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the view of an open field on campus with endless rows of mountains as a backdrop that set the scene for the lunchtime picnics I've enjoyed with my friends this spring. I'm excited to return to the city life soon, but this is the kind of view I'm sure I'll miss when I'm gone.
there's a new cherry blossom latte at my favorite franchise coffee shop and i don't care that it snowed two days ago or that the air still has a sharp bite to it, this officially means it's spring.
when you live in relative isolation in the korean countryside, you can at least count on your squad to be your valentine. had a cute "galentine's day" gathering with the jungwomen. chocolate-dipped korean strawberries, ice cream, and good talks about life, love, and all the uncertain things in between. ♡
today, i: chatted and laughed with my parents, chatted and laughed with two of my ultimate biases victor and alex, bought some tinsel and christmas lights to give my room some color and holiday spirit, set up shop in my favorite café in goesan for the afternoon and got to read over cool friends' grad school app materials for them, had fun studying korean with friends, tried something new at lotteria for lunch, and added some words to a short story i started recently that feels incredibly important to write now at this particular moment in my life, as i am confronted again and again with the difficult questions of what it means to simultaneously seek belonging and escape. all in all, i would say today was a good day. my head these days is swirling with worries, but days like today are good for sating the anxiety, at least for a little while. as the cold settles in, i'm keeping sweaters and self-affirmations on hand. i'm doing fine, and it will be all right in the end. i hope i have some time this week to really sit with the questions of next steps, next year's goals, and most importantly, how much more money i can budget for christmas lattes in the coming weeks. ♡
the jungwomen pulled off the christmas event of the month, year, century last night. we had a million mishaps, from butter spread instead of butter sticks, a hand mixer with a mind of its own, and a flood of student participation we hadn’t been fully prepared for. in the end, the students of jungwon university had fun decorating christmas cookies we spent the whole morning and afternoon baking as well as making christmas crafts like snowflakes, stars, and paper wreaths. i was and still am exhausted, but grateful for the chance to do these fun things rather than mandatory textbook classes only. excuse me while i sleep for a million years a.k.a. kidding, i’m in Seoul this weekend for the BTS concert and sleepover shenanigans with my friend, whose days left in Korea are numbered. let’s hope i don’t die before BTS slays me. ♡
goesan has a giant holiday tree on the corner of the one major intersection in town and i really believe in my heart that christmas season is upon us.
the holiday spirit is alive and well in goesan. last night, the jungwomen gathered and celebrated a mini thanksgiving, each bringing a dish that was as close to our "american" staples as we could manage in a small town where things like maple syrup, cranberries, and turkeys are nowhere to be found. i got some carrots from the market yesterday and diced them up, glazed them in butter and honey, and sprinkled parsley on them to bring to the feast. other foods in attendance: pumpkin soup, balsamic and orange glazed chicken, mashed sweet potatoes and mashed white potatoes, sliced persimmons, peach ciders, and a glazed apple dessert to top some vanilla ice cream as a replacement for pie. after that awesome night, we woke up to snow. I'm pretty much the only one who's happy to see snow, but we all agreed that the campus looks very much like a winter wonderland right now, which is an aesthetic I fully support as someone who starts blasting christmas songs in late October. the spirit and snow are here. let's see what the season brings. ♡
today was a market day in goesan. ♡
