My favorite time of year is finally here! Today I took the kids out for a little bike ride around the river and enjoyed not sweating to death. I feel such a sense of slowing down this time of year. Really taking the time to enjoy life’s moments and the changes of the season bring me joy.
(Disclaimer: many of these photos were from our adventures here last year, though everything was the same again this year. That golden autumn light last year was so beautiful. You guuuuuuyzzzzz! Look at how small A was! Not crying . . .)
I was thinking about these moments and slowing down, reminding myself to really enjoy this time of year because it's so fleeting. I realized that yesterday is the nine year anniversary of when The Babe and I went up to Cascade Springs up American Fork Canyon in Utah to take our bridals and get our first look photographed. You guys, it was so beautiful. The leaves were beginning to change, the air was clear, and a little girl came over to me and called me a princess. It was magical. I can't believe it's been that long! Yowza! And now, here we are, in SoKo living it up. Well, trying to.
We've been doing a lot of traveling since we got here. It's kind of how we flow. I guess that's what happens when you move someplace new every handful of years. You feel like you need to see and do all the things. At least, we do. The other day, on our way to yet another place, The Babe asked me if I thought we could ever be like "normal people" (whatever that means) and stay home on the weekends. Honestly? I don't know. Maybe it's because our children are young and we are in a more "mobile" part of our lives. We don't have teenagers wanting to hang out with friends or a yard to take care of. Plus, there is this constant need I feel to get out and see. I think I live in a consistent state of Fomo. Just for myself by myself because of myself. Ha. There are so many things to do and see in this world and I know I won't be able to do and see them all realistically. Not with the life I want for my family. So, I guess I feel the need to go and do and see at every opportunity. It's what makes me happy. I don't know if we'll ever put down roots, but if we do, I think I'll need a lot of family vacations.
Speaking of roots, we felt a craving to get back into nature this past weekend. We've been doing a lot of traveling to Seoul and other areas that have been considered off limits many times over the last year. As much as we've enjoyed our discoveries, we've also missed the calm we feel when we're closer to the soil and further from the concrete.
We decided to make our way to the Bee and Honey Cafe in Pyeongtaek. We've been there once before. Actually, the first time we went was last fall. It's cute and yummy, nestled off the road in farm land and mountains near Asan Lake. There is a hike right across the road that doesn't take more than 30-40 minutes if you hike it at a brisk pace. The trails reside on Ma-asan Mountain across the road from the café.
Of course, we have two littles So it takes us longer than that. G did wonderfully on his own two feet. He was worried about it at first. I think we've traumatized him with some of the harder and longer hikes we've been on. But he loved it. As you hike along, there are views of the lake and lots of shade. The leaves are beautiful in the fall and the breeze was nice. There are a handful of stairs (it is Korea) and toward the end it's all uphill and has stairs to one side and trail to the other. We don't mind it, though. The first time I even did it in low heeled boots with absolutely no support and didn't have trouble.
Afterward we stopped for some honeycomb ice cream, smoothies and honey samples. The café has squeezable plastic jars or beautiful glass jars to put the honey in after you pick which one to take home. They have all kinds of little trinkets like bees wax candles, honey dippers, gift sets, and more.
They have an assortment of honey to sample and choose if you feel like taking some home. There are explanations of the benefits and origins of each type on the container. This makes it easy to get something that you might have a specific need for. I like the one for overall health and the other for the flavor. Acacia honey is particularly good made into a tea with lemon, cinnamon and warm water. Something to warm you on a crisp autumn morning or evening.
Some of their bees are just outside the shop and make a calming humming sound when you go outside. This time we sat at a table by a window with a built-in beehive. The kids had fun looking at the bees as they worked to complete their daily tasks. It's a fun place to relax and enjoy being among the bees. A breath of fresh air after a month of being in the city.
