A Walk That Changed Me [나를 돌아보게 한 길]

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, Idaho.

On the drive from Spokane to Coeur d’Alene,
endless rows of pine trees stretched along both sides of the road.

Mountain after mountain was covered in green, creating a landscape that seemed to have no end.

I remember looking out the window and thinking,

“Wow… there are so many.”

For a moment, I was convinced there must be more pine trees in Idaho than people.

The pine trees filled every walk with their fresh, earthy scent, while the crisp air made each step feel even lighter.

Pine trees stand firmly through all four seasons, which is why the pine tree is also considered one of the representative trees of Korea, the country where I was born.

They can grow even in harsh and barren soil, and their quiet strength reminds me of Korea, a country that has endured countless wars and invasions and continued to stand.

Idaho also has four distinct seasons and heavy snowfall in winter.

As I looked at the pine trees quietly standing through every season, I found myself wanting to be like them.

To stay where I am without blaming the cold or the heat, the circumstances or the season.

There are many moments in life when our hearts become tired and unsteady.

But perhaps what matters is not the environment we are in, but the strength we build within ourselves to endure and grow through it.

The pine trees quietly taught me that.

Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint are also beautiful places where mountains and rivers exist together.

While hiking along the river, I found myself staring at the quiet water stretching endlessly into the distance.

The scenery was so beautiful that for a while, I simply stood there, lost in the view.

If the ocean were jazz, the river felt like classical music.

The quiet river gently reached my heart and somehow brought a soft smile to my face.

The mountains and the river did not need to move or say anything.

They simply existed, and somehow that alone was enough to fill my heart.

They were beautiful simply by being themselves, and they gave me peace simply by being there.

And as I walked among them, I found myself thinking

I want to be that kind of person, too.

Today, what beauty did you find?