The occasional Saturday off of work when the weather is nice, is cause for celebration and last minute planning. This particular weekend led to an unexpected bus ride to Gayasan National Park with a group of friends representing Russia, Slovakia, and the USA. Only a bit more than an hour away from home led us to yet another one of Korea’s cherished national parks.With fall leaves still exploding with color, Gayasan National Park made an excellent escape from the city. The hike from the bus terminal through the park passed a deep winding creek and sloping valleys of vibrantly colored trees. Although not an intensive hike it was a very peaceful walk towards the temple in a wilderness reminiscent of home, but rarely seen amongst the hustle and bustle of the city life in Daegu.
The trail led us to Haeinsa Temple, one of the most infamous temples in South Korea for its size and beauty nestled deep in a pristine valley. The temple is home to 800 year old Sutras permanently written on wooden scrolls. Located atop a small hill in the center of the valley this temple has a sense of pure tranquility and isolation. It is designed with the same copy and paste method as all of the temples in Korea yet each one shares the sense of peace that Buddhism instills.
No perfect day could end without a proper picnic with friends from abroad. This sense of satisfaction was accompanied by the innocence of children making a pile of leafs. Lacking all maturity I had to join the children in making the pile and then jumping in the pile. Having a foreigner in the midst of their entertainment not only made their day but also my own. They certainly enjoyed being able to bury an American in leafs and having a leaf fight.
Although the parents were not so keen on their children getting dirt and leafs on themselves, the innocence of youth is the strongest force and breaks all cultural boundaries. It made for the perfect end to a perfect day where the impeding stresses of real life can be forgotten. It is times like these that make one truly appreciate the friends you have, the place you are and the life you live. 
