Unlike in previous years, this year’s Lunar New Year fell in January, aligning more closely with the solar calendar. Despite the extended holiday, I opted to take the KTX train to my hometown in Sejong City instead of driving, concerned about potential traffic congestion. The journey took a mere 43 minutes from Seoul Railroad Station — so brief that I found myself wishing for a longer ride to savor the moment.

I often reflect on how different travel was for my late father, a man of keen intellect. Born in 1934, he endured long, rattling train rides — about two hours each way on a slow train — to attend university in Seoul in the early 1950s. Back then, an endless stretch of mountains and fields created a mesmerizing landscape.

What thoughts occupied his mind during those four years of daily........

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