Blake Pennel

Hi, I’m Blake.

I love being somewhere new. Studying abroad in Seoul came with trips to Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and I’ve been planning the next one ever since.

Blake smiling by Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung, with pagodas behind him
Lotus Pond, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Places I’ve loved

Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and California
SeoulOsakaTaipeiHanoiCaliforniaHomeLawrence, KS
Highlighted: places I’ve traveled. Lines are drawn from home, not actual flight paths.
A busy shopping street in Gangnam, Seoul, lined with signs

Seoul · study abroad, fall 2025

Korea

My favorite trip so far: a semester at Korea University, late nights at PC cafés, and a convenience store on every corner.

Crowds under the bright billboards of Dōtonbori in Osaka at night

Osaka and Kyoto · October 2025

Japan

Got the local’s tour of Osaka from friends who’d studied abroad at KU. Seeing them on their home turf was the best part.

Red paper lanterns glowing over a narrow alley in Jiufen

Kaohsiung and Jiufen · December 2025

Taiwan

Still missing my bowl of 牛肉麵 (beef noodles) and a cup of 酸梅湯 (sour plum drink) in Kaohsiung.

Motorbikes and cars on a tree-lined street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Hanoi · January 2026

Vietnam

Learned to drive a motorbike for the first time, and ate a lot of phở on the street. Vietnam is an experience like no other.

Blake standing above the Pacific near the Golden Gate at sunset

San Francisco, LA, and San Diego · summer 2026

California

There’s no place like it: mountains, the beach, and the city, all within an hour. It feels like home.

Back home

Lawrence, Kansas

Closer to home, I run a small server in my house for my own projects, including one that remembers every place I’ve been.

Say hello See my work