My wife sometimes talks about a brother who used to take his two sons hiking back in our San Jose days. He’s the one she invariably mentions whenever I try to take the kids out hiking with my boundless energy. I suppose I secretly envied that image too. I remember he posted photos on Facebook, starting with the local hills behind his house and eventually enjoying wild camping in the mountains with both kids. So, a bit late myself, I started hiking with my youngest, beginning with Cheongnyangsan Mountain right in front of our house. I tried persuading the older kids to come along from the morning, but they were too busy playing games, using COVID as an excuse. My wife never really had an interest in hiking anyway.

After finding a slightly quieter spot near the Cheongnyangsan entrance to park, I loaded my youngest son into the baby hiking carrier I bought on Carrot Market. Maybe because it was his first time, he seemed a bit uncomfortable at first, but he seemed to adjust quickly. The question ‘Why climb a mountain?’ is akin to asking ‘Why live?’ If someone asks why climb something you’ll just come down from anyway, it’s probably because they haven’t seen the view from the top. The process of climbing the mountain struck me as very much like the twists and turns of life. I felt the full weight of my youngest son on my back. Elderly people coming down offered words of encouragement, and thanks to a middle-aged man who praised me, saying, “Now that’s a real dad!”, my heavy steps felt a little lighter.

Upon reaching the summit, a woman who had come with two children handed me a few tangerines for the baby, which I gratefully accepted. Standing at the observation deck, Songdo spread out before my eyes. All the effort was worth it. I think I climbed Cheongnyangsan about two years ago, but now, coming with my youngest, it feels incredibly moving. Having climbed up, it’s time to descend. Honestly, the descent is more dangerous and requires greater caution. Legs feel a bit loose, and it’s easy to let your guard down. Just for fun, I tested my belly fat thickness – thankfully, it’s still at a 30s level. After coming down the mountain, we had a late lunch of beef short rib soup with rice. My youngest seemed satisfied only after playing to his heart’s content at the 3rd-floor kids’ cafe. It’s usually impossible to get a seat at this famous barbecue restaurant in Songdo Amusement Park on weekends, but today it was completely empty, probably due to COVID’s impact, which made me feel a bit sad. We’re ending today on a happy note with some refreshing ice cream.