How to Get from America to Korea (and vice versa)

I recently had the opportunity to go back home for my sister Erin's wedding.  It was a fun event and I'm glad I got to go back home.  While I was retelling the adventures of how I get from one home to the other, my mom said that I should share the journey with all of my readers.  So yes, this might be boring.  But this is how I get from one place to the other.

I'm going to actually explain how I get from the U.S. to Korea because it's one continuous path and each journey is pretty much the same except in reverse.  I'll explain when they get different.

Sioux City, Iowa
3:30 am - Wake up, get ready, get my bags, leave for the airport around 4:45am.

5:00 am - Check in.  I check my bags in to go all the way to Seoul so that I don't have to ever pay to have them checked.  This always makes me nervous because obviously I'm the only person going from Iowa to Korea and who knows if they'll ever lose my bags.  They haven't yet, though!  Good work airlines.

6:00 am or so - Flight leaves.  The plane from Sioux City to Chicago is super small.  One seat, aisle, two seats.  I actually heard a man get on the plane once and mutter to himself, "Barbie's dream plane...".  That's pretty accurate.  A ton of people have to gate check their carry-on bags because the plane is too small to fit them.  This flight lasts just over an hour.

8:30 am - 11:00 am - In O'Hare airport, the worst airport known to mankind.  Is anyone that works there happy?  Absolutely not.  I have a lot of time to kill during this part so I usually eat and make my way towards my terminal.  The international terminal and the American Airlines super small plane terminal are pretty far away from one another so that in itself takes about 30 minutes.

11:20 am or so - Board the plane and head to Korea!  I actually don't mind the flight that much.  Going from Korea to America it takes 12 hours and going from America to Korea it takes 14.  Both long flights.  But Korean Air is the best airline ever so it's not so bad.  Plus, I get fed a lot during the flight.  Always a good thing.

4:30 pm or so - Korea time, the next day.  About 1:30 am the next day, U.S. Central time.  I do sleep on the plane but of course it's not the best sleep ever or anything.  At this point I've been mostly away for about 22 hours.

I go through customs and then collect my bags.  Korean customs is not so bad and I've never had an issue.  American customs is also not that bad if you know what you're doing.  American customs in Chicago doesn't look as friendly and nice, though.  Also, a lot of disgruntled, angsty teenagers work in American customs in Chicago.  They're a bit unpleasant.

After getting my bags I make my way through the airport to the rail system.  The airport is actually located in Incheon, which is a city outside of Seoul.  So I have to get back into Seoul before I can get home.  I can take the subway, which takes about an hour and a half, or I can take the train, which takes about 45 minutes.  I take the train, which goes to Seoul Station.

This is the part that's different.  Because of my flight time, I have to stay in Seoul the night before I go to America.  It's not bad because I have a nice women's hostel that I stay at that's near my stations, but it obviously adds time to the whole journey.

From Seoul Station I have to get to a different subway station.  The journey through and to both takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how crowded the are at the time.  Since I show up around rush hour, they're crowded and take quite a bit of time.  It doesn't help that I have my big luggage with me.

If you're smart, you don't take the wrong subway station exit and have to drag your bags through the streets of Seoul but I'm not smart so I did this.  I still made my train though.  Just barely in time and with a little bit of running.

7:10 pm Korea time - Get on the train to go back to Danyang.  U.S. Central time is 4:30 am.  Officially have been mostly away for over 24 hours.

On this big journey I pay the extra $3 and get myself a first class train ticket.  Because I'm worth it.  For whatever reason the dumb computer ticketing system placed me next to an old guy when the rest of the car was 80% empty.  After 20 minutes I moved seats and hoped I wouldn't get caught.  I didn't.  Win for me.

9:30 pm Korea time - Arrive in Danyang.  Bust it off the train and through the station so that I can get a taxi before other people.  I don't know why I do this because there are always like 40 taxis outside for 10 people.  I just want to get home.

9:45 pm Korea time - I'm home!  Pay the driver, take my bags into my house, shower, and sleep.  Then wake up and go to work the next day while jet lagged.

So that's it.  Quite the journey.  At least it's only me, though.  Can you imagine if people did this with their families?  It'd probably last 4 days or something.

So what about you?  Would you be willing to make such a long trek?  Do you think it would be fun or stressful?  Have you ever traveled a long distance like this before?  I want you to tell me in the comments!