It has been some time since we last shared a personal update. The past few months have kept us remarkably busy.
Since arriving in Jeju, life has felt unusually full, with time slipping quietly between work, ongoing projects, and the steady rhythms of everyday life. We began the year by focusing on completing our website, alongside a few short trips here and there.
From January until now, most of our days have been spent at home, and winter, it seems, slipped by almost unnoticed. Jeju experienced very little snowfall this year, and with our workload, we scarcely had the opportunity to step outside and make the most of what little winter there was.
Alongside completing the website, we were also working on another exciting project: building our own DIY camper van. Unfortunately, the plan came to an abrupt halt due to the rather unclear legal situation surrounding camper conversions in South Korea.
Some sources suggest that such conversions are permitted with the appropriate approvals, while others refer to stricter regulations. After conducting further research and considering the differing interpretations, we decided it would be wiser to step away from the project altogether and explore an alternative.
We were, understandably, disappointed. A considerable amount of time had already been invested in designing the interior, planning the layout, and refining the finer details. While purchasing a ready-made camper van was certainly an option, we had hoped to create something more personal and, ideally, more affordable.
Fortunately, we had not yet gone as far as buying a new vehicle for the conversion, so for now the project is on hold. Instead, we have been adapting our current car for travel, making a few small adjustments to make things a little more comfortable and manageable.
After all, travelling by car is simple enough, and the real challenge begins when your work depends on a reliable internet connection. That was, in fact, the main reason we had originally considered a camper van, as we needed a proper space where we could work comfortably on our laptops.
For the time being, our solution has been a portable table set up inside the car, and it works surprisingly well. As for the internet, we simply use what we had originally planned for the camper van, an internet USIM and a portable router, which allow us to work with a reasonable level of consistency wherever we go.
To test everything, including the table, the connection, and the small adjustments we had made, we decided to spend a week working from the car. So far, it has been going quite well. We have managed to get some work done, all while enjoying a different view each day.
This year, we hope to spend more time outdoors, travelling, documenting our experiences, and working along the way. We would like to explore Jeju a little more closely before eventually returning to Seoul. For now, we are keeping things simple, heading out early each morning and making our way home by evening.
Naturally, this way of travelling is far less comfortable than having a fully equipped camper van. Yet travel has never really been about comfort alone. It is about adapting, discovering, and continuing even when conditions are not ideal.
The first day was, admittedly, somewhat chaotic. Much of our time was spent rearranging things and making the most of the limited space. Even now, it feels like a balance between order and disorder, part comfort, part chaos.
Rather unexpectedly, one of the most persistent challenges is finding a bathroom. You may come across what seems like the perfect spot and settle in, only to realise there are no facilities nearby. It appears a minor detail, yet it soon proves rather inconvenient.
At present, our days are divided between careful planning and a fair amount of improvisation. We are learning as we go, making constant adjustments, and hoping that by the end of the week we will have settled into something that runs a little more smoothly.
On the third day, we decided to test our limits by deliberately choosing a location without nearby facilities, curious to see how long we could manage. Our destination was Noeul Coastal Road, a coastal stretch known for its scenery and the chance of spotting dolphins.
Soon after we arrived, a small group of dolphins appeared just offshore. As always, we found ourselves following them along the coast, drawn in by the moment. The excitement never quite fades. Within moments, the cameras were out, and before long we were completely absorbed in watching and filming them.
It goes without saying that very little work was done that morning. By the time the dolphins had gone and we properly settled down, it was close to midday. We had lunch soon after, and by the time we were ready to open our laptops, the afternoon was already well underway.
It was not long before we began to feel drowsy. After a short nap, we returned to work with clearer focus. With the coastal wind picking up and the afternoon sun growing quite strong, we stayed in the car and worked from there.
Spending time outdoors has brought a quiet sense of life back into our routine. After months indoors, it feels refreshing to return to something more open and real. The wind, the sea, and the sound of birds are simple details, yet they remind us of the difference between merely being somewhere and truly experiencing it.
And perhaps the most enjoyable part of all is writing our blog from inside the car, with a new view to look out on each day.
