Rant #1,758: The Trip of a Lifetime

My wife and I have returned from Korea. We both have very bad jet lag, and it will probably take us a few days to get over it.

But that being said, getting jet lag was well worth it. This really was the trip of a lifetime.

I have no idea where I should begin my recollection of this trip to you, but just let me say that from beginning to end, we and all the other winners of the Kia "Loyalty Has It Rewards" contest from the U.S. and from all over the world were treated like a cross between royalty and movie stars.

We were catered to from top to bottom while we saw the sights in Seoul, South Korea.

And let me tell you, Seoul is one of the most beautiful, modern, upbeat cities in the world.

It resembles Manhattan, but it has its own personality, as do the Koreans.

They are very Western, but mix that in with their native background, and you have a culture that is unique and quite impressive.

We were sited in the Lotte Hotel, one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever seen.

And from that starting point, every day was a new adventure for us.

We saw so many different things ... from temples to steel mills, and everything in between.

We learned about Kia, the company's past, present and future.

They have a new hybrid which will be coming out soon--the Niro--which is sure to be their next big release. It is really impressive looking, and if I was looking for a new car, this might be the one that I would get.

The surprise, at least to me and some of the other people I spoke with, is that we learned just as much about the Korean culture as we did about the car company. For that, we can thank our very able interpreter, who was top-notch, sure to explain everything and to answer any questions we had.

A total of 14 U.S. members of the "Global Ambassador" team were there--six winners, their spouses or companions, and our Kia representative and his spouse. All of us can be seen in the first picture that opened this blog right at the top, as well as a few other winners from around the world.

Other "Global Ambassadors" from all over the world attended, including those from Italy, Israel, Finland, China, Canada and elsewhere.

We learned about the country, we learned about Kia, and we actually dined with the highest level executives from the car company, and spoke with them about our experiences with Kia cars and really, just about anything that came to mind, including baseball, which they love as much as we do over here.

Again, I could go on and on and on about this trip. It was truly amazing. Every whim and desire we might have had was taken care of, and Kia put on a first class show for us.

And again, Seoul was on display to us, and it is truly an amazing city.

Since the Korean War ended more than 60 years ago, the city has built itself up, literally from the ground, and has turned war-torn land into an incredibly modern city, with modern values but with a Korean flair.

My wife and I commented that we have never seen architecture like this, taking small spaces and making those spaces into grand landscapes the likes of which we probably never had seen before.

The first few nights were particularly tough on me, personally, because I had quite a bit of jet lag, so I did not sleep well early on there. But once I got acclimated to where I was--it is 13 hours difference, so right now, as I am typing this, it is approaching 6 p.m. in the afternoon there--it was great.

And the entire trip was not just great, it was stupendous.

I am very proud to be a "Global Ambassador" for Kia, and all of us were presented with awards, accolades and even a sash to show who we now are.

I put the sash in my car, dressed up my car with the various stickers that they gave us, and I hope to watch the video they gave us of our time there time and time again.

My wife and I would like to thank the Kings, who were our U.S. Kia representatives, for keeping everything in order for us.

We would like to thank the city of Seoul for being such a wonderful city to visit. If you every are thinking about visiting Asia, consider going to Seoul. It is truly one of the most beautiful sites on the planet, and probably, the most surprising.

And finally, we want to thank Kia for their hospitality. The car company did an amazing job, and like I told the executives that we dined with, I am now a Kia person for life. I have purchased three Kia cars, and when the time comes, I will purchase a fourth and a fifth and a sixth from them. That is how good their cars are.

And if you are looking for a solid, economical vehicle that will treat you just right, please look into getting a Kia.

I can tell you that you will not be disappointed.

Yes, I am taking my new "job" as a "Global Ambassador" to heart--I want to promote the Kia brand car as much as possible, because I have great reason to.

It is the reason that my wife, my son and I are alive and well to tell you all about it, and how great a product Kia puts out, how progressive they are, and how long sighted they are about their product and their company.

I can't believe that we are home, but we are, and today is my first day back at work.

I guess it is time to return to the normal rigors of the day, but let me tell you, my memories of this trip will make things that much easier to digest.

"I Love Kia" because during my time of greatest need, Kia loved me.