge? Turns out it was a seating fee (*coperto* / cover charge). Seriously, what is this but a tip with a different name?
I bought a bottle of beer on the way back.
The room was simple but clean, and every bed had an electric blanket. Very good. Lying down, drinking, I booked tours for tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that. I just want to finish quickly and go home.
"Our self-proclaimed 'poop-dummy' made it to Italy, despite London's best efforts to fine him 50 pounds. Everyone loves the chaotic travel story, especially the Gukppong confession. Keep going, Baebung-ie!"
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