Daily life, corona, travel
I covered my faces with a mask, but I can see it just by looking at my eyes. It could be called the atmosphere. Incheon Airport departure hall. There was a feeling of tension rather than the excitement or expectation that came from the airport. People wearing disinfectant containers came and went and sprayed medicine. Among the expressionless people, I was mixed with myself, who will soon go on a honeymoon to New York. Wearing a mask, he was waiting for his turn to process. There were extra masks in the luggage to be checked and in the carrying bag.
It was June 2015. The wedding was held when the fear of MERS hit the world. My younger brother, who was interning in the emergency room of a university hospital at the time, was only allowed to go out, and some guests announced their absence with embarrassing voices. MERS was so big that my wedding felt small (so it wasn’t a small wedding). He said it was okay, stayed healthy, and said to see you again. Our greetings, the scenery of the airport… It was like a scene from a disaster movie.
The reason I suddenly shed memories of five years ago is because I recently found something I lost. The way the plane that took off that day was heading for New York, I thought. It could be an accidental miracle that we breathe to our heart’s content, meet people, eat delicious food together, and take the bus or subway back to our respective homes. Everyone’s thanks came. I was just married and I was about to start my second life. I promised to live by cherishing every moment.
However, as with many pledges, when I returned from my honeymoon and the situation calmed down, it withered and forgot. Breathe to your heart’s content (even though there were hard days due to fine dust), meet people, share delicious food, and enjoy the daily life of returning to your home by bus or subway. He hates some people and complains when the car is pushed. Until the world gets cluttered again.
The Corona 19 incident is spreading out of control. There are dozens and hundreds of confirmed patients a day. School opening and admission is postponed and various events are canceled. Walking down the street without wearing a mask puts unspoken pressure on it, and asking for a handshake like a habit makes it easy to be treated as a person without concept. Viruses have changed the way and the way we live. The natural routine has become unnatural.
Realizing that normal daily life is not natural, it is also an attribute of travel. When I spend a few days in a place that is unfamiliar with both language and culture, I experience the experience of improving my insignificant house, the usual home meal, and the boring routine. No matter how cool I have been to a place, I wonder if the phrase “home is the best!” There is also a famous drama. “Every trip is going to return, to love more of what you have”.
The unpredictable development continues, but this situation certainly has an end. The whole world is working hard to accelerate the end of it with one heart. So, if your precious daily life is not too late, you should not forget this time. To love the things I have more and to be grateful for every moment. Of course, there will be big and small dissatisfaction in life, but I will not lose context.
Magnolia flowers bloomed in Jeju. Spring day comes.