Conquering the Trail in South Korea

by Kathryn Botsford, Greenheart Travel English Teacher in South Korea

photo courtesy from Runaway Juno

Now, as some of you may have crept on my profile already, last week I went hiking with some friends just north of the city.  It was by far one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had for several reasons.  I am way more out of shape than I had anticipated.  Andrew “The Face of Northface” and Ver “Holy Crap, is your Body Really Supposed to Do That” from Sweden were tearing up the trail, while I meagerly stumbled behind in hopes that maybe someday I can run up a mountain, do some flips, and land on top of a massive rock pile.  Anyway, Sunday was not that day.  However, I did have a lot of fun.  We got to the top of one of the peaks, and stretched out.  We had a wee picnic, and then proceeded to do some yoga.

As I was snapping pictures like a crazy fool, I tried to capture the constant sense of awe that surrounded me. I don’t particularly care for public online forums to express the views of one religion over another, but I do know that while I was on that mountain looking down at the city and riverbed sprawling beneath me, there was a moment of “there has to be something more.”  My “something more” may be different than your “something more,” and that’s okay.  But the beauty of this place astonished and humbled me.  The sky held the earth as a mother hugs her child.  The colors- a vibrant cerulean- faded into a misty array of questions that may never be answered.  The serenity I felt in this place was like a firefly blinking in the summer dusk.  It was amazing.

We continued upwards and found several rock piles to scramble up.  Not to be outdone by Andrew “The Face of Northface” and Ver “Holy Crap, is your Body Really Supposed to Do That” from Sweden, I scuttled after them in vain attempts to “be cool.”  That being said, I never learn.  In seventh grade, I went on a ski trip to Lake Geneva ski resort.  Colin Wiesner went down a double black diamond so, obviously I did, too.  I ended up in the hospital with a compound fracture and three pins in my arm.  So, that was neat.  Luckily, I had no issues this past hiking trip, but I think someday I will need to realize that some people can do things I can’t.  And, I will have to live with that.  But, today is not that day.

Read more about her day from her blog; Just Look at their Elbows…