I'M BAAAAAAAACK!

it has now been 4 weeks since i made my long awaited and anticipated return home and a lot has happened in that duration. (4 weeks = 28 days, but doesn't the former sound a lot longer than the latter?) i spent one week recovering from jet leg (that shit was no joke!) and the next, visiting friends in our nation's capital. elated but overwhelmed by the urban sensory overload, i happily re-retreated back into my suburban existence in my room, in my parents' house, and created a loose-fitting yet still well guided table of contents for what will be my book of personal stories/essays/rants & raves. week 4 (april 5, 3:30pm) was outstandingly momentous since it included the arrival of my niece, jaina raejin taylor. she is, without a doubt, the most inconceivably adorable, beautiful baby. i was present for my sister's labor and delivery and being witness to such an incredibly fascinating, lovingly intimate, painfully raw process was an awesome honor not only as a sister, a friend, a woman, but also simply as a human being. (holy shit, that was fucking amazing.)

being back has been a rather effortlessly smooth adjustment. i know that i am lucky and extremely thankful to be surrounded by a tremendous support network of family and friends who are not only radiantly encouraging, but so marvelously generous and sharing. (at this moment, i'm writing from my friend sebastian's lovely apartment in dc. he offered his home to me while he is traveling for work for the next two weeks. fantastic!) what's also fabulously freeing is that my existence these days isn't centered around work that exhausts or depletes, giving too much of myself without feeling reciprocity. instead, my "work" involves time to focus and craft the stories that shape me...as me! i am taking this time, time i truly owe to myself, to devote to creating what i believe in, things that make me feel alive, happy, challenged, and engaged to the core.

it's a risk, but a calculated one with astoundingly more positive than negative results. but, perhaps it's not a risk at all. this is something that i've been wanting to do for a long, long time and maybe the only risky thing is that i've come to this place of acceptance in giving myself this space and time to do just that. that's right bitches, I'M BAAAAAAAACK!

dance, dance, dance!

do the chicken!

the workout...updated

is working out! i'm feeling great, lean, and toned. after two weeks, my stomach is already beginning to show more definition, which is exactly what i desire. i don't necessarily want a full-on 6 pack, but the less jiggle wiggle, the better!

update:
after 3 weeks of serious determination and dedication to working out 4-5 times a week with a strict diet of calculated protein, carbs and lots of cucumbers and carrots, my stomach is the flattest and the most toned it has ever been. yay to feeling healthy and beach ready!

funky fresh

one of the most creative and expressive areas of seoul is funky fresh hongdae. home of hongik university, the area exudes cool, from its graffiti tags, amazing array of cutesy coffee shops, eclectic decor, urban fashionistas and street performances by rocknrollers.

i spent a lovely sunday afternoon in hongdae with my fabulous friend, jennifer. we meandered the streets, observing and noting the architecture, restaurants and art. here are some examples of our wanderings.

this i know is true.

as expected, i'm finding truths as i pack. here's another:

from haruki murakami's what i talk about when i talk about running

pg. 5

to keep on going, you have to keep up the rhythm. this is the most important thing for long term projects. once you set the pace, the rest will follow. the problem is getting the flywheel to spin at a set speed--and to get to that point takes as much concentration and effort as you can manage.

quixotic

quixotic, adjective: exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic and impractical. extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary.

i sometimes wonder, though, not with too much depth, if i am a bit quixotic.

i'm packing things up--FINALLY!--and not surprisingly, going down memory lane. (i expect this will be common practice in these upcoming and final weeks in korea!) i found this beautiful (and quixotic!) quote from isabel allende's, daughter of fortune, pg 406.

where is your joy, tao? she asked

the world is filled with suffering, lin.

suffering fulfills a spiritual purpose.

this is merely useless sorrow.

remember that the sage is always joyful because he accepts reality.

and evil, must he accept that too?

the only antidote is love...