Family Getaway: Jeju Island Trip Preparation, Cymplified!

I was looking forward to this trip. I also was not. One thing I was sure of is that there must be a Jeju Island trip preparation for our family.

I looked forward to cooler weather since it turned sizzling summer here in the Philippines. I also looked forward to experiencing some of my family’s firsts. It was our first time to travel internationally together. It was our first time to set foot on Korea. It was our first time to experience Spring. It was our first time to see Cherry Blossoms in person.

I didn’t look forward to the packing and unpacking before and after trips, as usual. I didn’t look forward to the very cold weather, lest the children would have gotten sick. I didn’t look forward to lots of walking. But, all of these, we overcame. Yay! I am so thankful to God they didn’t catch a cold or fever.

Thanks to the smartphone, to the winter jackets & beanies that we bought and to the warm clothes that we borrowed/were given, we stayed mostly warm. It really pays to be prepared for trips to unknown weather, especially with children in tow.

How to prepare for Spring in Jeju:

• Living in a tropical country with only a wet and a dry season, I needed more information about the place we were traveling to. I checked the temperature on my phone’s weather app from time to time. I googled photos of Jeju Island and what the people were wearing during Spring. I read the itinerary.
• Knowing that the temperature will be around 7-12ºC got me asking family and friends for clothing recommendations. My main concern was the children and good thing we saw winter jackets for kids at Terranova. Thanks, Marg, for the reco! What’s great about buying out-of-season clothes was the big discount! We even bought boots for our eldest! It helped us save a lot, especially if these items would be used just once or twice.
• Spring is right after winter, therefore, I think it would still be chilly. The kids would need protection from the cold. I decided to purchase beanies from @crochetbymrsc and I’m glad I did. Too bad the gloves from Lazada would take a month to ship (from abroad) and it was already the beginning of March!
  

  @ daepo jusangjeolli cliff (주상절리(대포동지삿개))

• One of my friends suggested applying petroleum jelly on the nostrils to avoid nosebleed as a result of breathing in cold and dry air. I bought a tiny jar for the trip and it also worked on minimizing the redness of their noses and cheeks. The wind was really biting and I have felt my face starting to get numb!
• There was an app called PackPoint, which helped me pack the luggage. I entered our destination and travel dates (it then predicted the temperature), the activities and if there would be babies; then it generated lists of things to bring. Because of it, I remembered to put lip balm in my kikay kit.
• Because of the walking tours in the itinerary, we packed rubber shoes for the girls since they were in boots. The children might get sweaty from the activities so I packed lots of cloth diapers (lampin). Well, both items didn’t get used, but it’s better to be ready for anything, right?
• Uncertainty of the public restrooms in another country brings anxiety. Teaching our kids how to use them is one way to prepare for traveling. What I loved about Jeju Island is that there are public restrooms everywhere! Most of them are clean.
• One of the perks, and also challenges of traveling is the very different cuisine that the country has. It’s a perk because we got to try something authentic and new. It’s a challenge when you have kids who are picky eaters. One preparation for this aspect of the trip is the exposure of the kids to different food and constantly telling them to “always try it first”. I like these words directed at children I read in a parenting article: “Try something of everything. Eat everything of something.”
• Going on family day-outs and local family getaways got the children ready for one important thing when traveling: Staying together! 
  

  the jeju cherry blossom festival (제주 왕벚꽃축제) @ area surrounding nearby jeju sports complex

Overall, it was an enjoyable trip. I am definitely missing the cool climate!