Novel Writing: Still Climbing

Just over two years ago, I decided to attempt to write a novel. I had this sudden thought that this thing that had seemed impossible to me before might actually be a learnable feat. I started reading tons of books about writing, plotting, and character development. I began reading more novels, studying the structure of movies, […]

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Smashing Cockroaches

The other night, I had a slightly traumatic experience: I entered my bedroom just in time to see a huge cockroach leap right into my bed!! To give some context, I sleep on the floor (on a mat that Koreans call a yo). I also sleep inside a pop-up mosquito tent with a zip-up flap door. […]

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The Third Day of a New Thing

This week felt like a new beginning for me. I started running, cooking, and waking up earlier. Life felt very different. I was afraid I was going to feel too tired to keep all this up––that’s my normal excuse for sleeping in, not running, and eating the easiest-fix meals possible––but Monday and Tuesday, I felt great! I […]

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Rainy days

I love rainy days. Laughing at the gusts of wind that blow sheets of rain at you sideways. Showing up at a social engagement with the bottom half of you completely soaked. Walking down the street shielded from the rest of the world by a curtain of water, the persistent patter of raindrops filling your ears. Today, I got […]

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Right Here, Right Now

This morning as I was looking out my window, I got a strange feeling, the same feeling I have when I’m traveling in a new country. The homes, streets, nooks and crannies are unfamiliar, and my eyes linger, imagining the lives of those who inhabit them, imagining how it might feel to live there. It’s a feeling of […]

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Summer Has Arrived!

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I went running this morning and almost died. It felt great in the moment, because although the sun was a little hot, there was nice breeze coming off the ocean and the running path was much less crowded than usual. I could also tell my endurance had improved, which made me happy. But after I […]

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Home for Christmas

This is my first time being home for Christmas in three years. It’s rather nice. Listening to my little siblings read Advent excerpts, watching the packages from Amazon pile up by the front door, driving by houses sparkling with lights, feeling the anticipation in the air. I used to resist the Christmas hype fiercely and […]

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Lost in a Good Book

Between my life in Seoul and the life I’m about to start in Busan, I find myself in the good ole US of A for three weeks, reconnecting with old friends and enjoying the easy comfort of being home. There have been many pleasant surprises already in the first few days of this trip, including the […]

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