Freedom

As I walked back from my local watering hole tonight, cheered by the thought of the birth of my brother’s daughter, I was struck with a startling memory – that of riding on a moped along the empty streets of U-do, Jeju-do, South Korea, last summer. The salty wind blowing through my helmet, filling me with a sense of freedom as I gunned the tiny engine down a straightaway at 65km/h (clearly inviolation of the 30km/h posted limit). The water was aquamarine, the air was fresh, and I was having the time of my life. I’ll always have the scars on my right arm and leg to remind me of my time in the saddle of a scooter in Jeju-do.