Long time no see! How have you been? Please tell me you’ve been having a crazy year, too.
I disappeared for a few months because I got COVID in March (and I tested positive on my birthday). And after that, everything just got even more hectic at work and in my personal life. And it’s funny because, as I am writing this newsletter, I’ve tested positive again for COVID. I’m starting to think this is how the universe forces me to stop and reset.
This wasn’t how I wanted to slide into your inboxes again. I actually wrote a rough draft of this newsletter while I was in Korea the past week. I wanted it to be this ~magical~ comeback, but a lot happened while I was there: our country had to brave another storm, and in Korea, hundreds of young souls were lost due to the Itaewon Halloween Crush.
Everything that happened recently reminded me of how precious life is and to really make each day count.
I booked my tickets to Korea in April and I’m so happy I was able to hop on the plane and breathe in Seoul air.
Going back to Korea for the first time in three years was overwhelming. Before the pandemic, I would always visit Korea every year since 2016 — almost like an annual pilgrimage. So this trip was especially important to me. You can bet that I cried when the cabin crew said “Welcome to Korea!”
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For the first time in a long time, I really put myself first and did not work at all. I deleted my email app and muted my Slack app because I really wanted to rest and not think about work for the two weeks that I’ll be resting.
But of course, on the first day of my annual leave, I already felt so guilty; it took a lot of me not to check anything work-related. Although I did slip a few times to check on my colleague, I made sure to trust that they’ll be okay without me.
And I must say, waking up and not thinking about work has been the best feeling. Yes, the guilt would always linger close by, but I knew I needed this break. The people around me knew I needed to get away from everything for a bit.
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Walking the streets of Seoul reminded me of how much I wanted to live there. And to my surprise, it inspired me to work on more of my personal stuff; thanks to the small business owners I met — they were 100% themselves and it really inspired me to spotlight the things I want to do.
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Something I have to work on from now on is to stop pushing myself too much. If I push myself too hard again, the burnout will be ten times worse.
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I’d be lying if I told you that I’m not worried about going back to work. I feel like I have to warm up again and re-oil my gears, but I’m glad I was able to take a long breather (albeit being sick right now, but it’s okay, I’ll take it easy). I’ll be back again soon. (Sooner than you think).
A Little Bit of EverythingEverything
✳︎ Some prompts for November:
What does rest mean to you?
Are you giving yourself enough credit for the work that you’ve done throughout the year? Why?
✳︎ If you missed it, please check out my beautiful conversation with Arabella. She talks about her relationship with her art, self, and her mom.
✳︎ Help Take Care of Arabella’s Mom — Tita Susan is a lightning bolt! If you have the time, please take the time to learn more about Tita Susan and how you can help Arabella take care of her mom. She’ll also be having
✳︎ Grouphug is 9 months old. 🥲
✳︎ The Book of Form & Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki — I would like to thank A Little Life for popping my thick-book cherry because I really enjoyed this book. Nobody writes like Ruth Ozeki.
✳︎ A really good friend of mine brought my partner and me to this quaint Makgeolli House and Boekdakbang, and it’s easily one of my favorite places in Seoul. The menu is full of the owner’s mom’s recipes and he serves natural Makgeolli – one of which he made himself and looks and tastes fancy as fuck!
✳︎ I started a paper project a few years ago called Noodle, and this Seoul trip made me want to work on it again, especially after dropping by Mushroom Paper Farm and All Write.
✳︎ We were vibing to this song at the onground_gallery music bar while sipping on Gin & Tonic and enjoying a can of (pretty sure they were pricey) sardines, cheese, olives, and jalapeños.
✳︎ If you want a good cry, I 110% recommend 20th Century Girl. It’s on Netflix. That’s all I’m going to say.
I guess that’s it for now. I’m sorry if this newslette feels a bit all over the place, but I just wanted to drop by quickly and say hi.
I’ll see you in a bit, and please, please, take it easy.
All the love,
Gia