Priceless Experience!

Danielle, a Dutch professor who is also teaching summer school, invited me to go hiking in a park on the north side of Seoul this morning. We headed out, casually dressed--check out our footwear!--and knew we were getting it all wrong the minute we got on the subway. The car was loaded with people in full-on hiking regalia, complete with boots, packs, poles, and the occasional ice ax (!). We giggled as we followed them to the park, realizing how "out of it" we looked for experienced hikers. As we were trying to decide on a route, a man from a local hiking club came over and asked if we would like to join their group outing. YES!!! We hiked with them to an overlook, passing a book-exchange rest area on the way. The conversation was delightful, and it felt so good to be in trees and get some fresh air in my lungs. It was exactly what I needed after a fairly bumpy time in Korea so far.