I'm about to go on my very first solo camping trip. There are only two days left until I leave. It's just a campsite near my home, right in the middle of the city where I live, but it still makes my heart flutter.

It's been almost ten years since we bought our first tent.

For a long time, I didn't realize that I wanted to camp. But when my husband suggested it years ago, the feeling slowly came back to me. I think I had always been fascinated by tents. Ever since I was little, I loved the idea of sleeping in a tent, not only in the wilderness but almost anywhere. The tent itself was the center of that fantasy.

When I was in elementary school, we had a camping night at school. We spent one day and one night there. We were divided into groups and did everything together: setting up tents, carrying supplies, cooking our meals, and gathering around a big campfire after dark. We didn't even have proper sleeping bags, just blankets and pillows. I remember one student brought a real air mattress, and that tent immediately became the most popular place in the camp. It was so much fun.

There is another memory that feels even more vivid to me.

When I was a child, my uncle died in a car accident. It was sudden and tragic. I was very fond of him, even though we didn't spend much time together. We lived far apart and only met once or twice a year.

I remember one day when we went hiking and almost lost our way in the mountains. At the time, I had no idea how serious the situation might have been because my uncle never showed any fear or frustration. He never let us see that he was worried. To us, it was simply a wonderful adventure.

He was my mother's older brother, and there was a large age gap between them. My mother often told us stories about him. He loved traveling alone with very little money. In Korea, we call it "무전여행," which means traveling without money. Maybe it wasn't so unusual in those days. Society was poorer, but people were also warmer and more trusting. It seemed possible to travel alone without much money and still find help along the way.

My mother told us countless stories about his adventures. Because he had almost no money, he usually carried a backpack with a tent and basic camping gear. I was completely fascinated by those stories. I dreamed that someday, when I grew up, I would go on my own mujeon yeohaeng.

Well, I grew up and realized that I wasn't brave enough for that kind of adventure. It felt too scary.

So I made a second choice.

One day, a friend and I took a trip with only a very small amount of money. We called it "소전여행," a low-budget version of 무전여행. We weren't brave enough to travel with no money at all, but we wanted to experience something similar.

It turned out to be every bit as wonderful as I had imagined. I had several unforgettable experiences that I never could have planned for. I was grateful to my friend for sharing those precious moments with me.

That trip happened just before I got married.

Then time flew by.

I had two daughters, and now they are both teenagers.

When my oldest daughter was four years old, my husband suggested camping for the first time. My reaction was, "What?" I was surprised to realize that I had completely forgotten all those dreams and memories. Since then, the four of us have gone camping from time to time, and luckily we all enjoy it.

People often say that children stop spending time with their families as they get older, but our daughters still love doing things together with us. Not only traveling, but also eating out, taking walks, shopping, and many other simple things. I am very grateful for that.

But as my daughters grew older, and as I grew older too, a new dream began to take shape.

I wanted to take a trip completely by myself.

And now, after all these years, that dream is finally about to come true.

Two nights from now, I will set up my tent, spend the night alone, and begin another small adventure of my own.