Summer in Seocheon
This summer, I hadn't made any specific vacation plans in advance. Honestly, taking a week-long summer vacation was a first and last for me back in 2022. While I couldn't take such a long summer vacation this year either, I'm still a summer-loving person who feels summer should be spent outside rather than inside. So even without pre-made plans, I have to figure out a way to enjoy the summer.
I visited Jeju Island at the end of last July. Since my main purpose was to see singer Kim Su-in perform gayageum accompaniment and meet acquaintances living in Jeju, I didn't even consider water activities. I met up with Moodita Teacher unexpectedly in Jeju, had kongguksu (soybean noodle soup) in Jocheon, and went to Hamdeok Beach. It looked so incredibly beautiful and refreshing… Ah, I really wanted to go in the sea too…? I just thought about it.
Long story short. Anyway, I really wanted to go to the sea, and since Mom suggested going to Seocheon, I decided to squeeze in a weekend trip to Seocheon for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday while working from home! I spent the entire last weekend, three days, in Seocheon. On Friday, I arrived in the morning, worked from home comfortably in the cool air-conditioned house all day, then after "clocking out," I watched baseball with Dad while chatting and went to bed early.
The next day, I went to Chunjangdae Beach. It rained, but the sun wasn't hot, which was actually nice. I rented a tube for 10,000 won and floated in the water. Floating there, I watched raindrops fall into the sea. The West Sea, with not a single wave, was perfect for floating. After putting down the tube, I just lay in the seawater. I let all the tension out of my body, floated on the water, gazed at the sky, and sometimes just closed my eyes. With my eyes closed, I listened to Mom and my sister talking. I thought it was just so peaceful and happy.
After returning home, I took a nap. Isn't sleeping soundly after a day of playing in the water just the happiest thing? When I woke up, there was a huge plate of green onion pancakes Dad had bought, loaded with seafood and pumpkin picked from the field. After eating the pancakes, we went to pick up my aunt who had arrived at Seocheon Station. On the way, Mom and I saw a rainbow. Summer sky, bright blue rice paddies, a rainbow, a cool breeze.
The next day, Auntie's tidal flat experience started first thing in the morning. I guided Auntie and Mom along the same course I'd taken with Ho-jun when I visited Seocheon last time. The forecast of rain had passed, and the blue, beautiful tidal flats welcomed us. Wide, cool, and wide-open tidal flats. The living sea.
While Mom and Auntie were digging for clams in the tidal flats, I gave my sister driving lessons. Having only recently started lessons, she was still afraid of driving. We drove carefully for an hour, all the way to Biin and back. How beautiful Seocheon looks in summer from the passenger seat! Seeing summer while driving around Seocheon every day made me so happy. I hope my sister learns to drive well soon.
After lunch, we headed to Jangpo-ri Beach for our final stop. Jangpo-ri has deep waters and isn't a designated swimming beach, so we couldn't swim. But we walked barefoot along the white sand, chatting with my aunt, then lay down with Hodori in the pine forest, reading books to the sound of the waves. Ah, so happy. Whether it's the black sea with raindrops falling yesterday or the blue sea with sunlight shimmering today, summer in Seocheon is quite charming. I spent Sunday thinking over and over how happy I was.
