The people we choose as family ~ On a warm midsummer evening in London, the breeze from the Thames attempts to whirl itself into the Wooden O, Shakespeare’s Globe. The vibrancy of each patron counters the cooling effect with its own kinetic energy, the crowd heated by anticipation for the opening act. As the twilight glows around the theater, my own curtain rises, its fabric beginning to extend its reach, unbeknownst to the connections that would take root among us. These s

When what you want only defines a single chapter ~ Exploration into unknown parts of the world is very much like our own discovery of love. These journeys are filled with coincidence, luck, and serendipitous moments that overtake an entire chapter, while subtle parentheses of readiness and intention is sprinkled throughout. Whether it happens once or many times in my life, love seems to follow this recipe—an intricate concoction of emotions. The fundamental ingredients are

Love under a magnifying glass ~ My heart has sung along the melodies of countless love ballads—defining and refining, layering and sculpting, glazing and glowing—as if our melodies of love can be molded like clay. Yet at times the ceramic of love remains unfinished, awaiting another transformative flame. Digging deeper into my emotional depths, I find beneath the fragile surfaces of our tempered selves lies a concealed blindness and unrealized mystery, dormant within the da

Star-gazing at our past lives, searching for all the connecting pieces ~ “We’re smaller than dust. God doesn’t always see us. But it’s okay, as long as we see each other.” — Translated, The Narrow Road (2022) While driving through the eastern side of Jeju Island (Korea) during a holiday, I discovered a stream of cedarwood trees that adorned both sides of the serpentine road. Faced with a serendipitous moment, I circled the route a few times until I found a narrow inlet

A detour spectacle ~ As a first-generation Asian American, the immigrant dream often is to build a foundation in the new home. Integrating ourselves with higher education, corporate pathways, deeply rooted relationships, all in pursuit of the American dream. And yet, over time, there’s a gradual pull back towards our cultural origins, as if returning to a place that never fully left us. Perhaps not what our ancestors had in mind when they created a new generational opportu

Aspirations of a bubble gum ~ My 9-year old daughter displays a series of adolescent curiosities which I deem as her greatest hits. One particular discovery in the spotlight, is her first piece of chewy confectionary, the bubble gum. Witnessing the growth in real-time, warped me back to my own childhood infatuation with bubble gum. From the unwrapping to the opening pitch, a series of rhythmic chews masticates the gum, prefacing a release of dopamine one chew at a time. A

An unidentified self transformation ~ Our identity goes through many iterations and chapters of change. A process of transformation that often is unrecognizable when you look back at your humble beginnings. In many instances, I fear the challenge of the unknown, or possibly letting go the comfort of certainty. A chronicle of the mid-chapters that ushered me into adulthood, can be traced to a familiar latitude and longitude—a place I call home. In the orchard of fruit trees

What is discovered, can be lost ~ lost /lôst/ adjective something that has been taken away or cannot be retrieved unable to find your way or path Personally, I hardly lose things. Even when I misplace something, I can often map and track my way back to relocating the item. Not sure if it’s a gift, but having some level of mindfulness and being detail oriented has definitely helped. When I got covid, losing my sense of smell and taste, was a humbling wake-up call. Especiall

How I dealt with the impermanence of life ~ Everything is impermanent, no matter how sweet or difficult. — yung pueblo, Lighter I struggle with the word “forever”. From adolescence to adulthood, my understanding of forever has evolved into a completely different meaning. Through the trials and tribulations, I now see it as somewhat of an empty fairytale. Then I came across the Helichrysum flower (aka Immortelle). It signifies everlasting. Found among the Mediterranean