The past week Jiwon and I spent some time exploring Bangkok and Koh Samui. The weather was perfect and every single day was filled with laughter, joy and a sense of connection. There's much more to share about our adventure, but for now I want to reflect on something that shook the hell out of me.
Early this morning, I dropped Jiwon off at Bangkok Airport for her flight back to Korea. I headed back to my hotel feeling a mix of emotions - sad that our trip had ended but also excitement knowing that I'll see her again in the coming weeks. I fell asleep.
A few hours later I woke up to a message from my friend Pieter telling me that a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok to Korea just crashed. For a few seconds my heart stopped beating. That was the airline Jiwon flew on this morning. Panic and Anxiety hit me like a tsunami and I scrambled searching for her flight number etc to confirm what happened
Fortunately, it wasn't her flight and minutes later she texted me, "I just landed". Jiwon is safe.
It's one thing to know life is unpredictable in theory - it's a whole different level when it hits so close to home.
Life is fragile - a realisation that's sobering and certainly grounding in every possible way. It's easy to get lost in the noise and busyness of everyday life, but events like this pull you to what really matters - cherishing the time we have and grateful for every moment.