Winter break of my sophomore year was productive. That was a year and a half ago. Every day, I practiced a lot and also made time for fun by hanging out with my close friend. We ate together almost every meal. We also often walked together for exercise. By the end of break, we had three routes in San Francisco that we were regularly walking:
Route #1: John F Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park.
Route #2: Golden Gate Bridge.
Route #3: Twin Peaks.
The Golden Gate Park route was level and long. I liked it because the park¡¯s plant life made the air so clean and the environment so relaxing.
The Golden Gate Bridge route had a completely different feeling. I remember the first time we agreed to meet here; the gift shop with the big round clock at the start of the bridge, city side. We were waiting for a third friend who was going to join for the walk that day. I remember complaining about the icy breeze and constantly looking at my cell phone clock, wondering when she would get there. My friend read my moodiness, and said a Korean phrase ("°øÁÖº´") which I will never forget.
Twin Peaks was the most challenging route, physically. Walking up the steep road felt like climbing a mountain. But the hard physical labor was rewarded with the panoramic view of the city at the top of the climb. The view looked like an image from Google Maps.
I learned so much from my friend from the amount of time we spent together over winter break. Her family was in Korea and mine in San Jose. She couldn¡¯t go home because the break time was too short, and I wouldn¡¯t go home. The school was empty. Some days it felt like a graveyard, others like a playground.