Carbivore

Not long before I left Minnesota, a little bird (named Annie) struck fear into my heart when she told me that she heard they don't have dessert in Korea. Being blessed with/afflicted by a major sweet tooth (thanks, Marge) and loving all things bread-related (I wish I could remember from whom I first heard the term carbivore and claimed it as my own), I worried about the possible lack of sweets in my future. As it turns out, desserts and breads and sweet foods of all sorts are in abundance in Koreatown. While you can't (nor would want to) order a slice of pie at a restaurant following a meal like this, the fact that options exist in a plethora of bakeries and grocery stores put my mind and stomach at ease.

Temptation waits.

There might actually be too many sweet things available, and this has thrown a wrench in my fitness plans. In the early days I thought I was making a smart decision by walking to and from work each day, but between my apartment and the school, I passed eight bakeries. Not to mention Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins. Soon the walk became a time to contemplate which bakery to try on that particular day. Not wanting to let the benefits of my walk totally be undone by layers of flaky pastry and gobs of cream filling, I started bribing myself. I sampled many of the finest offerings of Paris Baguette (pronounced bah-geh-TUH in Korean), but only after finishing an hour-long yoga workout. The pastry would sit on the kitchen counter - taunting me - while I completed every last downward-facing dog. Much to my surprise, after a while I did the workout without the reward. As I became more familiar with my neighborhood and was able to navigate the mazes of apartment complex parking lots, I found a route to work that featured only one bakery. I became more committed to following along solo to yoga podcasts and found a wealth of free options online.

I got lost many times before nailing this down.

Now that the weather's warming up and the sun is sticking around longer, I've also been able to utilize a nearby walking/biking path that follows a stream north out of my neighborhood, avoids the heavy traffic with strategic underpasses, and spills into nearby Incheon Grand Park. The park offers hiking, bike rental, space for kite flying, picnic spots and fantastic people-watching opportunities. Spring in Korea is looking much more active and less pastry-filled than the winter.