벚꽃. Morning walks. 포항 beginning to bloom.
Calling 엄마 every day and night.
Getting my first haircut since my last haircut that I got in 파주 last July. I didn’t want 이모 and 이모부 to be worried about me not taking care of myself. Accidentally cutting off too much hair, regretting not going into my appointment with a plan, feeling like I had become 단발머리.
Taking Haejoon on his first KTX bullet train ride. Going on my first KTX bullet train ride. Traveling with Haejoon by myself for the first time. Calling 엄마 on FaceTime from the train. Surviving our first KTX bullet train ride thanks to the help of four, kind women in the 연결통로.
이모 and 이모부 picking Haejoon and me up from 서울역. Seeing them for the first time in nine months, which is a short amount of time compared to our usual five-year stretches of separation.
Being back in 서울. Being back with my family. Feeling like I’ve finally arrived home in Korea. Feeling relief to be in the comfort of my family and my 고향. Eating the most delicious 평양냉면 and 수육 at 평양면옥. The place I went to with 할아버지 when he was alive. The place he said tastes most like home. Paying for their meal.
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