Sophie Navarrete - May 19, 2026

On May 19, 2026, the group and I had a travel day from Seoul, Korea to Beijing, China. We had a later flight so a couple of the students and I took the opportunity to enjoy our last breakfast at the hotel. Once we finished our meals we finished packing our luggage to wait for the coach bus to take us to the airport. At the airport, we checked in our luggage and did the tax return refund for all the goods we bought. The process was easier than anticipated. All one needs is their passport and the receipts of the items bought throughout the trip. There were kiosks where you scan your passport and receipts in order to get the tax refund from your items. I had a folder with my receipts as I did a lot of shopping during my time in Seoul. When one is finished, the kiosk determines if your items have to be checked or if your refund is available at a desk after security. In this case, I did not need my items to be checked. 

At this point, we said goodbye to the Seoul WorldStrides guide, Jaesong. We then went through security and tried to find some snacks for the flight. I did not find anything I wanted so I waited for the food on the flight. We flew with Asiana Air and the lunch they served was good. It was chicken stew, rice, and vegetables. Once we arrived in Beijing, we went through immigration and waited for our luggage. After picking up our stuff, we met Ally, our WorldStrides guide for Beijing, China who took us to our hotel and then to a very delicious dinner. 

This dinner was at a traditional restaurant. We got to immerse ourselves in a traditional Chinese family style dinner. There were a bunch of dishes containing lamb, duck, chicken, beef, and pork. This was my first time tasting lamb and duck! It was tastier than I expected and I have indulged in more dishes containing lamb and duck since this meal. I was very excited when I found out that Tanghulu was the dessert being served. Tanghulu is fruit covered in a sugar syrup. It is a very well known desert sold in street markets and restaurants. Although it is a traditional Chinese dessert, Seoul had many street vendors selling it as well. 

Altogether, even though it was a travel day, I was still able to experience traditional Chinese food and make more memories with my peers. This blog entry was a bit delayed as the wifi connection here can be a bit unstable and there are certain sites blocked.