The gravity of this unprecedented pandemic shook us, closed schools and shifted my work, which left us with free days. I suddenly thought. There is a small mountain within just five minutes’ walk from our place that has been calling me. It’s been nine years since our family moved from Tokyo to Okayama, and we were always too busy, so we only made time to go there twice. The mountain seemed to suddenly glow in the window and I suddenly thought "Let's go to the mountain!" We took our son’s neighborhood friend who spends most of his time playing video games. He was born and grew up in Okayama, and said he’s never climbed a mountain before! Really?!! Then we should definitely go! When we came to the foot of the mountain, the pleasant rustling of the trees welcomed us. The boys started to run. The fallen leaves made soft crushing sounds under our feet, and the birds were singing to the sky. The small mountain of a mere 169 meters in height thrilled us with so many sensations along the way. Narrow paths, giant rocks, some flat areas… the scenery changed almost every moment. It was like an exciting adventure to the boys. I felt the same. Finally, we arrived at the top of the mountain. The familiar city seen from the above was shining in the back light, seeming like a strange place. All of us felt satisfied and refreshed. We wouldn’t have thought about coming to this gem in the neighborhood if something like this hadn't happened. As we sense that many things are changing in the world as we know it, this is one of the good changes. The boys running down the hill looked a bit older and tougher than yesterday.
– Masako Nakagawa