Not many people get to go out of the country, and when they do it truly is an experience. Ms. Saldutti, Sahuaro office manager, recently took a trip to Insadong, South Korea. I sat down with Ms. Saldutti and asked her about her experience in South Korea, and she had a lot to say.

Ms. Saldutti had an important reason for going to South Korea. Instead of going just for a vacation, she actually went to learn about her Korean heritage. Ms. Saldutti is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. She grew up in Hawaii and never had a chance to truly experience and learn about her Korean heritage. So, when she had an opportunity to go she jumped on it.

During her trip she saw all sorts of sights. The most interesting and powerful sight was certainly the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. Ms. Saldutti couldn’t really find the words to describe the sight other than it being somber. She explained that there are many memorials along the zone, many are dedicated to those affected during the disputes between North and South Korea. I asked it her if she felt worried about being that close to such an aggressive country, and she admitted that being that close worried her somewhat, but it didn’t impact her experience. Ms. Saldutti saw many historical places in South Korea, such as the palaces and temples and even the modern city of Seoul. In Seoul, she said that people are out at all hours of the night. She also said that most of the stores are open until the early hours of the morning, so shopping is very convenient! While she was in Seoul, she saw how beautiful and clean the city was. For such a big city, Ms. Saldutti stated that there was virtually no trash anywhere.

I wanted to know the big cultural differences between the U.S. and South Korea, and surprisingly, Ms. Saldutti stated that there really weren’t any significant ones. She said that the people are very prideful of their country as well as very polite. The biggest thing Ms. Saldutti noticed about the people was how hard-working they are.

Ms. Saldutti was very pleased with her trip to South Korea. She felt a special connection on the trip, that made it all worthwhile. Even though South Korea isn’t the most affordable, she says she would go again in a heartbeat and is already planning another trip in a few years with friends and family. The experience she took away from it was truly a special one, and says that “you have to go and experience it in person.”