Yesterday morning I left my little house in Mokpo behind to heads towards Jindo island. Jindo was famous for both the Jindo Bridge and its breed of Jindo dogs. I was lucky enough to see both during the time I spent there.
With my traveling friends I was able to find a small museum holding old paintings and artifacts dating back thousands of years. The old man in charge of the museum was very friendly and through translated discussion with him, discovered that he used to work at Cal Tech back in the states.
His lecture was about the importance of learning English, how filling up your car in the morning can save gas and how bras contain harmful chemicals. A varied and offbeat offbeat concersation that resulted in a short tour looking at artwork and other crafts. We only stayed for a short time and the museum itself was not much larger than a backyard, but it was still worth it for quirkiness.
Later on in the afternoon we found Jindo Bridge and also nearby found the site of one of Korea's most legendary battlesites where navel creativity in the form or a turtle. It was here that we made the decision to throw away something from the past.
My guests had brought small bottles with pieces of paper within. The goal was to write something you could not let go of in life, and then cast it away in the ocean. I had been thinking what to get rid of the entire trip. Standing at the edge of the sea, I finally threw away thoughts and feelings following me for over a year. Not sure if it was a sure way to get over something, but I do know it was a step to figuring some things out in my life. A little piece left and I felt better.
We finally found a place to stay a few towns over. Since most of the hotels were sold out our only choice rested with a public bath or jimjilbang.
It was my first time staying at a publuc bath area and after an initial shock of getting naked and sleeping with strangers, I felt suprisingly comfortable. It was a weird sense of calm and trust sleeping and bathing with strangers. Despite sleeping on a hard wood floor, I felt rested and at ease, both mind and body.
I was at first hesitant on going back to work and ending my vacation. As night slowly crept over me I was beginning to feel ready to go back. My mind and conscious was getting rest and clarity that I needed.
It felt great.
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