Published inLive Your Life On Purpose·PinnedMember-onlyTraveling the World has Ruined My LifeOr, the persistence of nostalgia. — I lived in South Korea for four years. During that time, I traveled throughout the country and was able to travel to other countries between work contracts. A month in France, a week in Hong Kong. Travel was a huge part of my life. And then my life changed. I…Travel4 min readTravel4 min read
Nov 6Member-onlyCozy Non-Fiction Reads for the WinterYes, non-fiction can be cozy too… Winter may not be the favorite season of many people, but it is the ideal season to catch up on reading. …Nonfiction5 min readNonfiction5 min read
Jun 19Member-onlyThe First Rule of Sewing Club…Should you hide your creative hobbies from friends and family? It’s complicated. Hobbies are polarizing things. In essence, they are supposed to be the things we choose to do because we like, or even love them. They help fill the time between work, chores, and other responsibilities. Being able to…Hobby5 min readHobby5 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Apr 10Member-onlyTrauma and Mental Health Issues Aren’t What Makes You a Better ArtistSo let’s release this belief that you should be tortured by your own brain. — It’s a common narrative that with talent or “genius,” there always comes a cost. If you can create, you must trade something for it, often it comes at the cost of your health and relationships. When we look at artists like Van Gogh, Silvia Plath, and others with mental health…Mental Health4 min readMental Health4 min read
Published inThe Expat Chronicles·Mar 25Member-onlyI’ll Never Be a Digital NomadThat life used to be the dream, but now I don’t think so anymore. For people who love to travel and create, nothing seems better than the digital nomad life. You move on every couple of months to a new destination and you create content or do other online work…Digital Nomads5 min readDigital Nomads5 min read
Published inFarewell Alarms·Feb 23Member-onlyAir Travel is Different than I RememberI’m very happy to be back to traveling, but has air travel gotten weirder or is it just me? I traveled a lot pre-pandemic, and I’ve never been a luxury traveler. Budget airlines have helped me have more money for doing things at my destination. But my return to travel…Travel4 min readTravel4 min read
Published inThe Expat Chronicles·Feb 10Member-onlyWhy I Shouldn’t Move to Europe, According to My FriendsOr, how they try to persuade me to stay and how effective their tactics are. Don’t get me wrong, I like our life in the US. We have great friends, we’ve enjoyed a lot of cool places nearby and in neighboring states, and we remarkably got on the housing ladder…Expat5 min readExpat5 min read
Dec 28, 2022Member-onlyBeing Happy Where You AreCultivating the ultimate life skill… In 2020, I wanted nothing more than to escape. I had moved back to the US in 2017 with plans to move abroad again within a year or two. And then I was more stuck than ever, it seemed, with the pandemic cutting me off…Mental Health4 min readMental Health4 min read
Nov 17, 2022Member-onlyStop Letting Your Body Get in Your WayWhy is it that we don’t think we can live our dream life until we have our dream physique? “I was considered fat in South Korea!” a slim young Korean woman relates in a TikTok. Her point was, no doubt, that beauty standards in Korea (particularly for entertainers) is very…Body Image6 min readBody Image6 min read
Published inThe Expat Chronicles·Nov 17, 2022Member-onlyWhat Is the Truth About Korean Hagwons?Save this if you’re planning on job hunting in South Korea… — Korea is a trendy location at the moment, mainly thanks to the rise of K-pop and Korean dramas in the west. I spent four years living and working in Korea before that wave crested, but it was definitely on the rise then. As is always the case when it comes…Korea13 min readKorea13 min read
