Vamos a Jeju!

About Vamos a Jeju!

Vamos a Jeju is your hub to help DIY travelers discover the rich culture, serene peace, and natural beauty of Korea's Jeju Island. It's all the magnificent vistas that Hawaii has to offer, but set in an entirely different and exciting culture, all at a fraction of the price. Come join us and unlock: the intrepid sea women who dive for seafood sans breathing aids; the ancient stories still spun by the island's shamanistic practices; the majestic landscape of fire and stone carved by magma; the breathtaking majesty of the island's hidden places. Welcome to our island home!

Publisher

The Vamos a Jeju Podcast!

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Feb 2026

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

37 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Ep 36: An Imperfect Mosaic — When Good Enough is Good Enough | Guest Series

   Sora turns the tables and interviews Ed about his unconventional life: soldier, journalist, dive magazine founder, Microsoft contractor, scuba instructor, slow traveler, language learner, and now "retired" podcaster. He reveals why he homeschooled his kids and took them on 5-month trips across America and Asia, why he walks for hours to "hack his brain," and how he managed to wrangle his temper so that, despite being a mosaic with cracked pieces, he thinks he's "still good enough" for the people whom he loves. Key Takeaways Career path: Soldier (mandatory in Singapore) → journalist → dive magazine founder → Microsoft contractor → financial independence → "retired" but helping friends worldwide (Thailand underwater docs, Vietnam cycling tourism, Vamos a Jeju) Homeschooling: Ed and Michele pulled their kids out of traditional school. Two major trips: 5-month RV across America (sea to shining sea), then 5-month Asia trip including Mongolia. Kids had to create their own YouTube videos as curriculum. Slow travel philosophy: Stay 3-4 weeks minimum per place; make real friends; better value (Airbnb monthly discounts, fewer flights). "Travel hacking" with credit card points for flights. Frugal vs. cheap: "We're not cheap with others, we're frugal with ourselves." Ed stayed in a hotel with cockroaches when alone. With friends, he tries to pay. "Reverse empty nesters": Instead of kids leaving, Ed and Michele leave. When they return, the kids actually want to spend time with them. 청개구리 (Cheong-gaeguri): "Green frog" = Korean term for contrarian/rebellious person. Ed avoided Camino de Santiago because too many people told him to do it. "I never lost myself, so I don't need to find myself." Anger and change: Ed's "seething rage" in his 20s-30s terrified his young daughter and nearly ended his marriage. Michele's ultimatum was the wake-up call. He realized he'd become his father despite promising himself he wouldn't. Walking meditation: Ed's method was partitioning two selves, giving energy to the one he wants to be, having honest self-talk during walks. After 15 years, "the angry part has become smaller and weaker." "Mosaic": Ed describes himself as a mosaic with chipped and cracked pieces, but "still good enough to look at." Paying it forward: Ed helps younger people because mentors took chances on him (one Dutch guy gave him his Microsoft opportunity). "Vamos a Jeju is Sora's brainchild. I'm just the assistant." Future plans: Joint Olleh Trail program on JejuSlowly.com (http://JejuSlowly.com); possibly one-week Olleh itinerary with Ed as unpaid guide. Next Steps Trip planner: vamosajeju.com/trip (http://vamosajeju.com/trip) Got questions? We've got answers!: vamosajeju.com/ask (http://vamosajeju.com/ask) Sora's tours: jejuslowly.com (http://jejuslowly.com) or vamosajeju.com/sora

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Ep 35: Insider Insight — Sora Spills the Beans on Korea | Guest Series

   Ed kicks off the Guest Series by putting Sora in the "hot seat." She reveals her mom's sister went to North Korea and was never heard from again, that sogaeting (blind dates) are now run by companies that score you based on income and parents' wealth, and that Korea's birth rate hit 0.78. She also announces her new tour agency (jejuslowly.com (http://jejuslowly.com)) focused on Haenyeo and wellness tourism, which won a Korean Tourism Organization award. Key Takeaways North Korea: South Koreans rarely think about it. "We're too busy with competition here." Sora's mother's sister went to North Korea and never returned. 소개팅 (Sogaeting): Not "blind" — you exchange photos, school, job, salary, MBTI beforehand. Large matchmaking companies assign you a "score" based on education, income, and parents' wealth. You're matched with similar scores. 속도위반 (Sogdowiban): "Shotgun wedding" in Korean. Literally "speeding violation" — you went too fast. Marriage customs: Proposals aren't surprises; couples reach consensus first. Women never change surnames. Old preference for sons has flipped: "If you have a daughter, you get an airplane. If you have a son, you get a car." Birth rate: Korea's was 0.78 recently. Sora doesn't plan to have children due to climate change and societal competition. Education: ~60% attend university. SKY (Seoul, Korea, Yonsei) = Ivy League equivalent. Some kindergartens prep kids for US Ivy League. Parents yelling at cops about ruining their child's "medical career" is real. Tour horror story: A guest yelled at Sora: "Do you mean my son who went to Seoul University law school did something wrong?" over a plane seat mix-up. Sora's new business: jejuslowly.com (http://jejuslowly.com) — Haenyeo experiences, wellness (yoga, temple, meditation), 2-night/3-day slow tours. Won Korean Tourism Organization award. Podcast listeners get a discount. Next Steps Sora's tours: jejuslowly.com (http://jejuslowly.com) (or vamosajeju.com/sora (http://vamosajeju.com/sora)) Trip planner: vamosajeju.com/trip (http://vamosajeju.com/trip) Voice questions: vamosajeju.com/ask (http://vamosajeju.com/ask) Next episode: Sora interviews Ed

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Ep 34: K-Drama — Our Blues | K Culture Deep Dive

   Ed and Sora wrap up their K-drama review series with Our Blues (우리들의 Blues), a 2022 ensemble drama set in a fictional Jeju fishing village. The series tackles depression, teenage pregnancy, Down syndrome representation, hyper-competitive parenting, and the suffocating nature of small-town life. Ed watched it twice; Sora quit after Episode 6 because "it was too heavy." The episode opens with Sora sharing that she was rejected by a Haenyeo village cooperative, which turns out to be a fitting transition into the show's themes. Key Takeaways Writer Noh Hee-kyung: Known for warm, healing, family-focused dramas rather than typical romantic comedies. Some Koreans criticize her for being "preachy," but her ensemble slice-of-life style is harder to write and resonates deeply. Lee Byong-hun's character: A truck vendor who drives around selling pots, pans, and goods. Short-tempered, kind-hearted, carrying trauma from being the child of a mistress. His sales pitch recordings ("fry pan, fry pan") and his mannequin-modeling of ajumma clothes are comedic highlights. Depression storyline (Shin Mina's character): Used imagery of drowning and suffocation. The character attempts suicide by jumping off a jetty; Haenyeos rescue her. Five years ago in Korea, people couldn't openly discuss depression without stigma. Now conversations are more common. Ed admits he used to make fun of depressed people when he was younger. Sora shares she had a period of depression during grad school during the pandemic. 기러기 아빠 (Kirogi Appa, "Wild Goose Father"): The phenomenon where fathers work in Korea while mothers and children live abroad (often in the US) for education. The fact that Korean has a specific word for this shows how common it was. Sora's corporate boss was a Kirogi Appa who avoided going home because no one was there. Down syndrome representation: An actress with Down syndrome played a character with Down syndrome. Koreans were surprised and impressed. The handsome boat captain (Kim Woo-bin) apologizes for his shocked reaction: "I've never seen anyone with Down syndrome. I never learned what to do. If you feel uncomfortable, I'm sorry." Ed: "Hats off to the producers for being so inclusive." Teenage pregnancy: Two high school students, both top of their class (she was #1, he was #2), get pregnant. She wanted to escape to Seoul because "everyone knows each other and it's choking me." The small-town gossip culture: "In small towns, they know how many spoons and chopsticks you have at home." Mainlander Haenyeo: A young Haenyeo from the mainland struggles to be accepted by the cooperative. Sora: "Now I am in that process... I know it would be really difficult to get in as an outsider, as someone who is not from Jeju, also not from that village specifically." Small-town trade-off: Young people from Seoul move to Jeju for community and connection. But if the connection gets too deep, they pull back. Ed: "If I move to Jeju, I'm gonna purposely keep this 외국인 (foreigner) persona... 'You're in my business? I don't speak Korean now.'" Next Steps K-drama shooting locations: vamosajeju.com/trip (http://vamosajeju.com/trip) (Our Blues was filmed all over the island) Got questions? We've got answers!: vamosajeju.com/ask (http://vamosajeju.com/ask)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

16 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Contact Vamos a Jeju!

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.