SUMMER 16'

Hello! It's been a while, yes? I've been busy living in the summer and through the summer, perhaps much too engaged to document it. Summer was action-packed and FUN. It filled me to the brim, made me laugh, love, and even cry.  It stretched me to receive more, to grow, and to give myself in ways that were only possible when...simply put, unapologetically myself.  That kind of expansion comes when you put yourself out there among the world of colorful differences, when you take some risks, and openly lean in to (more often than not frightening) new experiences. It's been really, really amazing. 

Now that the dust has settled and September has rolled in, the pangs of nostalgia have officially kicked in. (Anyone else feel the '그리움' that September brings?) I thought it would be a good time to sit down at this open-view cafe in Hapjeong and reflect. And so with moments captured in time, here's summer 2016.

1.  MMCA photo exhibit in Korea. The MMCA is my favorite museum in Seoul and it has left some deep impressions on me this spring/summer season. I once used to believe that photography detached me from real human experiences (and, someone once told me in high school that taking photos was being vain and fake — nonsense). This exhibit brought healing to my soul and inspired me to continue to snap away at the every day, the extraordinary and the mundane!

2. Spaces. Yesterday I went to explore cafe spaces in Seongsu and was substantially impressed by how humans could design and manufacture a room that would fill me with rip-roaring inspiration. Admittedly, the only threads of consistency of the summer were cafes like these. (The one pictured above is in Wicker Park, Chicago)

3. Giving thanks. My grandma occasionally would say that happiness and gratitude are proportional. This summer, I intentionally practiced gratitude, and to that I can say, I am certainly very, very happy.

4.  Busan. Crossed off #6 on my summer bucket list when I took the KTX to my favorite city in Korea, not to work per usual but to play. The ocean was alright this time, but the company was nice.

5.  Rooftop shenanigans. Not a single summer goes by without hitting up the Seoul rooftop with friends, music, and food. No grilling this summer, but for this night, pizza was the most excellent choice. That, and, I'm ever so thankful for this bunch who I had the privilege of growing to know more this year. 

6.  Seoul Searching. The longer I stay in Korea, the more eagerly I desire to learn my cultural heritage. So much so that I found myself aimlessly meandering through Hanoak Village and Samchungdong without a single complaint of the heat. Mosquitos and alarming steam aside, it was all killer vibes.

7. Yangjae Flower Market. Crossed off another one on the summer bucket list as I walked home a bad girl with a mint chocolate chip ice cream craving fulfilled and the most beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers I've yet to get my hands on. Satisfaction.

8. Thailand. The only way I can describe waking up to this morning view on my left and my best friends on my right...pure bliss. To that, you add ice-immersed coconut water, endless pad thai, beautiful waters, and endless hours of laughter, and you'll have one content woman. Definitely one of the highlights of my summer.

9. The Little Prince. I've always considered life lived in hopeless denial to that which one was designed an exceedingly distressing thought. This little book is a seed of hope to the human soul, to those who may have forgotten what it's like to live fully.

10. Lessons on loving the self. Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves. -Brene Brown

JEJU

Photo Diary May 26th - May 29th

Traveling always provides the richest space for reflection because there is, to a certain degree, the absence of grownup realities. And in duration, the novel scents of sea water and ocean views blur out the messiness and/or the weight of real human life. I don't know if that's a cop-out to adulthood... but Jeju was dreamy in that regard. The weekend felt rich and full as I ventured out with absolutely no plans at all, except for — of course — good food, nice drives in our mint Kia (yass), and unfeigned quality time with a friend.

What I know about myself that I didn't know before this trip is, I am driven by trying to understand, in earnest: What makes human life meaningful? The grandeur of the sea is often the greatest trigger to this question. In Jeju, I stood face to face with the waters on countless occasions, and each time I could pat down the idea that life's virtue certainly has something to do with the depth of our relationships. And as such, for me, I recognized that connection has undergirded the richness and significance that I sense so strongly these days in my late twenties. Adulthood is more often than not an arm and a leg, but it is the opportunities of getaways like these that allow us to be adult and childlike simultaneously. It was perfect.

And I leave you with this: 

"Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, 'Do it again'; and the grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, 'Do it again' to the sun; and every evening, 'Do it again' to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we." -GK Chesterton

MAY

May was odd, congenial, and very short-lived. Aside from the obvious benefits of the pre-summer delights, I've entered the month of June feeling a little cheated because May came and fled too soon. In the past week or two, I've unknowingly meandered down a twilight zone where I have been living by day-to-day instincts. What's right? What's wise? What's best? It is by grace alone because I have unwittingly chucked my life manual out the window this month. Grace — it's been the hefty theme this season, and my goodness life takes you on some detours.

I think that's besides the point though. When I look back in my journal, a lot has happened. Nothing I had planned for, obviously. Last month, I had planned to follow through on a series of media projects, yet youtube never made it out of my camera, and blogposts never have been released. If not within a time frame of inspirational propulsion, ideas pass and remain in draft history...forever. On the flip side, a ton of unexpected things came my way — namely friendships, traveling (Jeju!), and some farfetched surprises. I'm currently in a spin as to how I've ended up here, but here I am, dazed, tad disoriented, yet excited.

If anything, last month I've recognized the depth to which I treasure my relationships. Community is foundational. I'm thankful for the people who have been planted alongside me here, in Seoul. I've been absorbing, working on things to the point of having to mentally recalibrate what is normal — or at least trying not to be so judgmental towards what I don't know. (Sorry for being vague) And in the process, I have people who challenge me, love me, and ask me questions to keep me accountable, sane, and always laughing... always.

Anyways, I get a hunch of a hunch that summer is going to be amazing. Even life changing perhaps. Keep your eyes open and hearts ready, step out and lets make it wild. 

INSTALIFE

APRIL 2016

1 ll Creative Mornings Seoul       2 ll Friday Work Group

3 ll Election Day       4 ll MMCA 

5 ll Wander Lust      6 ll Tent Making on a Roof

7 ll Van Gogh Exhibit + Roomie       8 ll Seoul Cherry Blossom

9 ll Pick-me-up       10 ll Breakfast Spread