이제 석 달이 지나면 울주군 범서읍 두산리 큰마을에 들어온 지가 만 4년이 됩니다. 처음에는 여러 가지 우려가 있었습니다. 우선 너무 멀지 않느냐, 그러면 시간이 많이 소모되지 않느냐, 그리고 14번 국도가 2차선이니까 좁고 구불구불해서 운전하기 부담되지 않느냐 등으로 시작해서 겨울에는 춥지 않느냐 과연 시골에 사는 것이 안전할 것이냐 등의 여러 가지 저희를 위한 걱정들이 있었습니다. 집을 구입해서 수리를 하면서 추위에 대한 대책을 세웠습니다. 외벽 쪽에는 스티로폼을 붙이고 거실 유리창은 페어글라스를 사용한 창문을 하나 더 준비했습니다.
그 결과 90 평생을 사신 어머님께서 당신이 살아온 집 가운데서 겨울에 가장 따뜻한 집이라고 평가해 주셨습니다. 그리고 구입하고 수리해서 이사를 하기 전에 만성 정체 길인 다운동길 대신에 다운터널을 개통시켜주어서 교회에서 사택까지 15km를 20분 내외면 다닐 수 있습니다. 게다가 아직도 처음 오시는 분들에게는 멀게 느껴지지만 익숙해지면 오히려 고불고불한 길이 주는 운치도 있습니다. 어쨌든 차를 타면 10분이든 20분이든 큰 차이는 사실 별로 없습니다. 게다가 겨울, 봄, 여름, 가을 주변의 경치가 그만입니다. 그래서 어느 해인가 단풍이 아름다운 해에 동네 사람들이 “우린 단풍놀이 따로 갈 필요가 없다”고 자부했습니다.
1월 중순 겨울에 처음 이사 와서는 앞마당에 마늘이 심긴 백 평 텃밭이 사택을 보다 썰렁하게 보이도록 했지만 지금 보는 사람은 아무도 그런 느낌을 받지 않습니다. “올 때마다 달라진다!”고들 칭찬합니다. 다만 처음에는 딱 하나 아쉽게 느껴졌던 것은 산책로 내지 산행로였습니다. “하나님, 기왕 이사를 하게 하셨으면 좋은 산책로나 산행길도 주셨더라면…” 입 밖으로 말하지는 않았지만 마음에 그런 생각이 스치고 지나갔습니다. 그러나 30~40분 코스를 곡괭이, 낫, 톱을 들고 산책로를 개척했더니 이제는 함께 걷는 사람들이 사철 모두 좋아합니다.
그리고 의사가 산행을 해서는 안 된다는 기간이 지나서 큰마을 뒷산 능선을 따라 걷는 두 시간 반 내외의 길도 발견하고, 한 해쯤 더 지나 울산 어울길의 한 부분인 앞산길(두암길, 서산길)을 발견해서, 지난날 스쳐간 불경스런 생각을 부끄러워 하지만 그나마 불평하는 말을 내뱉지 않은 것을 감사해 합니다. 게다가 어느 날 살펴보니 앞산 길은 자전거를 탈 수 있는 넓은 길이라는 것을 알게 되고, 요즈음은 집에서 출발해 논길로 해서 두산리 저수지 석계저수지를 지나 비전 벨리까지 왕복 한 시간, 자전거를 탈 수 있다는 사실로 인해서 감사해 하고 있습니다. 산행을 하든 자전거를 타든 이보다 더 좋은 자연환경은 없다는 생각을 하며 한 편 너무 감사하고 한 편 조금 미안해하며 더불어 나누고 싶은 소원이 있습니다.
In three months, it will be exactly four years since we moved into the main village of Dusan-ri, Beomseo-eup, Ulju-gun. At first, there were numerous concerns. People worried on our behalf, asking whether it wasn't too far, whether it would take up too much travel time, whether driving on the narrow, winding two-lane National Route 14 would be burdensome, whether it would be too cold in winter, and whether living out in the countryside would truly be safe. As we bought the house and carried out renovations, we made careful preparations against the cold. We installed Styrofoam insulation along the exterior walls and added a second window fitted with double-glazed glass in the living room.
As a result, my mother, who has lived through ninety years of life, praised it as the warmest winter home she had ever lived in. Furthermore, before we bought the house, renovated it, and moved in, the Daun Tunnel was opened to bypass the chronically congested Daun-dong road, allowing us to cover the 15-kilometer distance between the church and the parsonage in about twenty minutes. Moreover, while it may still feel far to first-time visitors, once you grow accustomed to it, the winding road has its own unique charm. After all, once you are in a car, whether it takes ten or twenty minutes does not make much of a difference. On top of that, the surrounding scenery throughout winter, spring, summer, and autumn is simply splendid. One year, when the autumn foliage was particularly breathtaking, the villagers proudly remarked, “We have no need to travel elsewhere to see the autumn leaves.”
When we first moved here in mid-January during the depths of winter, a hundred-pyeong vegetable patch planted with garlic in the front yard made the parsonage look rather desolate, but no one gets that impression today. Visitors now compliment us, saying, “It looks different every time we come!” In the beginning, however, there was just one thing I felt a twinge of regret about: a walking or hiking trail. “Lord, if You led us to move here, how wonderful it would have been if You had also given us a good walking trail or hiking path...” Though I never voiced it aloud, such a thought flitted across my mind. Yet, after taking up a pickaxe, a sickle, and a saw to carve out a thirty-to-forty-minute trail, it has now become a walk that companions enjoy throughout all four seasons.
Moreover, once the period when the doctor had forbidden hiking had passed, I discovered a two-and-a-half-hour path that traces the mountain ridge behind our village. About a year later, I also discovered the front mountain trails (Duam-gil and Seosan-gil), which form part of the Ulsan Eoullim-gil. Looking back, I feel ashamed of the irreverent thoughts that briefly crossed my mind back then, yet deeply grateful that I did not utter them as complaints. Furthermore, I realized one day that the trail on the front mountain is wide enough for cycling. These days, I am filled with gratitude that I can ride my bicycle from home along the rice paddy paths, passing Dusan Reservoir and Seokgye Reservoir all the way to Vision Valley and back—a round trip of one hour. Whether hiking or cycling, I often feel that there could be no better natural sanctuary than this. While feeling immense gratitude and a touch of humble unworthiness, I cherish the heartfelt wish to share this blessing with others.
Oor drie maande sal dit presies vier jaar wees sedert ons na die hoofdorpie van Dusan-ri, Beomseo-eup, Ulju-gun, verhuis het. Aanvanklik was daar talle sorge. Mense het hulle namens ons bekommer en gevra of dit nie te ver sou wees nie, of dit nie te veel kosbare tyd in beslag sou neem nie, en of die smal, kronkelende tweespoorpaadjie van Nasionale Roete 14 nie te veeleisend sou wees om te bestuur nie. Hulle het gewonder of dit nie te koud in die winter sou wees nie en of die lewe op die platteland werklik veilig sou wees. Toe ons die huis gekoop en opgeknap het, het ons deeglike voorsorgmaatreëls teen die koue getref. Ons het polistireen-isolasie teen die buitemure aangebring en ’n bykomende venster met dubbelglas in die sitkamer geïnstalleer.
Die vrug hiervan was dat my moeder, wat reeds ’n lewe van negentig jaar agter die rug het, dit geloof het as die warmste winterhuis waarin sy nog ooit gewoon het. Boonop is die Daun-tonnel geopen net voor ons die huis gekoop, gerestoureer en ingetrek het, wat die kroniese verkeersknoop van Daun-dong omseil het, sodat ons die 15 kilometer tussen die kerk en die pastorie binne sowat twintig minute kan aflê. Al voel dit vir nuwe besoekers dalk nog ver, bring die kronkelende pad ’n eiesoortige bekoring mee sodra ’n mens daaraan gewoond raak. As jy eers in ’n motor sit, maak tien of twintig minute immers nie ’n wesenlike verskil nie. Daarby is die omringende natuurskoon deur die winter, lente, somer en herfs eenvoudig onoortreflik. Een jaar, toe die herfskleure besonder asemberowend was, het die dorpsmense trots opgemerk: “Ons hoef glad nie elders heen te reis om die herfsblare te bewonder nie.”
Toe ons in die middel van Januarie, in die hartjie van die winter, hierheen getrek het, het die groentetuin van honderd pyeong met sy knoffelplante in die voortuin die pastorie ietwat verlate laat lyk, maar vandag kry niemand meer daardie indruk nie. Mense prys dit en sê: “Elke keer as ons kom, lyk dit anders!” Aanvanklik was daar egter net een ding waaroor ek ’n tikkie spyt gevoel het: die gebrek aan ’n wandel- of bergpad. “Here, as U ons dan hierheen laat trek het, sou dit wonderlik gewees het as U ons ook ’n mooi wandelroete of bergpad gegee het...” Hoewel ek dit nooit hardop uitgespreek het nie, het so ’n gedagte vlugtig deur my gemoed gegaan. Maar nadat ek self met ’n pik, ’n sekel en ’n saag ingespring het om ’n roete van 30 tot 40 minute oop te kap, geniet diegene wat saamstap dit nou regdeur al vier seisoene.
Boonop het ek, nadat die tydperk waarin die dokter my verbied het om bergklim te doen verby was, ’n paadjie van ongeveer twee en ’n half uur ontdek wat al langs die bergkruin agter die dorpie kronkel. Omtrent ’n jaar later het ek ook die voorste bergpaadjies (Duam-gil en Seosan-gil) ontdek, wat deel vorm van die Ulsan Eoullim-roete. As ek terugdink, skaam ek my oor die oneerbiedige gedagte wat destyds by my opgekom het, maar ek is terselfdertyd dankbaar dat ek dit nooit in klagtes verwoord het nie. Op ’n dag het ek boonop agtergekom dat die voorste bergpad wyd genoeg is om fiets te ry. Deesdae is ek innig dankbaar dat ek van die huis af langs die rysvelde kan ry, verby die Dusan- en Seokgye-damme tot by Vision Valley en terug—’n fietsrit van ’n uur heen en weer. Of ’n mens nou stap of fietsry, dink ek dikwels dat daar geen ryker natuurskoon as hierdie kan wees nie. Met ’n hart vol diepe dankbaarheid en ’n tikkie nederige beskroomdheid, koester ek die innige wens om hierdie seën met ander te deel.