On a beautiful autumn morning in rural South Korea, the sky was a brilliant blue, the rice fields were turning golden, and our children were ready for school earlier than usual.
It was the perfect day to leave the car at home.
So we decided to walk to school, bringing along our Shiba Inu, Sonny.
It might look like an everyday school commute in the Korean countryside. But for our family, mornings like this are a little different from our usual routine.
In our area, most children take the school bus, while others are driven by their parents. Even children who live relatively close to school rarely walk there.
We also drive our children to school when the weather is bad or when we’re running late.
But whenever the weather is pleasant and we have enough time, I like to walk with them.
There are a few reasons why.
A Clear Blue Sky and a Quiet Country Road
The first thing that caught my attention was the clear blue sky.
Below it were trees, distant mountains, and the familiar countryside around our village.
The road to school passes through agricultural fields and quiet stretches of countryside. There are no busy shopping streets or crowded sidewalks along this part of our journey.
On some mornings, we pass farm vehicles heading toward the fields.
On others, we simply enjoy the open views and the changing colors of the season.
When we’re in the car, these scenes pass by quickly. But walking gives us time to notice them.
Why I Like Walking With My Children Before School
Some time ago, I read that physical activity in the morning might help children feel more alert and ready to learn.
That idea stayed with me.
Research on children’s physical activity suggests that exercise may support attention and certain thinking skills, although the effects vary. A short morning walk doesn’t guarantee better concentration or academic performance.
For me, that isn’t the only reason to walk.
I like the idea of the children moving their bodies, breathing fresh air, and having a little time outdoors before sitting in a classroom.
Instead of rushing straight from home into the school day, we can begin the morning at a different pace.
Of course, we don’t force ourselves to walk every day.
If it’s raining, the weather is unpleasant, or the children take longer than expected to get ready, we use the car.
But on mornings when everything works out, walking feels like a good way to start the day.
Saying Hello to Our Village Neighbors
Another thing I enjoy about walking to school is meeting people along the way.
Sometimes we run into older residents of our village.
We greet them, exchange a few words, and see familiar faces that we might otherwise miss if we were driving.
These are small interactions, but I think they matter.
In a rural village, people often recognize one another. A simple greeting can be part of maintaining those everyday connections.
For the children, it’s also a chance to practice greeting older neighbors respectfully.
In Korea, showing respect to older people is an important part of social etiquette. Greeting village elders is one ordinary way children can experience that in daily life.
I like that our morning walk gives us opportunities for these little encounters.
Meet Sonny, Our Shiba Inu
There is another member of our walking group who deserves an introduction.
His name is Sonny, and he’s our Shiba Inu.
We named him after the Korean football star Son Heung-min (손흥민), who is widely known by the nickname Sonny.
And here’s something funny about our family.
Sonny isn’t the only dog with a football-inspired name.
We also have dogs named Messi and Beckham!
Yes, after Lionel Messi and David Beckham.
Apparently, we have our own little football team at home.
Fortunately, the dogs don’t need to score goals. They just need to enjoy being dogs.
Sonny sometimes joins us when we walk the children to school.
This isn’t a Korean school tradition, and it certainly doesn’t mean that families in rural Korea normally take their dogs along on the school run.
It’s simply something our family enjoys doing on nice mornings.
Autumn Grasses and Golden Rice Fields
One of the most beautiful things about our autumn school walks is the scenery.
Tall grasses grow beside the narrow roads, their pale flower heads catching the sunlight.
Beyond them are mountains and open fields.
At this time of year, many rice fields are turning golden as the rice approaches harvest.
The colors are very different from the bright green landscape of summer.
What makes this special to me is that we don’t have to travel anywhere to see it.
These are the fields and roads around our village.
For us, they are simply part of the journey to school.
A Countryside Road Is Still a Working Road
The countryside may look peaceful, but the roads are also used for everyday agricultural work.
Small farm vehicles and equipment sometimes travel along the same roads that connect homes, fields, and villages.
This is something visitors might not immediately realize when looking at beautiful countryside photographs.
These are not necessarily designated walking trails.
They are working rural roads, so we pay attention to vehicles and our surroundings while walking with the children and Sonny.
The beautiful scenery and the practical side of farming life exist together.
A Morning Worth Remembering
Our morning walks aren’t an everyday routine.
School buses and family cars are the usual ways children travel to school in our area.
But when we have time and the weather is good, I enjoy choosing a different way.
We walk along the country road, look at the changing fields, say hello to village elders, and spend a little extra time together.
And, of course, Sonny sometimes comes along too.
These mornings aren’t about doing anything extraordinary.
They’re about enjoying ordinary moments that are easy to miss when life gets busy.
For me, that’s one of the nicest things about raising children in rural Korea.
In Part 2, I’ll share more of the beautiful countryside scenery around our village.