Every day was like a recurring nightmare. Peter would wake up, check the air pollution levels, scour the internet for masks, read a little, watch some TV, and then go to sleep. The gray skies had been prevalent for over two months now with the extremely high micro-dust levels bringing the country to a standstill and upending everybody's lives. Citizens were staying at home, schools were closed, people avoided going out, church services were closed, and almost everybody’s face was covered in a mask. Seoul, the city that never sleeps, was in a coma and nobody knew how to resuscitate it. 

Peter had an eerie feeling everytime he ventured out like the world was ending and the zombie apocalypse was around the corner. The streets seemed to be empty and the two pillars of his life, the Methodist Church and the government, seemed to be so distant now as the former had been forced to close religious services and the latter was scrambling to clear the skies and stumbling to procure masks for its citizens. Being raised in a church orphanage and having received welfare assistance his entire life, the church and the government had always been there to support him since his parents died in a car crash when he was six years old. However, Peter’s trust in these organizations was eroding fast as the church was shut down and the government was bumbling their obligation to provide the public with enough masks. That was why Peter had ventured out today as he only had one mask left and had been left standing in lines for hours the past three days, only to go home empty-handed. Usually upbeat and optimistic, the government’s incompetency in providing a basic necessity during this health crisis left Peter feeling deeply infuriated and disappointed.

Then came the straw that broke the camel's back. While hopelessly waiting in a line of hundreds to buy masks, a government text message informing citizens that the air had reached toxic levels and that stay at home orders would be issued soon. How could he believe that an incompetent government, who couldn’t even control the supply of masks, would know what was best for his well-being by forcing him to stay inside like a person on house arrest?

The snowballing effect of constant horrendous events made something snap in Peter, and he felt a sudden urge to just escape and be free from the soon to be prison-like existence he would be facing. There was only one peaceful thought in his head about a calm existence surrounded by nature instead of this concrete jungle he called home. The dozens of camping trips he had taken first with his Bible study group and later alone had introduced Peter to the healing powers of nature and the values of solitude, simplicity, and austerity. He recalled a nonfiction book he had read in high school, called Into the Wild, that was about a college graduate named Christopher McCandless who ceased communication with his family, renounced all material possessions, and hitchhiked to the wilderness of Alaska to survive alone. Although he knew the decision was rash and might have severe consequences, the betrayal he felt from the two institutions in his life was too overwhelming. He rushed home to pack his camping gear and buy the necessary supplies.

The lonely bus ride to Gangwon Province was a time for reflection as the magnitude of what Peter was doing dawned on him. He had been careful to buy his supply of canned food, other necessities, and bus ticket with cash to avoid anyone tracing his steps. But now that he was on the course where there would be no turning back, apprehension creeped in. Could he really survive out there on his own? A couple of days of camping was one thing, but throwing away all semblance of modern life to live alone in the wild in Gangwon Province was taking his sudden urge for freedom to the extreme. But out of habit, Peter assessed the situation and drove out any pretense of anxiety. He had survived being orphaned as a child, abused at a foster home, given not one advantage in life, and he was still here living and trying to make the best out of a life that would have made less disciplined people give up a long time ago. Peter had followed his own instincts in life and the only person he trusted in the world was himself. 

Just then, the only other passenger on the bus got up and sat down in the seat across the aisle from Peter. “So where you headed?” he asked abruptly.

Not sure how to answer, Peter replied, “Just taking a trip.”

The old man with thin greying hair and a peppered beard flashed a smile. “Yeah me too. This horrid air has got me spooked and with my high blood pressure and diabetes, I got to get away from it all.”

When Peter didn’t respond, the old man blurted out, “You got a lot of camping gear there. Are you planning on going anywhere in particular? 

Peter just stared straight ahead. 

“Just to let you know, many of the public campsites have been closed but if you go near Yongso Valley Camping in Wonju, the entrance is still open and there will be no one to bother you there,” the old man advised.

“Thanks for your information but I know where I’m going,” Peter lied. 

The old man sensed his presence was not wanted anymore and moved to a different seat. When he got off before the stop for Wonju, Peter heaved a sigh of relief. He was originally headed to his routine campsite in Pyeongchang but had no idea that campsites would be closed because of the nationwide crisis. The old man’s advice seemed to be a blessing in disguise.

After getting off the bus at Wonju Terminal and making his way to the Yongso Valley Camping site, Peter was not a bit surprised that the site was still accessible, just like the old man said. The freedom he felt walking amongst the trees, grass, and birds chirping was indescribable compared to the imprisonment of others who devoted their lives to advancement up the social ladder and material possessions. After making camp and setting up his tent, Peter took a walk along a trail and made it to a lake. The beauty of the serene lake made Peter forget about all of the comforts of modern life that he would be giving up and he practiced skipping stones in the lake for fun. 

That night, Peter set up a campfire and while he was preparing dinner, a curious squirrel made his way close to the fire and stopped to stare at him. 

“Hungry, little fella?” Peter asked the squirrel. Maybe Peter was seeing things but it seemed like the squirrel nodded at him and then ran away. 

After a dinner of canned beans and peas, Peter relaxed on the large rock next to his fire and reflected on what had happened. All of the fear and mistrust that had built up because of the crisis seemed like a world away. There was nothing but him and nature. Nature would provide everything that he would need to survive from the freshwater of the lake to the fish that he would live off from now on. Leaving society and the corruption of the institutions that controlled individuals seemed like a giant burden had been finally lifted off of Peter’s shoulders. While it was true that Peter had no idea how long he would be able to sustain this solitary life in the wild, as he looked up into the dazzling star-filled night, he knew that he had found the true meaning of life and never wanted to leave this paradise.