The Colors of Fall: Staying Present During Change and Finding Mindfulness in Korea
- Alison Morogiello
- Oct 12
- 5 min read
Embracing Change: The Beauty and Lessons of a Korean Autumn
The air is changing. You can feel it on your walk to the commissary or during your child’s soccer practice on a Saturday morning. The humid, heavy blanket of the Korean summer is lifting, replaced by a crispness that hints at the coming cold. Here, in the Land of the Morning Calm, autumn doesn’t just arrive; it makes a grand entrance. The mountains surrounding our installation across the RoK will soon erupt into a breathtaking blaze of crimson, gold, and fiery orange as fall approaches.
For many of us, this season is a welcome relief. But it’s also a powerful symbol of transition. As the leaves turn, die, and fall, they offer us a profound lesson, one that is especially familiar to our lives as military members and families. We are often in a state of transition, constantly letting go of one season of life to make way for the next. The PCS cycle, the goodbyes to friends, the adjustment to a new country, these are our changing leaves.
Letting Go Gracefully: What the Autumn Leaves Teach Us
The beauty of the autumn leaves lies in their release. A maple leaf doesn’t cling to the branch, mourning its lost greenness and dreading the fall. It simply transforms and lets go. It fulfills its purpose and returns to the earth, creating the space for new life in the spring.
As humans, we’re not always so graceful. We tend to resist. We often cling to the past, the duty station we loved, the friendships we miss, the familiarity of home. Or, we launch ourselves into an anxious future, "When will our household goods arrive?", "Will my kids make friends?", "What comes after this assignment?"
This is what author and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, in his seminal book The Power of Now, calls "psychological time." He argues that most of our emotional suffering doesn't come from our actual, present circumstances, but from our minds being trapped in the past or the future. In this, we struggle to accept the one thing that is truly real: this present moment.
The Pain of Resistance: When We Struggle Against Change
Think about your own arrival in South Korea. For some, it was an exciting adventure. For others, it was accompanied by a deep sense of loss, disorientation, and stress. When we don't fully process these difficult feelings, they can form a powerful emotional pattern, like a well-worn path in our minds that our thoughts automatically follow when we're stressed.
This negative pattern is easily activated by new challenges that echo old ones, such as the stress of a PCS move, the loneliness of being far from home, or the frustration of a language barrier. When this old pattern is running, it hijacks our thinking. Our inner monologue becomes a loop of complaint, anxiety, and sadness.
We might look at a vibrant, bustling Korean market, but we don't truly see it. Instead, our mind says, "This isn't like Target or Walmart. I don't know what any of this is. I just want to go home."
The leaves teach us a different way. Their transformation is not a tragedy, but a natural, essential process. What if we could view our own transitions, even the difficult ones, with the same sense of acceptance?
Anchoring in the Now: Staying Present During Change in Korea
Acceptance doesn't mean you have to pretend to love every aspect of change. All change comes with loss. It’s not about toxic positivity. It’s about dropping the mental resistance to what is. And the most powerful way to do this is to pull your awareness out of your overthinking mind and anchor it firmly in the present moment, using the very environment around you.
This autumn, I challenge you to practice being radically present. Don't just let the season pass by in a blur of work, school runs, and longing for what was. Experience it.
Engage Your Senses: Take a "presence walk" through a local park or even just around your housing area without headphones. Pay attention from the perspective of a child seeing something for the first time.
Sight: Don't just see "trees." Notice the specific, impossible shade of scarlet on a single maple leaf. See how the late afternoon sun filters through the golden ginkgo leaves, making them glow. Observe the elderly couple meticulously tending their small garden patch.
Sound: Listen to the crunch of leaves under your boots. Hear the cheerful chime of the sweet potato truck. Listen to the unfamiliar cadence of the Korean language around you without judgment, just as pure sound.
Smell: Inhale deeply. What do you smell? The earthy scent of damp soil? The pungent, unique aroma of roasting ginkgo nuts? The sweet, cinnamon-sugar smell of hotteok (호떡) from a street vendor?
Taste: Buy the hotteok. Taste the warm, gooey, nutty filling. Savor it and let the experience fill your awareness, pushing out anxious thoughts for just a moment.
Touch: Feel the crisp autumn air on your cheeks. Feel the warmth of the cardboard cup of coffee in your hands.
When you fully inhabit your senses, you are, by definition, in the “Now”. In that moment, you are not ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. You are simply here. And in the here, you often find that things are okay. By staying present during change and practicing mindfulness in Korea’s autumn, we can learn to embrace each new season of life with calm and curiosity.
Observing the Thinker: Mindfulness and Emotional Awareness
Of course, the mind will wander. The brain is built to think! A sad thought about a friend back home might arise. An anxious thought about a future deployment might pop up. Tolle's advice isn't to push away these thoughts, as fighting them only gives them more power.
Instead, simply notice them. Become the observer of your mind.
When the thought "I'm so lonely" appears, just say to yourself internally, "Ah, there is the thought that I am lonely." See it as a cloud passing through the vast sky of your awareness. You are the sky, not the cloud. This simple act of witnessing creates a space between you and the thought, robbing it of its power to define your entire reality. You are not your thoughts. You are the presence that is aware of them.
Finding Peace Through Transition: Staying Present in Life’s Seasons
This autumn, as the Korean landscape puts on its spectacular display of letting go, let it be your teacher. Let the falling leaves remind you of the strength in acceptance. Your time here in South Korea is a season. It is unique, fleeting, and rich with opportunities for growth and experience, but only if you are present for it.
Embrace the crisp air, the vibrant colors, and the warm bowls of soup. This moment, right now, is not just a stepping stone to somewhere else. It is your life. And like the autumn leaves, it is beautiful exactly as it is.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional mental health treatment or to serve as a diagnosis or treatment for any health condition. This article does not establish a client/therapist relationship between the author and the reader. Readers should consult their own licensed medical or mental health providers for personalized advice and treatment for any concerns related to their health or well-being. Always seek the guidance of your qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
*The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Beautiful reminder to stay mindful and exercise gratitude during our transitions!