Welcome to Where Bloggers Live: 2025! Happy New Year! “Where Bloggers Live” started out kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…with bloggers! We all like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes, interests, and lives, so every month this wonderful  group of seven bloggers family of amazing women shares their work-spaces, homes, towns, and thoughts, with posts based on specific prompts. It’s been so interesting over the years to see the different ways each of us interpret the topics.

A Valentine’s Day “Friend” Date: Cuz (maybe, just maybe) Romance is Overrated

People either love Valentine’s Day or they hate it. As I wrote back in 2020 I like to think of it as a reminder to do something nice for those you love. Should you/they be doing that all the time anyway? Sure. But life gets distracting, so I appreciate the reminder of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and mushy cards in the stores.

And while we usually think of romance when thinking of Valentine’s Day, who says it has to be that way?? This year, I celebrated with someone new…not a date…but a friend whose company I’ve really been enjoying. And honestly? It might have been my best Valentine’s Days in a long time!

We started with lunch, because I’d found a list of “western style” sandwiches here in Seoul. And sandwiches are something I really miss over here. So, we talked over sandwiches in the little shop…easy conversation, sharing stories of our experiences in South Korea and of our lives back home. No awkward pauses, no pressure…just two people enjoying each other’s company, free from the stressful expectations that can come with February 14th.

Dae-oh Book Store (not my picture)

Kim Namjoon, 2016. (not my picture)

Me, 2025

Next, we wandered around a bit looking for an old bookstore turned café…and when I say old, I mean OLD. In fact, it’s the oldest book store in Seoul. A charming warren of little rooms with old books lining the walls, tables made out of wooden vegetable boxes, and several pianos. I first saw this bookstore when Kim Namjoon of BTS visited there once and the picture looked so charming, I’ve looked forward for a long time to come here. And it did not disappoint. We sat for while in a (really cold!) room and drank steaming hot chocolates. After finishing our warming drinks we went into the little courtyard to take pictures in the same spot as Kim Namjoon. Hee hee.

Did I mention that it was a really cold day?? So while we didn’t wander around the area as much as we might have on a milder day, we did still get to see some interesting spots in the neighborhood of Jongno-gu.

Til I got up close I thought they were steaming turtles

We both felt that this is the look we wanted! The skirt with baggy sweater.

bread

wine

the p is around the corner

a Valentinesy thing

Eventually nature called (stupid nature) and it can be a little challenging to find public bathrooms in Seoul, so we wound up end of day in a Starbucks and snagged the only table right as it opened up. Valentine’s Luck! And at Starbucks I gave my beloved friend a little heart-shaped treat. Cuz, Valentine’s Day.

So. Valentine’s Day for friends? I highly recommend. No pressure, no stress…just good food, a neighborhood stroll, and good company.

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends!

Take a look at my friends’ blogs as well, to see who their Valentines are!

Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Leslie at Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After
Sally at Within a World of My Own