I left a trip just as the forsythia is starting to emerge. Upon my return, the cherry blossoms are fluttering in the breeze. I love warm New York.
I clean my house before I go on a trip. Empty the refrigerator while eating without grocery shopping. I make kkakdugi and kimchi. I bought a pack of ramen. Put the rice in the freezer. Sometimes I forget and don't prepare, but I also stock up on beer.
Traveling is tiring. Flying is especially difficult. The moment I came back with my tired body and opened the door of the apartment, why did I leave my cozy house and wander around? I regret it. I cook ramen without changing my clothes. There is no egg. Wrap up the trip after eating kimchi with rice in ramen.
The next day, while my husband sweeps away the accumulated dust I make a thick soybean paste stew. The moment I took kimchi and soybean paste stew to my mouth, why did I leave such delicious food at home and wander around? I'll regret it again. The longer I live in America, the more I look for Korean food. Even if I don't remember it during the trip, when I sit on the plane to come home, I want to eat Korean food from then on.
It reminds me of something a friend of mine in New Jersey said.
“After visiting the bustling Seoul and staying busy, and when I came back to the U.S., and entered the house of the dark, desolate feeling as if I’ve stepped into a lonely mountain, so I pack my bags and leave again.”
Living in Manhattan, I don't feel that way much. If it's lonely, open the apartment door and go out and walk. If I want to get out into the suburbs, I walk around Riverside or Central Park. If I don't like crowds, I walk into my apartment and lock the door, I'm in my own world. The door is like a coffin lid. When I open it and go in and lie down, I'm disconnected from the world, and when I open the door and go out, I'm connected to the world.
I love New York so much. No matter how many places I go, there is no place like New York City. When I traveled to South America, I saw a lot of poor people living in dusty garbage dumps, refugees living in tents on treeless mountain sides. There's a huge divide between rich and poor. Many tourist destinations around the world rely on tips from American tourists.
"Travel is tiring, but let's do it often. Maybe we can help them a little bit by releasing money from our travels."
"That's a great idea. It's better to put tips directly into the hands of hardworking people than to give them to a charity with no transparency."
When the tip recipients are happy, I am biologically happy too. In the end, it's to my benefit.
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