Joanna Gaines' family trip to Seoul, South Korea, helped her get closer to her roots.
During a May 2 appearance on TODAY, Gaines, whose mother is Korean, recalled what it was like when she ventured to Seoul with her family in early April.
"We went a couple of weeks ago. We took 25 of our family members and we were there for a week," she explained. "I had never been. None of us had been. Just my parents and so it was really just this full circle moment of understanding where my mother was from and walking the same streets she walked."
"It kind of completed something in me and it's even hard to explain, but it was so special for our family to all be there with my parents," Gaines continued. "That's where they met in 1971, so all the stories, just everything about it was incredible. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime."
On April 12, Gaines shared videos on Instagram of her family trip. Fans could see the “Fixer Upper” star, her husband, Chip Gaines, and their kids, Drake, 18, Ella, 16, Duke, 14, Emmie Kay, 13, Crew, 4, immerse themselves in South Korean culture and history.
“For years, my mother has talked about taking her three daughters to Seoul, Korea, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. And for years, that’s all it was — a dream we’d talk about in that ‘maybe, someday’ way we all do when something feels just a little out of reach.
“But this year, we decided to finally book it, and we convinced 24 members of our family to come with us to visit the place where my mom grew up,” Joanna Gaines wrote in the caption. "We met family we’ve only ever seen pictures of. We saw the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
"In a lot of ways, this trip felt like coming home. Somehow, connecting with my mom’s past made my own story feel more complete," she added.