After my trip to the Philippines, I will be meeting my family in Seoul for a two week holiday. Trips back to the Korea are always special to me but this one seems particularly exciting, as 1) I miss my mother immensely and 2) I’m sharing my country, my roots and ultimately the beginning of my story with great friend of mine (our very own WinWin).
Whenever my family and I go back, often our day begins with a walk up namsan.
My family has always had a strong connection to namsan (south mountain). My grandmother lived nearby growing up and would rise daily at 4am to hike up before the crowd. My mother went to elementary school on the mountain, where for years she’d walk up the slopes in her bright yellow uniform - taking in the scent of acacia trees. Some my earliest memories include scrambling up namsan’s steps on visits to the motherland. My sister would grumble loudly while I chose to suffer silently as we dragged our half asleep bodies up to the peak. As soon as we reached the top, our troubles were quickly forgotten as grandma would reward our efforts with hot steaming milk from the vending machines.
This hike still takes my breath away in more ways than one. Dreaming of the acacia daze.
Kind regards,
Clara
What a beautiful sight!