Have you ever taken a trip with your parents? I've had that experience, and I can tell you that traveling with parents is quite different from traveling alone. If your parents have not traveled abroad like mine, they might be excited and anxious about the trip.
A few years ago, I took my parents to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and many unexpected things happened during and before our trip.
As the guide, I was responsible for our family group. But why didn't we just join an organized tour group arranged by a travel agency? It was because I felt confident enough to handle everything by myself. Before our journey, I spent a lot of time creating a list of must-see places and identifying the best transportation options.
However, despite our excitement, everyone was troubled by nightmares before the upcoming trip.
My mom told me, 'Guess what? I had a dream. The hotel we stayed at didn't have any doors. Once we entered, we couldn't find a way out!'
My dad turned to me nervously; he said, 'I had a dream that we were wandering in Seoul, homeless, with nowhere to go.'
Hearing what my dad said, my mom added, 'Yes! I had a dream that we got lost in Seoul. Are you sure you really know the way?'
After hearing their dreams, it turned into my personal nightmare.
I dreamt that I arrived at the Taoyuan airport with my family for our departure, only to realize that my mom was still home. Yes, she hadn't come with us, but I don't know why. I had to call her, trying to explain how to reach the airport from our house, and eventually, she made it! But when she arrived at the airport, she forgot her passport.
That is what happened before the trip. Everyone had a dream, terrible dreams!
And what happened in Seoul?
Every day was a challenge. We walked a lot and visited many places. Even though we were exhausted from all the walking, my parents were always eager to move on to the next attraction. It seemed like we never stopped moving!
I once suggested my parents take a break at a coffee shop. However, as soon as we got our coffee, they finished their drink in just thirty seconds and asked, "Where should we go next?" It seemed they were bursting with energy to keep moving!
Like many elders, my parents preferred not to spend money unless it was absolutely necessary. They insisted on taking the subway wherever we went, even when everyone was too tired to walk.
However, if you have ever been to Seoul, you may know that the city's subway system is enormous and complex. When we needed to transfer, we often had to cover long distances on foot within the huge subway stations.
My parents refused to take a taxi until the last day of our trip, but unfortunately, another problem happened during our ride in the taxi: I lost my cellphone.
It was the final day. On our way to the hotel, as I jumped out of the taxi, I suddenly realized that my cell phone had fallen under the seat while I was paying the fare. But as I stood there, the taxi had driven away.
My parents were quite anxious about the incident, but I had to tell them that everything was alright.
I said: ‘Although I lost my cell phone, I remember the room code, and our tickets and passports are still in my bag, so don’t worry.’
But deep down, I was frustrated because losing my phone meant losing all the photos over the past few days.
Later, after I took them back to the hotel room, I went out alone and asked people around on the streets, ‘Do you know where the police station is? Could you help me to find the police? Please!’
I reported the loss to the police, and fortunately, after two hours, the police informed me that the taxi driver had taken my phone to another station. I finally got my phone back, and the two hours of waiting felt like two days.
That was an unexpected adventure with my parents. And after this trip to Seoul, we couldn't go abroad for years because of COVID-19.
Now, I find it challenging to plan another trip abroad due to my father's regular hospital visits. To make up for it, I drive them out occasionally on the weekends. I think it would be another kind of experience with my parents.
So, what will happen on our next journey? I'm really looking forward to it.
Thanks for listening.
