The eerie sound of silence and smells of spring.

I am pretty sure I have mentioned this before but it bears repeating. One of the things I find myself still getting used to is the silence. Even if it isn't completely silent the sounds of the city/suburbs are so much lower than in Korea that it may as well be quiet.

I am sitting in my apartment with the window open. It is 3:40 in the afternoon. Kids are going home from school. Yet it is fairly quiet. I can here some kids in the distance, probably at their school. In Cheongju I would be hearing cars, people, loud speakers. I don't miss that.

I cut the lawn the other day and it rained after I finished. When I went out that evening I just had to stop, shut my eyes, and breath in the air and silence. It smelled so good. I must have stood there for a good 10 minutes just soaking it all in. Sometimes it is just a simple pleasure like that which we miss the most. One of the reasons why it is good to get out of the city in Korea once in a while and enjoy some fresh air.