Heart Training

Maybe he said "hard training" but I like my initial admission better. I summitted my fifth, and probably last, mountain here in Korea yesterday. I returned to the first mountain I hiked nearly a year ago. I had attempted to do so last weekend, but since I still don't know where I'm going half the time even after 11 months here, I ended up getting off the bus at the wrong stop and walking in the opposite direction.....so I gave it another go this Saturday. And it was hot; possibly the hottest day we've had this summer. I could feel the sweat sliding down my cheeks and back, soaking my clothes.

I've started every one of these expeditions by myself, mainly because no one seems anxious to join me, but I never feel like I've made the climb alone in the end. At some point along the way, I'm seemingly adopted by some enthusiastic hiker, or hikers, who feel the need to take me under their wing.
About halfway through the 865 meters - the beginning of the real rugged terrain - a man handed me a cookie. Moments later, another man began asking me where I was from, why I was here, how long I would be staying, and with an ear to ear smile wished me "wonderfully journey to my destination." It was shortly after, and expectantly, that another somewhat older Korean man began chatting up a storm,mostly in Korean, and then continued to lead the way for me and take concern for my well-being: making sure my footing was right, giving me water and iced coffee from a thermos and some fruit. He told me all about the area, about how much he loves to hike and how many mountains he's conquered, about how he once saw a tiger when he made this climb a few years back. He took pictures for me at the top and as we descended he called his teenage daughter so the two of us could have "girl talk." When we got to the bottom, a good 4 hours in all, he insisted upon buying me dinner so we stopped at a small mountain chow shack at the foot of Bukhanson with a load of hikers. He told me about his job and told him about mine, and then we commented on the greatness of Michael Jackson's and U2's music. Everyday I realize more and more how I'm always provided for, even if its just in the form of a companion for a brief time.
And as I was making the tiring trek back to my apartment I couldn't help but think about how I'm going to miss these random chance encounters my life here has given me.