D 15 - Solo Car Camping Trip: Yanggu → Cheorwon

2021.06.07(Mon)

As I wandered nonstop, it’s already been fifteen days since I began this trip.

What started as an unplanned journey around the country has now reached about three-quarters of the way. Looking back, I’ve experienced countless emotions.

There were nights when I trembled in fear at a deserted campsite with no streetlights in sight, and other days when I ended the evening happily watching the sunset and fireworks by the sea.

At times, long hours of solitude left me aching with loneliness and longing for people, while on other days that same solitude allowed me to listen more closely to myself and discover more about who I am.

There were frustrating nights when I struggled to find a place to sleep, and unexpectedly joyful days when I stumbled upon a hidden gem.

They say grapes grown in regions with sharp temperature swings end up tasting much sweeter. Perhaps this journey is like that too—through so many experiences, I’m ripening into something stronger and sweeter.

The end is not far. Just a little more—hang in there.

Today, I headed to Seungil Bridge (Hantan Bridge) in Cheorwon.

The drive from Yanggu to Cheorwon was another winding route through countless mountains, so I had to stay fully alert.

Since Cheorwon is known as a military area, army bases appeared frequently along the way, and seeing soldiers and military vehicles everywhere gave me an unexpectedly solemn feeling.

For the longest time, I thought of soldiers only as “soldier ajusshi (older men),” but realizing that many of my same-age friends have already finished their service made me think—I might actually be older than some of them. It left me a little downhearted. At the same time, I felt so much respect and gratitude for these young people who dedicate years of their youth to military service. Regardless of age, they will always remain the reliable “soldier ajusshi” who protect our country.

I doubt any soldiers will ever read this, but just in case—dear soldiers, thank you always, and I salute you!!!

Seungil Bridge was named by combining the “Seung” from Syngman Rhee and the “Il” from Kim Il-sung, making it a joint project between the South and the North.

I had read good reviews on blogs recommending it as a great spot for car camping, but for some reason vehicles were restricted and I couldn’t drive in. So, I had no choice but to park in a nearby lot and explore the area on foot.

Maybe it was because of the bad weather, but even though I didn’t have high expectations, the place was still disappointing. The Yeontan River looked quite dirty, and Seungil Park nearby didn’t have much to see either.

At least there was a public restroom at Seungil Park, so after taking a walk, I moved over there to get ready to spend the night. But it still didn’t seem like a place where other people would stay either, so after searching online, I moved to Taebong Bridge nearby.

This place… was even worse.

The huge parking lot was completely empty, but since the sun had already set and I don’t really like driving at night, I had no choice but to stay here and spend a lonely night by myself for the sake of tomorrow.

Cheorwon… let’s just say it might be better suited for army base visits rather than traveling… ahem.

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15. People need to be busy to truly live. People need goals to truly live.”

: Lately, I feel like I’ve been wasting time without any real tasks or goals. That’s probably why I feel so lethargic and drained—even though I’m not under any particular stress. They say people suddenly age quickly after retirement, and now I think I understand why.

I’m guessing the period when I originally wrote these words was when I had first decided to go abroad for culinary school.

Until my first year of high school, I studied hard like everyone else, going to countless academies with the goal of entering a prestigious university. But once I made up my mind to attend a culinary school in Australia, I realized I no longer needed grades in anything except English—so I dropped everything.

My mom had advised me at the time to never completely stop studying no matter what, but I was already so overwhelmed and stressed by academics that I just cut it off entirely.

At first, it felt liberating to quit night study and late-night academies. But since I had lived my whole life in constant busyness, dropping everything at once left me with an overwhelming emptiness.

Watching my friends walk down a completely different path, I felt a strange disconnect, and in denial, I would sometimes force myself to attend unnecessary night study sessions just to act like I was still the same as them.

Honestly, one of my biggest regrets to this day is quitting academics. Once I let go of studying, it became harder not only to concentrate on schoolwork but also on other tasks later in life. Without exercising my brain, I felt myself getting duller and duller.

I used to think studying ended with high school graduation, but I later realized learning never truly ends—it continues until the day we die.

Now, five years later, my mindset has shifted somewhat. I used to believe living fast and working hard was the only way to live meaningfully, but now I’ve learned the importance of pauses in life. I no longer feel as anxious about doing nothing and instead try to intentionally give myself space and time to rest amidst busy days.

Still, I believe life always needs some kind of continuous pursuit or achievement to keep moving forward. Just as a car must be used regularly to prevent rust and keep running smoothly, people too must keep working and thinking to maintain vitality and energy.

In the end, balance is everything. Being too busy is exhausting but can serve as motivation. Being too idle reduces stress but also halts progress. So the key is to stay in the middle—balancing both sides.

I’ve learned a lot from my past self over the last five years, but this time, I’d like to give advice to that impatient version of me:

Sin prosa, sin pausa.

Don’t rush, but don’t stop either.

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