Cheongdo , Gyeongsangbuk-do—that is where I am traveling today. Located just over an hour south of Daegu, Cheongdo is a great place to stop by when you have plenty of time while traveling around the city. I plan to stay for a day, and I am even more excited because Cheongdo is also an unfamiliar place to me. It has been four months since I last drove south on the Gyeongbu Expressway. After entering the address into my navigation system and driving for quite a while, the distant, still gray mountains and vast winter fields create a hazy landscape. A large concrete structure lies beside a field full of peach trees. Pushing open the heavy iron gate with all my might, I encounter an entrance path where the shadows cast by the concrete and sunlight stretch out long. It is a dramatic entrance path that could be called an "architectural promenade," a view that already makes me curious about the house inside. Receiving a warm welcome from the moss gently covering the greenery, I step inside with unhurried steps.

As I opened the front door, a rich aroma filled the air. A sofa, table, chairs, and rectangular speakers were gently nestled within the sense of openness created by the elongated structure. Furthermore, the designer Jean Prouvé established a sense of formal unity. A neat and fresh space, devoid of the clutter of everyday life, is the true charm of a travel accommodation . The view outside the window acts like a horizontal frame, drawing in the surrounding scenery imbued with the chill. A sensation evoked a feeling of exceptional isolation for rest and respite washed over me. The bedroom, where I sought a moment of rest, was located around the corner at the end of the living room, while another annex occupies a separate small building outside. The name of the accommodation, ' Walking in Circles, ' embodies a specific act. The movement path, requiring constant walking to enter and exit from one side to the other, is striking.

Night falls unusually early in the countryside. This place where I am staying is the only bright spot. In the middle of the pitch-black yard, I lit a real fire that ignites with ethanol. The sound of the night breeze passing through the blazing flames felt like a prelude. “Shall we watch a movie?” I don’t remember who said it first, but one by one, people gathered on the sofa. Suddenly, the title of an old movie from over ten years ago came to mind. As the video projected onto the wide white wall played for over two hours, I drifted off to sleep. The dreamless night passed, and the sun pushed through the curtains. It was a morning I could fully savor; I felt as though I had truly woken up only after getting into the jacuzzi and taking the half-bath I missed yesterday. A breakfast kit in a neat bamboo basket sat in the refrigerator. The act of stacking the bread, cheese, ham, lettuce, and mustard sauce neatly and baking them in the oven even felt creative. A breakfast feast accompanied by coffee, tea, and a few fruits I brought. Time was flowing slowly amidst the early sunlight that was penetrating even more brightly and deeply.

Working in Circle

A stay located in Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongbuk, known for its impressive concrete buildings. With the slogan "A place where the ordinary becomes special," it aims to become another home where you can take a brief rest from your daily life.

229-21 Haksantopyeong-gil, Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongbuk

@ walking.in .circles_

I finally read the host’s welcome card that had been sitting on the table. “Traveling here is akin to going to rest in another home of mine that has always been here. Since there is nothing to stimulate us, it will be a place where you do not have to think about anything.” Therefore, this place effectively becomes my private retreat , at least for a brief moment. Travel not as a pursuit of exciting activities, but as a time to empty and let go. Wearyly, this trend is becoming what we need. Does travel mean we are voluntarily letting go of our expectations for noisy excitement? Travel as another daily routine; there, only a genuine yearning for rest and a willingness to embrace isolation would be required. Like a large brushstroke, another moment of quiet time has been etched.

Park Sun-young

Park Sun-young studied art theory at the Korea National University of Arts and has consistently written about art, design, architecture, and travel. She began her career as a columnist in 2008 while on a leave of absence as a graduate student living in Paris; she personally recruited and interviewed people she could only meet there, contributing articles to * Harper's BAZAAR Korea *. Since then, she has written for various media outlets, including * VOGUE KOREA * and *Noblesse * , featuring her unique deep perspective and elegant writing style. She also plans exhibitions and events within and outside the realm of culture and art, bringing people together in one place. As a personal lifestyle advisor, she conveys the sensations of the unfamiliar time and space of "travel" through detailed writing that feels like a delicate weaving.