A Fearless Beginning: With an 8-Month-Old and a Toddler

We started camping when our oldest was two and a half, and our second child was just eight months old. We had neither proper gear nor experience. I still remember struggling to grill a single piece of meat because we didn’t even know the basics—like needing lighter fluid to get charcoal going.

On one ambitious 2-night, 3-day trip, we even packed up and moved campsites—spending one day at Emerald Bay and another at D. L. Bliss State Park—hauling gear, setting up tents, and hiking in between. It was exhausting.

At the time, money was tight, and camping was the most affordable vacation we could manage. But even then, despite the physical hardship, we felt richer than anyone—simply because we were surrounded by nature.

Healing Moments by the Campfire

As time passed, camping with close neighbor families became one of life’s greatest joys. The children bonded in the forest, learning directly from nature, while we adults embraced something uniquely Korean—long, heartfelt nights around the campfire.

With the crackling sound of firewood in the background, we shared stories over drinks and laughter. When we looked up, the sky overflowed with stars—offering a depth of comfort no luxury resort could ever provide.

We may have started camping for our children, but in the end, it was we, the adults, who returned home most healed.

Campgrounds We Loved: Memories and Practical Tips

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

A paradise for kids: Just a short drive from the campground, Pfeiffer Beach became our children’s favorite hideout. With its purple sand and dramatic rock arches, it’s stunning—but what made it special was the shallow stream running along the beach, creating a safe space for kids to play in the water.

Practical tip: Parking is strictly limited. On weekends, you’ll want to arrive before 10 AM to avoid being turned away.

Food highlight: Dining at Nepenthe is a must. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it offers a completely different kind of luxury—one that perfectly complements the simplicity of camping.

D. L. Bliss State Park & Emerald Bay

D. L. Bliss (Lester Beach & Calawee Cove): Lester Beach and Calawee Cove are among the clearest and calmest waters in Lake Tahoe. Because of visitor limits, these spots often feel like private beaches.

On one visit, we struggled with bees—but even that couldn’t overshadow the crystal-clear water.

Emerald Bay: The hike from the campground down to Vikingsholm takes about 20–30 minutes through the forest. Walking hand in hand with our kids, talking along the way, remains one of our most cherished memories.

The hike back up is steep, but the misty, emerald-colored lake makes every step worth it.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

The charm of tent cabins: The park’s Tent Cabins—half tent, half cabin—were a game changer for us. Back when we lacked proper gear, they made camping easier while still preserving the outdoor experience.

Nature’s grandeur: Hiking among ancient redwoods, some over a thousand years old, was both humbling and inspiring. Trails vary in difficulty, making them ideal for families with children.

Because the forest gets dark early and temperatures drop quickly, we always followed one important piece of advice: even in summer, bring a warm sleeping bag.

Starlight Across Generations, and New Dreams Ahead

The children who once wore diapers are now college students. Interestingly, the difficult moments have faded, while the joyful memories have taken deeper root. Even now, if we say, “Let’s go camping,” they’re ready to pack and leave in an instant.

Someday, when they have families of their own, I imagine them taking their children into the woods—passing down stories like, “Your grandfather couldn’t even start a fire at first.”

Our camping map is still unfinished. Now, we’re dreaming of desert camping with our grown sons—under endless horizons and the Milky Way stretching across the sky.

We may have started with very little, but our hearts were always full. And guided by the starlight of those early days, our family’s journey continues.

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When we tell our regular customers that the kids who once ran around noisily in front of the shop when we first opened have now grown up and are in college, they react as if it were their own family news.
“Wait… that little kid is already that grown up?”
With that single sentence, a decade or more suddenly flashes by.

But time doesn’t always bring only warm scenes.

Sometimes painful news arrives together with the laundry.

Not long after we first opened the shop, there was a young man who became a regular. He was especially cheerful and polite, the kind of customer you remember. One day he came in, just like always, to drop off his clothes. But this time he calmly told us he had been diagnosed with cancer.

He was so young that my wife and I couldn’t say much at first. We simply stood there, feeling helpless and heartbroken.

After that, we didn’t see him for a long time. Maybe it was because of chemotherapy. From time to time my wife and I would wonder aloud, “I hope that young man is doing okay.”

Then one day, almost like a miracle, the door opened and he walked back in with a bright smile. He told us the cancer was gone. Completely cured.

My wife and I were overjoyed, as if it were our own child who had recovered. The young man, thrilled with the life he had been given back, excitedly shared his plans like a kid.

“Now I’m going to start dating again. I want to travel a lot too. There are so many things I want to do.”

After surviving something that difficult, the world must have looked incredibly beautiful to him.

I wish this story could end happily right there.

But life can sometimes be frighteningly cruel.

Some time later, the young man returned again with a few garments in his hands. With visible effort, he told us the cancer had come back.

My wife, who is normally so strong at work, quietly stepped behind the counter and began to cry. I had once gone through a life-threatening surgery myself when I was younger, and remembering that moment made my heart ache even more. I couldn’t begin to imagine what he must have been feeling.

Perhaps he simply wanted his clothes to be as clean and well cared for as possible as he prepared for whatever might come next.

That day I handled his garments with extra care, taking my time as if the work itself were a small prayer.

I don’t know if he ever came back to pick them up.

Because after that day, we never saw him again.

A dry cleaning shop is a strange kind of place. Clothes inevitably become dirty as we live our lives, but once they are cleaned and refreshed, they feel new again. They return to their owners and wrap around their bodies once more.

Sometimes I wish life worked the same way. If only we could run our memories, illnesses, and hardships through a washing machine and start fresh again.

But reality doesn’t work that way. Unwanted stains keep appearing, and ordinary days keep moving forward, slowly.

Even so, as I work through another day at the shop, I find myself thinking this:

If we continue sharing these small moments with our customers—sometimes laughing together, sometimes grieving together—then both I and this old dry cleaning shop will simply grow old along with them.

We may not be able to remove every stain life leaves behind.
But at the very least, I hope that every piece of clothing that passes through this shop returns to its owner bringing a small measure of comfort. And with that thought, I quietly finish another day.

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How Golf Found Us During the Pandemic

Honestly, golf wasn’t on our radar before the pandemic. With two young kids and running a small business, we never had the time. Sure, friends encouraged us—“You should try golf!”—but we’d go to the driving range a few times and then quit.

Then COVID hit. Business slowed dramatically—our laundry shop’s customers dropped to just a quarter of normal. Suddenly, even showing up to work didn’t leave much to do.

With extra time on our hands, we decided to give golf a try.

At first, it was casual: 1–2 hours at the driving range, working on our swings, slicing and slicing the ball. Slowly, we started having fun.
Now, golf has become exercise, social time, and a shared hobby for us.
The fact that our golf group is all couples makes it even more enjoyable.

Green Valley: Golf Courses Within 20 Minutes

Once we started playing, we realized how lucky we were. Green Valley is ideally located for golfers, with several top courses just 20 minutes away:

• Best value courses: Rancho Solano, Paradise Valley
• Courses with vineyard views: Eagle Vines, Chardonnay (American Canyon area)
• Popular Vallejo courses: Hiddenbrooke, Bluerock

Bluerock is on the smaller side but perfect for beginners. For more scenic or challenging courses, Eagle Vines and Chardonnay are excellent. And if you want top conditions and great value, Rancho Solano and Paradise Valley can’t be beaten.

Pro tip: Rancho Solano and Paradise Valley offer annual memberships for $75, seniors (60+) $65. Even during weekend peak times, you can play for around $70 in excellent conditions. Everyone who’s played there says, “You won’t find weekend conditions like this anywhere else for $70!” Friends from the Sacramento area even join as members.

Living in Green Valley: Family-Friendly and Safe

Green Valley isn’t just about golf. It’s a quiet, safe, and well-planned neighborhood.
Schools are solid—elementary scores around 10, middle and high schools about 8—making it perfect for families.

For golf lovers, it’s more than just a sport—it’s a lifestyle.
From weekend rounds to weekday practice, Green Valley makes it easy to balance family life and your love for golf.

If you’re looking for a community where you can golf, raise kids, and enjoy a safe, friendly neighborhood, Green Valley should be at the top of your list.

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In our case, because of our small business location, we had three possible high school districts to choose from:
an 8-rated district where we lived,
a 2–3-rated district where our business was located,
and a newly developed 6-rated district we could have moved into.

We ultimately chose the 8-rated district. At the time, it felt like the obvious decision—better school rating, better college prospects. However, looking back, I sometimes think the 2–3-rated district might also have been a strategically strong option, depending on the student’s goals.

Advantages of Higher-Rated School Districts

Although we did not personally experience a top-tier (9–10 rated) district, the advantages are clear.

First, higher-rated schools tend to offer a wider range of extracurricular activities (ECs), academic programs, and structured guidance. Students are exposed to research opportunities, competitive clubs, and strong college counseling resources.

Second, the academic environment is highly competitive. When peers are taking multiple AP courses and preparing seriously for college admissions, that atmosphere can naturally motivate students to focus on academics.

Third, parent networks can be extremely valuable. In schools where many families aim for Ivy League or other elite universities, information circulates quickly—about summer programs, strategic course selection, recommendation letters, and admissions trends. In some cases, certain top high schools seem to send a consistent number of students to elite universities each year. While there is no official “quota,” patterns clearly exist.

The Often-Overlooked Advantages of Lower-Rated Districts

However, lower-rated districts can also provide meaningful advantages—especially for families not exclusively targeting Ivy League schools.

One major advantage is reduced competition.

For example, during high school, our children were accepted into a paid internship at Kaiser Permanente, a county wellness paid internship program, and a summer paid internship offered by a nearby medical school. These were not volunteer positions—they were paid opportunities that required real responsibility and professionalism.

It is quite uncommon for high school students to secure multiple paid internships. In a highly competitive 9–10 rated district, obtaining even one such opportunity can feel nearly impossible because so many high-achieving students apply. In a 2–3 rated district, however, the applicant pool may be smaller, making it more realistic to stand out and gain meaningful experiences.

These internships became strong extracurricular activities in their college applications and provided compelling material for their personal statements. More importantly, they gained real-world exposure and clarity about their career interests.

Another advantage is GPA management. Today, even second-tier campuses within the University of California system often expect GPAs that are close to perfect. In highly competitive districts, earning top grades can be extremely challenging due to grade deflation and intense academic competition. In a lower-rated district, maintaining a top GPA may be more attainable.

Finally, college admissions officers evaluate context. They consider the environment and resources available to each student. Excelling in a more challenging or resource-limited setting can sometimes work in a student’s favor. Interestingly, the number of students admitted to first-tier and second-tier UC campuses from 8-rated schools and 2–3-rated schools may not differ as dramatically as people assume. In many cases, what matters most is not the school’s rating, but the student’s standing within that school.

So Which Is Better?

There is no single correct answer.

If a student is firmly aiming for Ivy League or ultra-elite institutions, a top-rated district may offer structural advantages in networking and historical admissions patterns. However, for many students, strategically positioning themselves in a less competitive environment—where they can secure leadership roles, meaningful internships, and a strong GPA—may be equally, if not more, effective.

For families considering early study abroad or relocating primarily for college admissions, it may be worth looking beyond school ratings alone. Instead of asking, “Which district has the highest score?” a better question might be:

In which environment will my child have the greatest opportunity to stand out?

In the end, college admissions may be less about the number attached to a school district and more about how strategically a student navigates the environment they are given.

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