I’m not sure if it is ironic or just poetic that I am rarely in the United States to celebrate the 4th of July. There was the time we were on a wine tour in South Africa, or the time we were climbing the side of the mountain to stay in a pod on the edge of a cliff in Peru, or the time we were greeted with an American cupcake on a food tour in Romania, or the time we threw tea in an English river, or the time we sipped cocktails on a beach in Vietnam, or even the year that I got to lead an entire British middle school through Fourth of July celebrations and field games. All of that being said, Jessica and I usually try to make the Fourth of July special, wherever we are, but it isn’t usually with fireworks and hotdogs, nor our friends and families. Today was no different, we pursued happiness to the fullest.
Our weather on Jeju Island has not been great. It is, after all the rainy season, and we have experienced a lot of cloudy skies and a fair amount of rain. The forecast looked more promising for today, so we decided to set out for the tiny island of Udo. It did not disappoint. We took the 10 minute ferry over to the island of the sleeping cow. Less than 2,000 people call this place home, but I am quite confident that the island practically doubles in size on a daily basis as tourist flock to the adorable little place.
At the ferry exit, there are rows upon rows and multiple storefront, offering small forms of transportation like bicycles, scooters, and a variety of adorable other vehicles. Twice before I remember exploring a tiny island on an adorable form of transportation, and it always was one of my fondest memories. Close to 20 years ago, some friends and I were in Venice, and we took a boat over to Lido for the day where we rented a pedal powered golf cart and spent the day touring around and laughing at the hilarity of our little vehicle. Another time, my parents and I were visiting the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington when Dad and I took the ferry to a small island for the day and rented a tiny little red “sports car” that took us to lavender fields and alpaca farms. Needless to say, I was excited to get to explore another tiny island on another tiny vehicle. 
They did require our international drivers license, but aside from that, there were very few instructions nor pieces of paper to sign. We were told that we could have the vehicle for three hours and that it only took about 40 minutes to get around the island. It took us well over two hours, but then again, we stopped a lot to enjoy delicious treats and gorgeous views. 
We loved driving along the coastal road with views of black porous rock beaches, Haeyneo women diving, Jeju in the distance, and brightly painted barriers. Our little “car” topped out at about 25 miles an hour, but with the bright blue skies and warm sun, the breeze was just perfect! 
The island is known for their agriculture as well as their fresh seafood. They are particularly known for peanuts, so we took full advantage of the peanut ice cream as well as the peanut bread (imagine mini pancakes with peanuts inside!). We also tried the octopus bread which was the same sort of sweet pancake bread but with mozzarella and bits of dried octopus. While I ate most of it, I think one was enough. 
The high point in the island was beautiful: a lush, green cliff side. So, we wandered up to a lighthouse that overlooked the Pacific Ocean below. There were fun seaside statues of conch shells and cormorants along with the incredible Haeyneo women. 
To finish our Independence Day, we found some of the most delicious burgers we’ve ever eaten (with peanut butter on them) and then of course, we watched Bill Pullman make his beautiful unification speech while Will Smith and Jeff Goldbloom bring down aliens. 
Although we weren’t in our own country to celebrate her on her 250th birthday, we had a glorious day pursuing happiness. Wishing you this same on this Independence Day!
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