It goes without saying that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our lives. In addition to the stress and anxiety we feel on a daily basis, there are many people suffering from mental health issues from the pandemic. It’s difficult to see that we have power over our lives and realize we always have a choice in how we think, act, and feel.
Angela and I were full of excitement when we booked our trip to Jeju, South Korea to visit my parents in late 2019. We also had visions of grandeur to travel all over Asia for a few months. When we boarded our flight from Orlando to Jeju, South Korea on January 29th, 2020, little did we know the world would be changed forever in the months ahead.
What started out as news reports of a mysterious virus in China became messages of concern from family and friends about our decision to take a trip to Asia around that time. We made the choice to go anyways.
When we arrived at Jeju on January 30th, things definitely seemed to be on edge. There were temperature checks at the airport and our Airbnb host told us masks are to be worn in public. It became clear that the local government and citizens were preparing for what was to come.
When Things Started Getting Real
In mid-February, we heard the news of the first large COVID-19 outbreak in the city of Daegu, which was on Korea’s mainland. We were glued to our phones every day looking for updates on conditions in Jeju and
We decided to cut our trip short and catch a flight in late March. It was canceled due to the travel restrictions so we rebooked it for late April in hopes that the situation improved.
The consumption of local news, US news, and social media first thing in the morning became a part of our daily routine. The consumption of so much information was mentally and physically exhausting. Like many Americans traveling abroad, we were in limbo on what to do.
The Turning Point
We started to take weekend trips and mini-vacations around the island to get our minds off of things. Fortunately, hotels and restaurants were open the whole time so we were able to enjoy the things we loved most: Exploring cool places and eating good food.
The pivotal moment in our trip was when my stepmother passed away. She has been fighting lung cancer for the past 2 years and we sensed she was nearing the end of her road when she was admitted to the hospital two weeks before she took her last breath at 8:45 AM on April 4, 2020.
Being there during her last days and helping my father get through the grieving process made me realize what was truly important in life. For some reason, all the problems in the world got smaller and we realized what’s truly important in life.
Shaping New Perspectives
As time started to heal wounds and we overcame the haze of the grieving process, we started to see the world through a different lens. Even though our flights back home kept getting canceled, it didn’t seem a big deal since we knew we were in a safe place. Our decisions to extend our stay in Jeju became easier.
In between our daily visits to my father’s house for dinner, we started to explore more places we’ve never been to. We tried new foods and restaurants on the island. We were following our bliss and creating incredible memories.
One of our goals of the trip was to climb Mount Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea. We did it during our last few days before coming home. The climb gave us a sense of accomplishment and gave us a lot to reflect on during our 5 months in Jeju.
Start Following Your Bliss
“If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living.”
-Joseph Campbell
The life we’re living has brought us from one of the safest and most beautiful places on earth to the epicenter of the pandemic. The world has changed dramatically since we stepped on the plane to go to Korea in January, but we choose to live in a state of love and positivity every day.
Now that we’re back home, we want to encourage each of you to overcome any fear or anxiety and follow your bliss. Along the way, you’ll find the silver lining in all of this. For us, we’ve learned to appreciate what’s important in life.
To share our love and positive vibes with everyone we meet, we’re starting Following Our Bliss. Our goal is to inspire you to follow your bliss and live your best life. We welcome you to join us on our journey and be a part of the community.