D 20 – Solo Korea Car Camping Trip: Taean → Hongseong

2021.06.12(Sat)

At last, I arrived at the final destination of my nationwide journey — Namdang Port in Hongseong.

On the last day, I spent the day much like any other.

Before leaving, I stopped by a humble local diner to have a late lunch, and then, to celebrate my final night, I dropped by a convenience store to pick up two cans of beer and some snacks before heading to Namdang Port.

When I arrived, my first impression was honestly not great.

There wasn’t much to see around, and the vast parking lot was overcrowded with cars and tents scattered everywhere. The scene reminded me of a refugee camp in the middle of a battlefield. Feeling down at the thought of spending my last night here, I quickly searched for another place.

After some searching, I heard that just a 10-minute drive away from Namdang Port was Suryonghang Harbor, a quieter spot with a public restroom. I decided to check it out, but when I arrived, all I found was a completely empty parking lot and a restroom sitting right in the middle of a breakwater. For a moment, I considered staying the night there, but the thought of being completely alone in such an isolated spot after dark felt far too unsettling. (For the record, this place would probably be perfect for those traveling in groups.)

So, I returned to Namdang Port. I parked my car in a quiet corner, took a short walk to enjoy the sea one last time, and then went back to my car. With nothing much to do, I opened a couple cans of beer and quietly wrapped up my final night on the road.

I lay down to rest, but knowing I’d be heading home tomorrow, sleep wouldn’t come.

Strangely, despite the countless days I’d spent on this journey, I couldn’t clearly recall anything in particular at that moment. So I sipped my beer quietly and began rereading every single blog entry I had written, starting from Day 1.

On this final night, while the world around me was asleep, I retraced my journey through my own words. That moment was overwhelming—an indescribable rush of emotions washing over me all at once.

About a year ago, I had a driver’s license, but I was so afraid of driving that it had simply collected dust, unused. Back then, I couldn’t even imagine myself confidently behind the wheel. And yet, here I was, a year later, having driven solo across the entire country. The pride I felt in myself was immense, and I realized once again that when you set your mind to something, there truly is nothing you can’t achieve.

Though I traveled alone, I never really felt lonely. The support of my family, my friends, and even those few kind strangers who left encouraging comments on my humble blog gave me the strength to keep going. To all of them, I am endlessly grateful.

As I closed my eyes, memories of the journey flickered through my mind like a film. With every moment of joy came moments of hardship, but just as quickly, happiness would find its way back.

Perhaps life itself is like that. To wish only for joy and comfort might be asking for too much. Hardships, like rain that hardens the soil, arrive for a reason—to shake us from complacency and remind us to stay awake in life.

Even on this trip, whenever I started to get too comfortable, challenges always followed, forcing me to refocus and push on until the very end.

Both the good and the bad will stay with me as invaluable experiences, and for that, I can only feel gratitude.

And so, on this final night, I fell asleep with a newfound lesson in life and a heart overflowing with happiness.

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20 A person’s character and personality are shaped 99.9% by the environment they grew up in and the experiences they’ve lived through.

: Even if someone seems difficult, sharp, or hard to understand, try—just once—to understand them. There is always a reason. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll come to see them differently.

When sharing honest conversations over drinks with people, I’ve often discovered sides of them I had never seen before.

Some, who on the surface seemed to be living such happy lives, were actually rotting inside, silently bearing their struggles. Others, who looked as fragile as glass, turned out to have stronger, steel-like minds than anyone I had ever met.

That’s why I’ve come to believe: we should never judge someone by appearances alone.

A person’s life is like a book. Born as a blank page, they go on to fill it, chapter by chapter, with every experience they live. Depending on their upbringing and what they’ve been through, that book’s genre, tone, and story can turn out completely different.

And just as we can’t truly judge a book until we’ve read it cover to cover, we can’t claim to know a person fully until we’ve understood every part of them—the good, the bad, and the hidden chapters. Sometimes a book that starts strong may lose its spark later, while another that seemed dull at first may unexpectedly become the most meaningful book you’ve ever read.

People are the same. Unless we open them up completely and look deep within—which is nearly impossible—we can never truly know what’s inside, not even with family or lovers.

The good news, however, is that the pen writing our book rests in our own hands.

The “me” of the past used to believe 99.9% of who we are was dictated by environment and experience. But the “me” of today would revise that down to 50%.

We may not get to choose whether we hold a luxury fountain pen or a cheap ballpoint, but we do get to decide what we write. And if we keep writing steadily, without letting our circumstances defeat us, perhaps when the day comes to close our eyes for the last time, we’ll have completed a book worth reading.

At the same time, we should remember: our actions can become part of someone else’s book, making their story shine brighter—or dimmer. Which is why it’s important to strive to be a positive influence.

If we choose to see the world more kindly and think more positively, then surely, the story of our own book will be written with far better themes.

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