A Pediatrician Travels the World

Life has been so stressful recently. I decided it was time to destress. I went with a couple of friends to Santa Fe with the goal of relaxation. We stayed at Ojo Santa Fe which is famous for their hot springs pools. I went there a few years ago and had a good experience. I had high expectations for our trip. There were definitely some good but also some bad. 

Can you imagine 15,000 pediatricians in one spot? Well it happened recently in Denver where the annual AAP conference convened. I love going to the AAP conferences; there's always a ton to learn, fun activities, and meeting old and new friends. 

I've been to Seoul twice. The first trip was for my college roommate's wedding. I was in my third year of residency and I had to beg for 5 days off so I could go. It's was an awesome trip on so many levels: seeing a dear friend get married, my first international business class flight, stuffing my face with all the foods I didn't know existed. This was before the world fell in love with Korea so I'm just way ahead of the curve. 

When my sister found out Jin (from BTS) was having a solo concert, she was determined we would go. And like a pro, she got tickets! So we spent a weekend in Anaheim.  

My sister wanted to see a Kpop concert in Oakland so we did a quick overnight trip. I spent a month in Oakland in my fourth year of medical school when I did an away rotation. I decidedly very quickly I didn't want to live in Oakland and crossed that off my residency match list. I've been back to Oakland a few times since then. The city has come a long way and the food scene is rapidly catching up to SF.  Here's how we spent 24 hours in Oakland. 

We went to Switzerland because of the Korean drama 'Crash Landing on You.' I am 100% not joking. During the pandemic, I started watching Kdramas. A small but significant part of the story takes place in Switzerland. It was actually my mom who said she wanted to go. My sister and I immediately agreed. It was a brilliant idea. 

Osaka Osaka is known as Japan's kitchen. People are obsessed with eating here. Others have spirit animals. This would be my spirit city. Besides food, Osaka also has beautiful shrines, temples, castles and parks.

Kyoto Kyoto is what everyone pictures when they think of Japan: the classic shrines and temples, the tree lined streets with traditional homes, and parks full of cherry blossoms. It's the Japan of your dreams.

Tokyo Tokyo is HUGE and it's crowded. It's like NYC and LA combined into one. I read somewhere one million people go through the Tokyo Central Station every day. I felt every single one of those million people every time I went through Central Station. But there are plenty of quiet and calm in the green spaces and shrines. You can find whatever you are looking for in this amazing city. Here are some highlights.