Kim Donghee/The mountain that welcomes me/Thursday 1-3 p.m.

 The sound of birds chirping, breeze softly brushing my hair, leaves shining brightly with sunlight. I can see roads between the trees, far ahead of me. For each step I take I can feel the soft ground underneath me, or hard rock against my shoes. I huff and pant while hiking, but when I finally reach the top of the mountain I can relax and breathe in the fresh air. That is where I can forget everything about my life, about my study, my future and all the relationships and unwind myself. 

 

 I have been living in the same town for almost 20 years. This is same for most of my friends who lives around, and there is a good reason for that--actually couple of reasons. First, this town has a great educational environment. Second, there is a huge transportation center in my neighborhood; East-Seoul Bus Terminal. Third, It also has a small but beautiful mountain. Its name is Ah-cha mountain. Weird name, you may think. It is actually really weird name as Ah-cha means 'Oops' in Korean. This mountain with funny name, is a very meaningful place for me. 

 

 To be frank, I was never the one who loves mountain or hiking and I am still not a big fan of it. I rarely enjoy exercising of any kind. However there is only one exception, mount Ah-cha. Ever since I relocated to this town, the mountain felt close, almost friendly to me. I began hiking Ah-cha mountain from very young, right after I moved to this neighborhood when I was 2 years old. So I hiked the very same mountain for umpteenth time. Most of the time I hike with my dad. Like many other middle-aged Korean man, my father loves hiking. Probably because it is the only place where he can enjoy the nature in the middle of a city. 

 

 Mount Ah-cha is actually more of a low hill than a proper mountain. It is only 287 meters high. However as a child it was like mount Everest to me; I always had to stop and rest for a few minutes in the small Buddhist temple which is on the half way of the course. My dad and I used to take easy route which most of the hikers take. However after I entered high school we started to make more adventurous attempts. It is such a thrill to take a step into the wild, straying from the road packed with people. I especially love the mountain with snow in the winter. Unlike spring, summer or autumn, there is something special, something still but overwhelming about the winter mountain. It smells differently, you can smell 'winter' better in high up the mountain. Cold fresh air makes you feel wide awake and calm. Plus, I love walking on snow--though I have to be extra careful.

 

 That does not necessarily mean I like hiking on other mountains. I love Ah-cha mountain only because it is not high enough for me to hike, and every route it has is so familiar for me. I feel welcomed when I enter the mountain. It is as if the mountain knows me and recognizes me, saying hi to me. There is one more thing; my first dog, Bori, was buried in the mountain. She died very young after living 6 months but she was the very first dog for our family and we went through rough time after her death. I still cannot watch her pictures or videos without snuffling. When I go to the mountain, It feels like I am being consoled by the mountain and Bori.

 

 However after becoming Junior in University, I have no time to hike the mountain. I am being tugged here and there to do something really important for my future, and It is sometimes suffocating despite the fact that I love my major. When I can't hold the pressure and just want to give up on everything, I think about Ah-cha mountain. I think about the route with huge pine tree, so big that I can't even hug it entirely, small streams flowing under ice, rustling sound of fallen leaves, and for a brief moment I can relax, and that gives me strength to go on. It had been so long since I hiked the mountain. I miss it. Maybe I should pay a visit this weekend.