traditions

As per the family tradition, my parents and I drove out to Half Moon Bay for a scenic drive and some mandatory picture-taking at the beach. And it being Norcal, we're not talking sunny beaches that people go to surf and get a tan at...these are rocky cliffs and crashing waves.

It was a pretty classic trip, complete with my mom cutting fruit in the backseat (why one would wield a knife during a drive is beyond me, but who am I to turn down fresh fruit?) my dad singing along to "Feliz Navidad" with a better Spanish accent than me on the all-Christmas radio station, and me trying to curb and deflect any questions that remotely have to do with dating, marriage, and having children. "Hey let's buy a ranch when we retire so that our grandchildren can ride horses...and play golf!" Didn't have the heart to burst their bubble that not ALL Koreans are innately good at golf. Apparently they still regret that I didn't pursue that path, and that my golf career ended at the tender age of 13 at the driving range. My poor children will apparently bear the brunt of what their grandparents did not accomplish as parents...any of you guys in school for counseling want test specimens?

The weather was actually pretty nice yesterday (ie. not cold and windy), so at one of the 3 stops we make every year, we stayed a bit to play tag with the waves and take in the fresh air. Something about it is just ... refreshing.

After 3 days of not working out, eating like a fiend, and sitting at home and sleeping, I grew restless. I turned to my dad and said "아빠 우리 달리기 하자!" (Hey Dad, let's race!)

So we took off down the beach and we were pretty neck and neck in the beginning (man, he's fast for being over 60...) when I started taking a bit of a lead...and then my shoe came untied. As I bent over to tie it, he hauled it all the way down the beach and I had to sprint to catch him, laughing all the way.

I caught him at the end, but he was totally in my face about winning. Never in my life has the man ever let me win at anything. Though when I think about it...I fear the princess he would have produced if he had.

I think that's the most fun I've had in a long time. There are certain moments of your life when time stands still, and on the same deserted beach where nothing ever changes, it was nice to be 7 years old again, racing with abadon and not a care in the world and laughing all the way.