We spent our 18th wedding anniversary in Ulsan and Gyeongju. I was worried that if we let the day pass without any special event, my wife’s disappointment would explode, so I was in the process of booking a resort within a two-hour drive and searching for good restaurants. Then, unexpectedly, Sister Sarah, who was supposed to be in LA, sent me a KakaoTalk message saying she would make a surprise visit to Songdo over the weekend. That message felt like a ray of salvation to me. I confessed the situation to my wife beside me, and while the surprise visit plan fell through, thanks to her, our destination was decided: Ulsan.

Sister Sarah warmly welcomed us at Ulsan Station. She personally drove us to a famous bulgogi restaurant in Eonyang. After a delicious lunch, we stopped by Ulsan’s famous ‘Boksundo-ga’ and enjoyed a refreshing glass of handmade makgeolli, as crisp as champagne, for an afternoon drink. After checking into the hotel, we had dinner at a nearby fusion Japanese restaurant, enjoying curry and pork cutlet, favorites of the kids. Back at the hotel, my wife and Sister Sarah chatted all night, catching up on everything they’d missed, looking even closer than real sisters.

The next day, as usual, we rose early and captured the 18th-anniversary sunrise in photos. We packed the hotel buffet breakfast to enjoy a cozy meal in our room before heading to Gyeongju. Thanks to Sarah’s efforts, the journey was comfortable and enjoyable all the way. While waiting for lunch at a hanok cafe, the autumn sky that day was unforgettably beautiful as we played with toys we’d brought and chatted away.

We savored Gyeongju’s autumn ambiance with a refreshing draft beer and a bite of futomaki, embracing the Osaka office worker YouTuber concept. Though I can’t recall every conversation shared during those happy times, the vividness of those fleeting moments remains etched in my heart. I record these memories of our 2-night, 3-day journey—the unrealistically blue autumn sky, the delicious food, and the joyful sight of children playing—from inside the northbound KTX.