Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

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Not long ago, I went on a bike ride in Chuncheon with people from my research institute. We started near Gongjicheon, rode around the Uiam Dam area, and returned to where we had started. We planned the ride before the weather became too hot, and for me, it turned out to be a much more meaningful experience than I expected.

What made the ride especially memorable was that it had been almost twenty years since I last rode a bicycle. At first, I felt a little nervous. I was not sure whether I still remembered how to ride comfortably after so many years. But once I started moving, the feeling came back more naturally than I expected. It felt both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.

Because it had been so long, I was less focused on the route itself and more focused on the experience of riding again. The breeze, the movement, and the feeling of seeing Chuncheon at a slower pace all stayed with me. It was different from moving through the city by car or on foot. Riding a bicycle made the scenery feel more open and more connected to me.

I also liked that I was not doing it alone. Riding together with people from the institute made the experience feel lighter and more enjoyable. It was not only exercise, but also a chance to share time together outside of work and enjoy a different rhythm of the day.

For me, that ride was not about knowing the bike path well or completing a perfect course. It was about returning to something I had not done in a very long time. After nearly twenty years, getting back on a bicycle felt refreshing, a little emotional, and surprisingly joyful.