Fall Came Early: A Traveler's Happy Ground.

We live in such a wonderful world, and there's no end to the adventures we can have if we only seek them. For me, traveling is such a liberating thing to do, to be in a place so unfamiliar, to see and experience things you could only imagine, and to learn more about the world and appreciate what God has blessed us with. It doesn't matter if the journey is long, if the roads are winding and tortuous, or if you fell off the beaten paths and take unexpected routes. Traveling after all isn't about arriving at your chosen destination, it's more about the amazing journey to get there.

One of the things I look forward to when traveling is a cozy and comfortable place where we could retire at the end of the day. More than fancy hotels, I love to stay in pensions and have barbecue outdoors while drinking and enjoying the scenery. Chris found exactly the place I had in mind, located at the remotest part of Chuncheon right beside Bukhan river. The pension is surrounded by thick pine trees and seasonal wildflowers. The owner was gracious to give us the best room in the house, with riverfront view of the river, and a small hill nearby, thick with chestnut trees and dawdling squirrels.

There is a short trail that leads to the river, and at the side of the bank, there is a small tree house that looks really romantic and perfect for couples like us.

The tree house is small and it smelled like fresh paint, but it's also cute and the view inside is just mesmerizing. We had barbecue there and drank beer and wine for hours before calling it a night and retreating to our room.

Despite the cold winterish air, we kept the windows open that night while sleeping. At the first sight of light, I woke up. This was around 5:30 am, and Chris woke up soon after. We went to an early morning stroll around the pension hoping to see more of the squirrels and the river.

That morning I was shivering from the cold and the drizzle. We went inside the tree house again, and sitting there, wrapped in a beach towel, and drinking warm coffee was surely a perfect way to start yet another amazing journey.

Crisp early morning air, dewy grass and pinetrees, mountain covered in delicate fog, and squirrels loafing idly in search for breakfast... Could there be a more beautiful morning than this?