"Why did you change your name? And why those names?" The words drop over our dinner table full of 떡볶이 (tteokbokki, spicy stir-fried rice cakes) and 김밥 (kimbap, Korean rice rolls), homemade Korean street food. We all still just for a moment…waiting. I take a breath. My name given at birth is no longer the … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
I’m having some trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that we only have about three weeks left here. I can already feel the loss I’ll feel in returning to the States. I haven’t posted as much as I thought I would while we were here. Likely because we have been pretty busy so I'm … Continue reading Connections to My Seoul
There's a melancholy seeping out of my bones. It seems a sort of thing awakened by being here in Korea. Don't misunderstand, our time here is wonderful and will make for lasting memories. However, just because the experience is beautiful and memorable doesn't distract from or minimize the contradictions that live here. Likely one of … Continue reading Melancholy has Come to Knock
It's surreal to think we've been out of quarantine for about three weeks. It's both been forever and was just yesterday. Dragon, Monkey, and I all have things we strangely miss about our time locked in a hotel. Mostly we all miss the easy routine we fell into along with the sense of certainty of … Continue reading It’s a Beautiful Mess
We finally finished our two-week quarantine yesterday morning! Yesterday marked our official start to our trip. Along with the excitement of finally being able to leave our hotel room after two weeks, I'm grappling with the great uncertainty that lies ahead. As is so often true in life, quarantine was just another opportunity for a … Continue reading Facing What Comes Next
I have some of the most amazing friends in my life. They make up part of my chosen family. During these pandemic times, I have stepped back to reflect on life, relationships, and many other aspects of my existence. Part of this reflection has also been on how and where I have channeled my energy. … Continue reading What is Loss Anyway…
Writing on this topic has weighed on my mind for a bit and putting all my swimming thoughts and emotions into words has felt out of reach. Becoming a mother is what drove me further on my journey so it should be expected that this process would affect my approach and experiences with parenting. Parenting … Continue reading Parenting as an Adoptee
Like so many others, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about many changes to our home, homemade 김치 (kimchi) being one of the better changes. For those who don't have an intimate relationship with 김치 (kimchi), it is a staple food in Korea. Most folks typically associate it with the traditional fermented cabbage variety … Continue reading The Art of Kimchi
It's my recollection and understanding that Korean was my first language; English followed shortly thereafter. I spoke Korean fluently until I was about nine. It was then I went to live with my parents so I didn't have anyone I could speak the language with. Now, some 25 plus years later, I'm trying to regain … Continue reading Relearning My Native Language
My identity has never been a mystery and yet has always been intangible, unattainable. I sometimes think of my life as a collection of individual books, rather than chapters, as my story seems so distinctly marked by specific moments. I was born to two Korean parents who immigrated to the United States. My early formative … Continue reading Starting Out
Rediscovering My Seoul 