Overwhelming opulence

I travelled to Seoul again this week for a training, and it was a little easier this time to navigate the trains and taxis. I was definitely more prepared for that part. Unfortunately the base hotel was booked, so I got refferred to a cheaper, off-base Marriott. No problem I thought. It's just for a night. So it's pretty late, I'm pretty hungry and tired, and the taxi drops me off in front of the hotel. I didn't see the name of the hotel on the outside of the building, but we had called the hotel for directions in Korean, so I figured we must be in the right place. Until I walked in and immediately felt under-dressed and totally conspicuous. I could just feel the sweeping staircases and marble pillars asking each other what the little street urchin thought she was doing there. ha.

A quick trip to the reservation desk revealed that yes indeed, this was my lap of luxury and I had a room reserved! Gorgeous marble bathroom with huge garden tub, mints on the pillows, and super soft robes and slippers. mmmm. But before I took advantage of the bathtub, I needed some grub. I did not realize that the majority of people dining in the hotel restaurants would be wearing suits and cocktail gowns, so I took my happy butt downstairs in my T-shirt and flips. Luckily I ran into the only other american under 30 also wearing a t-shirt and we had a killer steak dinner on par cost-wise with Ruth's Chris. Your tax dollars at work!

The moral of the story? Always have a cocktail dress on hand when you go to school trainings because you never know where the government will put you up. And take a bath. It was lovely.