안녕하세요, Kia Orana, Welcome
After taking a small break from writing to recharge the batteries and work on some projects I’m back on the writing buzz. This week I document my last day in South Korea. After making it my home for 21 years it’s time to seek new challenges.
I also show you how to enjoy the Korean Air Business lounge at Incheon airport, South Korea.
This letter was dated early March 2022 but has taken a number of months to gather my thoughts and materials.
Feel free to enjoy.
MY FINAL DAY
A number of ideas, emotions, and memories come to mind at the end of this long journey. The period of 21 years feels like 2-3 years. Time flew by so quickly. Too many experiences, and events to recall. Great friendships were made and so many places were visited. It really was an unbelievable experience. However, it’s time for new challenges and adventures that I will be discussing in future newsletters.
Today I would like to discuss my final day in South Korea.
Grand Hyatt Incheon - Images courtesy of Coconuts & Kimchi.
Studies report that moving is one of the most stressful times in life. Moving from one house to another is difficult. Now, moving to another country is an entirely new proposition. Endless amounts of paperwork, shipping methods, and getting rid of the unbelievable amounts of materials collected over the years is an adventure in itself. The stress and sleep deprivation are quite astonishing. The move and all its components felt like it took six months. Finally, I had everything packed and headed to a hotel the night before my departure.
I spent my final night in South Korea at the Grand Hyatt Incheon. The cost doesn’t really reflect the facilities offered. You could probably get a place half the price but then again you can’t watch planes landing like you can in this room. In the morning, I headed to the airport, still feeling like I was going on vacation rather than leaving for good.
Heading to the check-in counter I noticed very few people in the airport. This was during the time of COVID and it’s quite amazing to see an airport deserted. I even asked how many people were on my flight the answer was 9. I was the only passenger in business class. This will be fun!! At the time only New Zealand citizens could enter the country and they needed a ticket to isolated hotel rooms. These golden tickets were like winning Lotto and there are serious questions about this policy. It took me two years to finally get a golden ticket to go home. However, I will discuss that another day.
After checking in and gathering my boarding pass, I found myself on the other side of customs. It’s almost like a neutral zone. You are literally caught between two worlds. You are no longer part of the country you left but also not in the place you intend to go to. Every shop on the Duty-free side that normally was packed with people was now deserted. A literal ghost town.
I located the business lounge of Korean Air and settled in for over 3 hours. The range of services and foods available in this lounge is outstanding. A fully stocked self-service bar with unlimited amounts of alcohol and, a wide range of food. There is super fast wifi and more than enough seating.
Korean Air Business Lounge - Images courtesy of Coconuts & Kimchi.
There are numerous dishes in this lounge where you can help yourself including Garlic fried rice, Pork bulgogi, Octopus in gochujang sauce, Roasted chicken cream sauce, Sweet potato and corn croquette, and many many more.
Roasted chicken cream sauce - Images courtesy of Coconuts & Kimchi.
Sweet potato and corn croquette - Images courtesy of Coconuts & Kimchi.
It’s quite the experience in this lounge and very efficient. Food and alcohol are topped up continuously and the staff that is present are friendly and always willing to help. These lounges are not a bad way to kill time at the airport and I highly recommend using them around the world if you get a chance. It changes your whole outlook on flying.
After 3 hours of overindulgence, I decided it was time to check-in. Still feeling like I’m on vacation I headed to the departure lounge. As I arrived I could count the number of passengers. The Check-in counter was correct. There were nine people including me.
Next time I will discuss having a plane almost to myself for 10 hours and what you can do in Korean Air Business class.
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“Feed your focus, starve your distractions.”
Coming soon I will be launching a Youtube channel showing life in South Korea and my new home, The Cook Islands. Feel free to subscribe and get the videos as they are released.
Feel free to follow my adventures on Twitter. I’m not a prolific tweeter but now and again you might see some gems.
I’m relatively new to the Instagram world but follow along for a more visual aspect of Coconuts & Kimchi.
After 21 years in South Korea, its time to go home - Vol 31