The Remotest but Closest Land in the World.

Every first experience has its own charm for us all as human beings, but this time was a bit more special to me than other first experiences.

Last week my mom (mom = American) and I visited my younger brother's military base.

That day was my brother's official brief (I'd only say it was his brief vacation if there were other types of vacations that he had yet to use.) vacation for spending one night with family.

We went to Ganghwa island, which is the fifth largest island of South Korea, to 'hang out'. (when you use a phrase which is slang or is a saying, you can put it in quotes.)
Actually both his military camp and the island are very close (a half an hour's distance by car) and they are stunningly near to North Korean territory.
(when you use 'both' you're tying 2 things together, military camp + the island= plural)

(near=to, far=from. One has the feeling of getting closer the other has a feeling of greater/larger distance)

However, I had not noticed how close they were until my adventurous instinct encouraged me to climb over a mountain surrounded by an ancient fortress.

(things like watches that gain monetary value over time are 'antique')

After a half an hour, I reached a peak and my jaw dropped!

Firstly I was stunned with the cute buildings sitting in the main town in the island but what impressed me the most was the land of North Korea!

You can actually see the long mountainous wall sitting along the tiny strait between North & South Korea!

Yes! We have been separated for more than half a century even though its distance is less than 50 km long which is possible to cross in (only) half an hour.

That's the land where people who speak the same language as us; share same blood; history; but are starving to death.

It was absolutely the most amazing, "first time" that I've ever had as a Korean, even though I did just stand and watch them in silence from a distance away.

(from a distance, from far away)

Great post, well done :)

Remotest but closest land in the world

Every first experience has its own charm as to you, me and everyone else.
But this time, it was a bit more special to me than my other first experiences.
Last week my mom and I visited my younger brother's military base.
On the day, when it was my brother's official short vacation. He spent one night with us, his family. We went to Ganghwa island, which is fifth largest island of South Korea, to hang out.

Actually his military camp is quite close to the island are (a half an hour distance by car). Also, it's near the North Korean territory.

However, I have not noticed how close they are until my adventurous instinct poked my heart to climb over a mountain surrounded by an antique fortress.
After half an hour, I reached a peak and my jaw dropped.

I was stunned by the cute buildings in the main town of the island as I observed them from the top of the mountain. But what impressed me the most was the view of the land of North Korea.

You can actually see the long mountainous wall separating North & South Korea!
Yes, We have been separated for more than half a century now even though its distance is less than 50 km long - which makes anyone from the South in that island able to across in half an hour.

Realizing that it's the land where people speak the same language, share the same blood and history with us, but are starving to death.

Although that, it was absolutely the most amazing first time I've ever had even though all I did was just stand and see the view with silence from distance away.