First Sunrise of 2016

This year Claire and I decided to participate in one of the oldest traditions in Korea to hike to the top of the mountain and watch the first sunrise of the year. Most memorable New Years I have ever had. We waited until midnight for the official 2016 then set our alarms and woke up at 3 am. We packed our bags, put on layers of clothes and hiked to the top of Mudeungsan in complete darkness and waited for the first sunrise to peak over the horizon. It was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had.

Down the trail behind us you could see a trail of thousands of people with little lights making their way to the top in pitch black. When the sun peaked over the horizon everyone cheered and hugged and quietly made their own resolutions for the year to come. When we hiked back down the mountain after 4 cold hours we were greeted by the Korean Red Cross with hard boiled eggs, soup and other Korean foods while congratulating everyone on a Happy New Year! 2016 started off to a better start than I could have ever imagined. Thank you all for your support in this amazing journey I have taken to South Korea. It means the world to me. Happy New Year!