Joanna Gaines says she's 'feeling grateful' after recent trip to South Korea with family

"We convinced 24 members of our family to go with us," she said.

April 12, 2023, 6:44 PM

"Fixer Upper" star Joanna Gaines made a dream of hers come true after a recent family trip to Seoul, South Korea.

In a video shared Wednesday on Instagram, the reality TV star and author shared a glimpse of her trip with her family, which was years in the making.

"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," she began in the caption.

PHOTO: Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards press room held at the Microsoft Theater on September 3, 2022 in Los Angeles.
Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards press room held at the Microsoft Theater on September 3, 2022 in Los Angeles.
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images, FILE

"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," Gaines continued. "We met family we've only ever seen pictures of. We saw the cherry blossoms in full bloom. We walked the same streets my mother did as a young girl, and then again as a young woman with my dad's hand in hers."

The video, which was edited to the song "Dreams" by The Cranberries, showed snippets from Gaines' dreamy trip with her family, including clips with her dad Jerry, walking the streets of Seoul with her kids and husband Chip Gaines, footage of her and her mom trying on traditional hanboks, and clips of the family watching a baseball game together.

PHOTO: Joanna Gaines attends Joanna Gaines "The Stories We Tell" Book Launch Luncheon at La Mercerie Cafe on November 07, 2022 in New York City.
Joanna Gaines attends Joanna Gaines "The Stories We Tell" Book Launch Luncheon at La Mercerie Cafe on November 07, 2022 in New York City.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images

The "Magnolia Table" author has spoken about her Korean heritage in the past, most recently in her 2022 memoir "The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters."

"In a lot of ways, this trip felt like coming home," Gaines wrote in the caption of her Instagram post Wednesday. "Somehow, connecting with my mom's past made my own story feel more complete."

"Feeling grateful for every moment this trip gave us," she added.