Therese Sta. MariaI must confess — I’m late to the party. I had been hearing about the hype surrounding the latest Korean drama (K-drama), Crash Landing On You, for a few months now. And just this week, I finally caved and played the first of many episodes I’d watch of this groundbreaking Netflix series.
Who would have thought that a story about a North Korean soldier falling for a South Korean heiress, who accidentally paraglides across the DMZ border, could be given so many interesting dimensions? I was immediately hooked, and it took only two episodes for me to swoon over the chemistry between star-crossed lovers Ri Jeong-hyuk, played by Hyun Bin, and Yoon Se-ri, played by Son Ye-jin.
In my fangirl state, I found myself on YouTube searching Crash Landing On You’s press junket videos because I couldn’t get enough of Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin’s electric chemistry! I eventually stumbled upon a video where both actors were asked a question that every travel-obsessed Crash Landing On You fan would be curious about.
What travel means for the show’s leading actors…
Image credit: Netflix
The Swoon’s YouTube channel asked both leads to participate in a video series called Couch Talk, where Korean actors read out fan questions and answer them one by one. Personally, I never expect celebrities to give profound insights about travel. I sometimes think that celebrities have a tendency to underappreciate or negatively normalise travel, given the luxurious lifestyles their careers can afford them. But to my pleasant surprise, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin gave valuable insights that I think true-blue travellers can relate to.
One question for the two stars read as follows: Having filmed in Switzerland and Mongolia for this drama, what does travel mean to you?
Hyun Bin started it off by saying how travel motivates him. “I want to visit more places. At times, it makes me feel small, too”, he said.
And don’t we all relate to that? The more we travel, the more we realise we are but specs in this flawed, beautiful world. It doesn’t matter how young you start or how many places you’ve gone to, the earth will always seem like a great big adventure.
Son Ye-jin, on the other hand, admitted that her love for travel is so strong that it takes up half of her life. She also described how travel becomes an escape from her celebrity status because it allows her to be alone with herself and understand herself in the process. “No one knows me. No one helps me. That’s when I feel much freer and I get the chance to reflect on myself. It’s very advantageous in many ways.”
Doesn’t this answer remind you of how solo travellers often describe their experience of travelling independently? And even if you often travel with friends and family, travelling away from your comfort zone can teach you so many skills, and definitely helps you realise things you never thought you were capable of.
Also read: How I Embraced My Introversion By Travelling Solo In Europe
I thought I would only go as far as shipping these two actors together. But after watching Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin’s interview, my admiration for them definitely went up a notch. And now, I’m probably going to follow them on Instagram too — just to see where they’re travelling next!
Featured image credit: The Swoon YouTube Channel
