LOVES of 2011: Places

The experience of scanning through my 1700+ photos from 2011 is exhilarating. I wouldn't change the places I've been and the things I've seen for anything. Here are a few highlights of the places I've seen and loved. 

Seoul, South Korea, June 2011.
This picture was taken from a look out point on a mountain in the middle of the city. You can sense the vast amount of people (about 44,000 per square mile), the summer heat, haze and pollution, yet the quick and easy get away as Korea is riddled with mountains. 

Shinsegae, Centum City, Haeundae, Busan, South Korea, January 2011.
This is taken outside a subway stop and the largest department store...apparently in the world! I spent many times meeting friends for lunch, going to yoga classes and my favorite jimjilbang, SpaLand, at this mall. 

Patronas Towers, Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia, January 2011.
It was a short trip, but a good one. Southeast Asia is so different from Northern Asia. I can't wait to get back and learn more!

Haedong Yunggunsa Temple, Haeundae, Busan, South Korea, March 2011.
One of the few temples build along the coastline. Also one of my favorites to visit in each season. 

Haedong Yonggunsa Temple
Cherry blossoms and a statue I always enjoyed seeing.

Hopbolsa Temple, Nopodong, Busan, South Korea, April 2011.

Forbidden City, Beijing, China, May 2011.

Great Wall of China, May, 2011.

Beomosa, Busan, South Korea, June 2011.
One of my favorite hikes behind the Beomosa temple. You could essentially bolder up the mountain.

Sajik Stadium, Sajik, Busan, South Korea, June 2011.
Baseball is very popular in Korea and I loved watching the game, sunset and mountain backdrop on summer nights. 

Geumjeong Mountain, Oncheonjang, Busan, South Korea, January-November 2011.
I could walk to the base of this mountain in 20 minutes, or take a taxi or bus in less than 5 from my apartment door. This hike was my favorite! The bolder I'm standing on is also my favorite. It juts off the cliff of the mountain and you get an incredible view of PNU all the way to Gwangali. I had many good conversations and many quiet moments alone on this mountain. Many moments of serenity belongs to it.

Seokbolsa, Geumjeong Mountain, Busan, South Korea. January and July 2011.
My first and favorite little mountain temple. 

Strands, Laguna Beach, California, USA, July 2011.
Home isn't a bad place to spend a few weeks either. 

Catalina, California, USA, July 2011.
The summer is not complete without a sail over to Catalina. 

Haeundae, Busan, South Korea, August 2011.
Beach season in Haeundae was a rush. This span of the city didn't sleep for three months straight. There were always crowds of people, K-pop performances and occasionally monster monsoon waves! This view is from the top roof of a building in Dongbaek. 

DMZ, South Korea, September 2011.
I wasn't allowed to take pictures beyond this point, but my run inside the DMZ was beautiful. The bucolic mountains were almost untouched and it was probably one of the only times I heard silence in Korea. 

Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto, Japan, September 2011. 

Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan, September 2011.  

Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan, September 2011.

Sumo, Tokya, Japan, September 2011.

Hiroshima, Japan, September 2011.

Jagalchi Market, Nampodong, Busan, South Korea. November 2011.

Oryuk-do ROK Naval Base, Busan, South Korea, October 2011.
A US aircraft carrier from Japan came to port on weekend. The ship was massive and gave me a better idea of what my deployed friends may be experiencing while away.

Jeju Island, South Korea. October 2011. 

Jeju Island, South Korea, October 2011. 

Namsan Tower, Seoul, South Korea, October 2011.