No one can prepare you for expat life. It’s hard. It’s exciting. It builds you up — only to tear you down again. Add a raging pandemic to the equation and you’re set for an experience that you’d never forget. My dear friend, Teresa, left Seoul a-year-and-a-half before me. We couldn’t even say our farewells…
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It’s midnight. All the lights are out. The ones in the office building bang opposite our apartment, in Seoul, are still burning bright. Burning the midnight oil takes a whole new meaning in Asia. My dad would always wonder: what is it that you can achieve in the wee hours of the morning that you…
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Hiking Samaksan in South Korea Samarkand, Uzbekistan Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from. – Seth Godin Like most introverts I like spending most of my time at home. Home is a place where I can dream, be creative, think, and…
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Most writers have their fair share of irrational fears and insecurities. However, none are as compelling as the fear of losing one’s ability to put words to paper — to build stories from nothing. Can you ever forget how to write? This question plagued me during the course of the last 3 years. Do you…
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This year has been very hard to predict. Change has been the only constant. I spent the first six months exploring different nooks and corners of our apartment. On somedays, I’d feel brave enough to walk in the park and also pick up groceries. When social distancing was relaxed, we started our long dental journey.…
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Incheon, a sprawling satellite city — roughly an hour away from Seoul, is a viable living option for many. Finding affordable housing, in Seoul, can prove to be a gargantuan task. Apartment/housing costs keep rising every year and living in the outskirts isn’t a bad idea when public transportation is so efficient. Scores of office-goers…
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Blind trust. It never came easily to me. I’ve always relied on questions to have a better understanding of any situation. I think: it’s an innate need to be in control of uncertainty and also have a better grip on my anxiety. I was scared of dentists and the dark I was scared of pretty…
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“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ― Paulo Coelho I started this year on a positive note. We had spent Christmas in Uzbekistan and the change of scenery had done wonders for me. January, the coldest winter month, wasn’t over; but I had found ways to beat…
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Over the past couple of years, our blog has meant many things. There were times when the blog meant everything to me. I’d spend hours writing posts, getting likes, chasing followers, participating in challenges, and leaving random comments on the blogosphere. The highs and lows weren’t always easy to deal with. I was destined for…
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Last November, Basil coaxed me to join him on a work trip to Jeju. I usually prefer to stay back in Seoul and stick with my routine. But I’d also just come back to Korea — after an annual monthlong trip of visiting family and friends. I was glum and Seoul’s dipping temperatures weren’t doing…
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