I did enjoy my own trip very much, but, as you did, understood that I wasn’t “acing” the visit (somehow I hit the ground running in Tokyo on my first trip in 2002 and I find I get more and more out of it every time I return.) I might have chanced a Seoul stopover in cooler weather but I didn’t feel confident enough to take LapGirl there this time, last thing I want was is for her to have bad memories of a country her grandfather is so fond of and connected to. We should get another chance for a visit in a couple of years and I’ll be able to involve her with planning so that we can make the most of the opportunity.
The biggest surprise was how difficult it was to spend money in central Seoul on anything other than food and drink. Stopped stressing about it and decided I’d load up on gifts at ICN: nothing there except gold plated, diamond crusted, ambergris infused tumbleweed. That was my culture shock.