[draft 2: korea]

Things I LOVE about Korea...


             1. the lush, green forests!

          

                                                          
   



                             2. springflowers ♡

3. the Seoul Olympic Park












4. the FOOD: korean bbq, han-shik, seafood, papinsu (pictured below), and the list goes on forever!

                       
 5. traditional architecture

6. the crisscrossing mountain ranges 
(geographically, over 70% of S. Korea consists of upland & mountain ranges while N. Korea is over 80%!)

       

 7. the coast...

8. artsy, cute, little shops










                                                                                          9. ✎ craft & art supplies 

10. korean pride: be the reds (everyone in Korea is already getting so excited for the World Cup in Africa, hopefully we do well!)

[draft 1: korea]

...I love Korea.
When my dad and I initially flew into Seoul ten days ago, I was instantly overwhelmed by the city. It seems to happen every time I come here; the people, the noise, the traffic, the skyscrapers...there's nothing quite like it in Canada that I can compare it to. To be honest, after the first night, I couldn't remember why I had been so excited to be coming here in the first place. It was everything I detested. People are in constant fast forward motion, appearing to be concerned only with their next destination. There's no laidback friendly smiles from strangers, no such thing as giving the 'wave' whilst driving, and people don't open doors for each other, in fact most tend to push and shove to be the first ones through. Small things I realize, but they left big impressions.


The first couple days here, I found myself getting frustrated and upset at what I saw, which only made me realize how little I really understand of Korea and how I will probably never fully understand as a Canadian-Korean. As a visible "foreigner", (despite my Korean background, most Koreans know right off the bat that I'm from the West), I find that I never feel like I quite fit in here. This is so frustrating to me as a 2nd generation Korean. I find that I can't fully be accepted in Korea because of how Canadian I feel (in thought, action, and lifestyle), but I also sometimes feel as though I'm not fully accepted in Canada because of my Korean background, appearance, and my close ties to Korean family & traditions.


It wasn't until my dad and I went out of the city to 설악산 (Sarak San Mt.) that I remembered that I was sooooo incredibly blessed to get the best of both worlds. In the beautiful, green, flowery lush countryside, I was reminded of why I love my heritage and this country. All the hikes we went on were unbelievably gorgeous. I couldn't deny God's awesomeness. We were also blessed on our trip as we met so many interesting people! An older Korean couple from San Fransisco, who had connections with some of our Calgary church members; a young Israeli man who was exploring Korea on his own without knowing a word of Korean; and the coffee shop 아저씨, who was a professional rock climber that shared with us so many delicious free drinks and his crazy stories...all in exchange for a short tutorial on english!


Here, I was reminded of Korea's generosity & hospitality. The fierce loyalty and dedication to culture, the exotic landscape of florals and greens, and the rootedness in tradition reminded me of why I love Korea. This is Korea to me; not the busy streets, the crowded malls, and the 9 different levels of the subway. (The poli-sci major in me argues that this is purely a product of capitalism...) I realize that the city is part of the make-up of what Korea is today, but I've found that Korea is so much more than what I first saw on the surface. There is so much depth and history in this culture and I'm so excited to learn more about it & come to a deeper appreciation of it!


*pictures coming soon!*

4:27...and counting

It's come to my realization that I haven't blogged in quite a long time. So naturally, the right thing for me to do would be to wake up at 4:27 in the morning the day of my birthday and post something, right? For some  reason, sleep has escaped me the entire night. I didn't get to bed until 1:30, after having a drinks and appy night with my family, and I've been waking up every hour. So I've been enjoying the quiet of the house, reading Scripture, listening to classical cello, and wondering why I feel so calm and at peace at this ridiculous hour instead of being exhausted out of my mind. 

I've been reflecting on this past year, and I can't believe at how incredibly blessed I am. God has moved in so many amazing ways. Thinking of the countless tiny steps that have led up to this moment now, I am awed by His goodness and faithfulness. It's hard to believe that this time last year, I was finishing my hike in the Himalayas and falling for the most amazing man that I know. By the end of India, my life was headed in a completely new and different direction than it had been before Quest. I have received blessing after blessing this year. Living at Menno has given me another beautiful community, meaningful friendships, and lasting memories. My life in Vancouver was full of excitement, adventure, food, learning, and growing. I loved it. 
And now, I'm embarking on another journey and entering a new chapter of my life.
I'll be honest, I'm terrified to not be going back to Vancouver. 
But I'm still unbelievably excited to be moving to Edmonton. 

I feel as though the last 5 years of my life have been cycles of moving: a decision, packing, saying goodbye, traveling, arriving, unpacking, planting new roots, nurturing new relationships, memories, change. More packing, another goodbye, tears, excitement, hope, and a new destination.

I'm excited to see what God has in store for my 20th year and where He'll lead me. And to wrap this birthday post up, this is my prayer for the year... 
[came to my rescue: hillsong]

Falling on my knees in worship, 

Giving all I am to seek your face. 

Lord, all I am is yours.

I called, you answered.

And you came to my rescue, 

And I want to be where you are.

My whole life I place in your hands.

God of mercy, humbled I bow down, 

In your presence at your throne.

In my life be lifted high.

In our world, be lifted high. 

In our love, be lifted high.