Welcoming my 24th year with a Bang

During the past years, it has become a tradition for me to go on a travel escapade alone during my birthday. It's a way for me to reflect on the past years and to visualize the things I should look forward to in the years ahead. It also serves as a yearly challenge for me to explore new places and try out crazy adventures without the safety and comfort of any companion. 

But I made an exception this year as I conquered Busan with my closest friends from KGSP. 

It was the first time that we traveled together as a group which is not under the pretense of an educational field trip or any cultural-related student activity. 

We decided to go on a Sunday since 25th is Buddha's birthday and falls on a long holiday. The rides takes about only 2 hours by train. 

After some trial and error in finding accommodation  (almost everything was fully-booked), we finally managed to mark our footprints in the famous sands of Haeundae Beach.

There were some sand castles already in placed in preparation for the Sand Festival. Most figures are from famous children's stories such as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. How ironic it is to stare at the sand figure of the boy who never wanted to grow up on the date of your birthday. Take me to Neverland!  

But, it actually makes me want to tell him that growing up may be a pain but it definitely has its perks. It can be scary but it can also be exhilarating. 

We walked along the entire stretch of Dongbaek Park reaching up to Nurimaru APEC House to get a better view of Gwangandaegyo Bridge. It was a good 30-minute walk but the view was definitely worth it.

Of course, we wouldn't pass up the opportunity to experience Busan's night life. We headed off to HOF bar for some drinks. The atmosphere is just like Thursday Party, a popular bar for foreigners  here in Korea. 

Since it's Buddha's birthday, we made a pilgrimage to 용궁사 temple. There's no direct bus from Hyeundae beach that passes this temple so riding a taxi is your only option. Fare costs around 10,000 won. The temple was packed with locals and tourists alike. There was a long queue of devotees waiting to wish Buddha a happy birthday. It's fascinating to see so many different Buddhas in one place, one for maternity, one for healing and the list goes on. Depending on your pace, it's possible to tour the entire temple in an hour. 

If there's a particular deity for passing the TOPIK exam, I bet the entire KGSP students would have made a pilgrimage to whichever part of Korea just to try to win their favor.

After the temple tour, we discovered a secluded beach which was supposedly called Seongjong Beach. A word of warning though: the path is quite perilous but if you're a frustrated music producer and is looking for the perfect spot to shoot a music video, then this deserted beach is highly-recommended. 

We ventured into the night to witness the Lantern Parade for Buddha's birthday. Unfortunately, the festival was over so we moved on to Gwanggali Beach. 

This is where the fun starts. One word-magical. I don't know how my friends managed to pull it off but I got the surprise of my life when the dark skies suddenly  lit up with fireworks as they sang around my birthday cake (insert Katy Perry's firework song). It's like they were singing around a campfire. 

With the beach and the colorful bridge as a backdrop, I was just awe-struck as to how my friends are truly getting better at surprises each time there's a birthday.

For braving the cold, risking it out with the police, and almost setting the beach on fire, I just have to love these people. But the best thing was actually their personal messages which were either  supposed to make me cry, laugh or cringe in embarrassment. Whatever the case may be, this midnight has garnered a spot on my night to remember list. 

I don't know what I did in my past life to deserve such multitude of blessings most specially my ever-supportive family (real and adopted), loving friends and awesome genes. ^^ But these amazing people are the most evident proof of how much God loves me. Thank you Lord for showering me with your generous grace. 

We capped the night off with a game of Uno in which I am proud to say, I have become an expert.  ^^ This game has ruined a lot of friendships but it never fails to strengthen ours since everyone is always making a new team to outsmart each other. 

My birthday celebration this year has taught me some of the most important things in life. It made me realize the things I value and would never compromise for. It made me distinguish the thin line between what is worthy and what is fleeting. 

You will never truly know yourself until you push your boundaries to the limit. But don't ever settle for superficial moments. You have to do the right things even if it translates to pain for others. Love yourself enough to know that you deserve something real. 

Most importantly, it showed me a side of life that can only be revealed when you're finally ready to partake in its circus. It made me understood pain and bliss in a twistedly-accurate logic. You just have to remember that in the end, you are still the circus master. You run your own show and should always be ready to enchant the audience with your dazzling and never-ending tricks behind your sleeves. The world is a stage, life is a drama, you decide what genre your life's gonna be, after all, you are both the director and the actor. Expect numerous plot twist but always keep in mind the role each of the character in your life plays. 

It's like it's telling me, brace yourself, your journey is just starting. Don't be scared, take a leap of faith. Be brave enough  to take risks, because in the end, we're only going to regret the choices we didn't make. 24 is the new 18. 

Bonus Photos: Look who came to surprise me on my birthday! Thanks to Kim Soo-Hyun for being my special guest. ^^ 

Photo credit goes to my roommate Lexie and my KGSP mom Sayeeda. Love you both to the moon and back.