As a SAHM (stay-at-home mom), who arrived in Korea with a one-year-old and later traveled back to the States with a three-year-old, I am now psychologically and emotionally ready to share a few lessons I’ve learned along the way about traveling with babies and toddlers. I have to thank all of the moms who share their stories on social media because their stories helped shape my content through my own travel experiences.  Choosing Flights When possible, opting for an overnight flight saved us the most both in setting up a quiet and more manageable flight and also in helping our little one acclimate to changing time zones. If you are able to secure an overnight flight, avoiding naps and sugar on the day of the flight, as well as dressing your little ones in comfortable, bedtime clothes help to set the tone for the night. Creating Comfort Creating a comfortable space for your little one during a long flight is in the best interest of everyone. While the FAA recommends safety harnesses for children under 40 pounds, don’t assume that your car seat is FAA approved. We were disappointed to discover ours was not because our one-year-old always slept comfortably in their car seat. Always check in advance.  We purchased an FAA-approved CARES or Child Aviation Restraint System. Looks like a complicated set of straps but the instructions are fairly simple and of course, flight attendants can help you.  CARES also works on bus rides, such as the shuttle bus to Camp Humphreys, and tours that you may opt to go on while in Korea.  During the flight, we brought an inflatable travel footrest, which fit comfortably in front of the seat on our Korean Airlines flights, which have much more leg room than some other airlines, such as Delta. The inflatable footrest just barely fit on our Delta flights . When fully inflated, the footrest creates an extension to the seat, much like a small bed. This recommendation came straight from Facebook moms and my husband and I were grateful. Our little one slept throughout most of the 9-hr flight, sometimes curled up in a ball, using the footrest as a pillow, other times, using it as a footrest. If you have a tall toddler, this option may not be very comfortable.  Another option, which worked on our flight back, was to place a small pillow on both arm rests, again Korean Airlines comes in clutch with pillows and blankets.  Once I reclined the chair, they were off to dreamland. In-flight entertainment  Comfortable headphones, both for entertainment purposes and as noise-canceling devices make traveling with babies and toddlers much easier. I have purchased window clings, travel magnets, activity books, magnetic erase boards, dry erase books, color wonder mess-free pens, and yet none of these options could compete with the availability of music, audiobooks, and screen entertainment during the flight. Bring activities that your little one enjoys prior to the flight. Remember that you also need to sleep and rest as much as possible.  If you’re traveling on a budget, Daiso has lots of affordable activity books, sticker books, and toys. Otherwise, consider creating inexpensive craft toys that are easy to pack prior to leaving, such as creating your own dry-erase boards with cardboard and clear packing tape. Maybe a fun activity to do with your toddler a month or so in advance.  Food options  Bring snacks that your babies or toddlers enjoy while traveling, as long as they’re not over 3.4 ounces of liquid or cream. Korean Airlines fed us two meals during our 9 or so hour flights to the States and back. Our persnickety toddler and I benefitted from the Western and Korean options for meals on Korean Airlines. You may also request ramyun as a snack.  For our non-Korean Airlines flights, I needed to purchase toddler-approved food and snacks in advance.  Don’t wait to stock up on expensive airport options.  If you’re traveling with babies, you should be able to bring a cooler with ice to store bottles. You’ll of course need to bring the formula and purchase water in the airport, after TSA screening.  Incheon Airport has a separate TSA screening area, with a much shorter wait, for those traveling with small children. Preparing a backup plan for the plane Adults don’t often think about how the changes in cabin pressure is experienced by children, who also may have trouble vocalizing their needs. My toddler started screaming that her ears hurt as the plane prepared for landing. I gave them a lollipop, since they’re not accustomed to chewing gum, and they were just fine. Prepare for messes, as usual, including slip-on diapers, extra clothes, and wipes. We tried to keep our one-year-old hydrated on our way to Korea, which resulted in diaper overflow.  My Final Thoughts Finally, when in doubt, bring all the tricks! Since we checked in most of our luggage, my carry-ons included 1) my purse and 2) a backpack strictly for airplane needs, which fit easily under my seat. Since I was alone with my toddler on our return to Korea, it helped to have everything within reach. If you aren’t carrying too much, consider bringing your stroller since you can check it in prior to boarding and it may help take the burden off your shoulders. Give yourself some grace.  Once, while traveling during my college years, a couple, with children, sitting next to me on a flight, purchased an in-flight meal for me, to apologize in advance for anything their children may do during the flight.  It wasn’t necessary and their children hardly drew attention to themselves. But what I did notice was the display of patience and understanding the couple gave to one another during the flight. We’re parents. We’re really trying our best. LeaDan Yee, M.EdLeaDan Yee holds a Master’s in Education with a focus in Secondary Education and Teaching – Language Arts and Bachelor’s in Psychology, with a minor in Speech. As a Cultural Liaison and Content Creator at South of Seoul, Ms. Yee focuses on creating content for families interested in traveling and those with toddlers.  She is especially interested in opportunities to share her Native Hawaiian background and empower others to be cultural ambassadors. Prior to joining South of Seoul, LeaDan worked as a High School Speech Teacher and Adjunct Communications Professor. She specializes in Public Speaking, Argumentation and Debate, Team Management, and Event Planning.

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Looking for the best things to do near Pyeongtaek? South of Seoul volunteers looked through posts in the Pyeongtaek Food & Fun group and the Pyeongtaek Travelers group, then cross-referenced the information with Naver to compile the following lists. Jump straight to the List of Things do Do Near Pyeongtaek, or keep reading for additional information if you are new to Korea. Areas Near Pyeongtaek Each of the included administrative districts shares a border with Pyeongtaek. The list below includes activities in: Asan Dangjin Hwaseong Osan Anseong Cheonan Yongin Travel time to these locations may be between 10 minutes – 1.5 hours driving in a personal vehicle depending on where you reside in Pyeongtaekm, the destination, and road conditions. Things to Do Near Humphreys and Osan Base This also works as a Best Things to do Near Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Force Base List since both US Military bases are in Pyeongtaek. Issues with Top Things Near Pyeongtaek Lists The South of Seoul volunteers created these comprehensive lists of activities by region near Pyeongtaek for a reason. After years of Googling, our volunteers continue to find terrible lists of Best things to do near Pyeongtaek by major corporations. The large travel organizations have very little information regarding the Korean countryside and simply refer folks to activities in Seoul or other areas of Korea that are NOT ‘near’ Pyeongtaek. It creates a very frustrating experience for Pyeongtaek residents. Tips for Rural Travel Keep in mind that rural South Korean tourism and culture planning may not assume international foreigners will visit. This means there may be limited English in some more rural locations. Consider the small towns in your country. Generally, small communities don’t have the financial resources to create information in multiple languages and they focus on the needs of the immediate community. This remains true in rural South Korea. However, rural areas in South Korea do welcome international visitors. You don’t need to feel uncomfortable visiting. The following tools may help you feel more comfortable and engaged in rural areas when English language information and speakers may not be available. 1330 For Additional Information If you find a place you want to visit and have questions about ticketing, access for kids, parking, or other visitor information you can contact 1330. The tourist information line offers free English language support via phone or message. Papago Translate App Papago is the Naver translation app and it provides superior Korean to English to Korean translation. You can use it to read images, signs, menus, and much more. It even has a voice-to-text option. Naver Maps for Navigation Naver Maps provides superior routing in rural areas. Therefore, I do not recommend using WAZE, Google Maps, or Apple Maps. However, each person has their own preference for navigation apps based on their past experiences. Naver has an English language interface. This is a List of Lists Formatting blogs for Google and for speed can be tricky. In order to keep the technology gods happy, we blogged about the top things to do by location and then embedded the posts within this master blog. Such a structure might be annoying because you have to click out to other blogs, but it allows us to create an extensive list that will still load. Basically, we had to choose between an annoying load speed or annoying click-through – we went with click-through. List of Things to Do Near Pyeongtaek-si, Korea Each list linked below includes at least 10 things to do! Together they total over 90+ different ideas. This means you can find something to do every week of the year! South of SeoulFounded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences. www.southofseoul.net

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The top 10 Things To Do Osan-si include indoor and outdoor activities. Perfect for families, outdoor lovers, and art lovers. About Osan City Osan Administrative District (Osan-si / 오산시) exists above Pyeongtaek-si and below Suwon. The city shares a name with Osan Air Force base which exists 20-30 minutes south of Osan City in the administrative district of Pyeongtaek-si. The similarities in name often cause confusion for English speakers unfamiliar with the area who may call the area around the US Air Force base Osan instead of Sinjang-dong or Godeok. Types of Things to do in Osan-si The Osan-si administrative district does not focus on international or national tourism. Instead, the area provides relaxed, family-friendly activities for residents of Osan-si and the surrounding areas. These recommendations provide access for those wishing to spend a calm weekend near home. Family Time in Osan-si Families may love bringing their toddlers or strollers to some of these activities. US Military stationed at Osan Air Force Base and Camp Humphreys will find perfect activities for their next day trips. Additionally, the list has artsy or adventure-focused options perfect for middle school and teens. Top Ten Things To Do in Osan-si All of the following locations exist within the boundaries of Osan-si. They do not flow out into other administrative districts. Subway Station in Osan If you don’t have a car, you can catch the subway to Osan-si. Once in Osan-si, you may choose to taxi or bus to your destination. Current Air Quality in Osan-si Air quality and weather change throughout the day. However, having an idea of what the air quality is right now can help make decisions easier. You can download the Air Matters App for your phone to keep current on changing air quality conditions throughout the day. You can even set up alerts. Osan-si Air Quality Lanae Rivers-Woods, MAITLanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert. Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities. Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea. Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea. When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains. www.southofseoul.net

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