Lucky #7

February 2023

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”  (Oh, the Places You’ll go! by Dr. Seuss)

Life is a journey. But we often don’t know where it will take us. This can be intimidating but also exciting. 

Sometimes, life’s experiences confirm and reinforce what I already know; at other times, they challenge and overturn what I thought was true, good, or even possible. In the end, though, every one of them has taken me a step further and broadened my perspective.

#1) Seoul. This megacity has been my home for the past 21 years. Seoul is always racing. Life happens so fast, but that’s what I love about it. I thrive on the urban energy. Living here has also enabled me to appreciate my cultural identity: a proud Korean-American who relishes “kimchi jigae” sitting around the dinner table with my family. 

Home is where the heart is.

#2) Chicago. I was born in the Windy City. My dad was wrapping up his PhD at the time and my mom was finishing her second bachelor’s degree in visual art. Surrounded by books and paintings, I was able to lay the foundation that sparked all of my present intellectual curiosities.

Value the liberal arts.

#3) Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York. Three different locations but one big similarity: like people in Seoul, folks living there seem to never sleep. I too often find myself lost in the cacophony of bustling city life. I think of Camus’ “Myth of Sisyphus,” a man condemned to push a heavy boulder up a hill only to see it roll down. And he does it again and again, without really thinking or knowing why. Where is his purpose?

Don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers.

#4) Siem Reap. I remember being shaken out of my hotel bed (clearly against my will) at 5AM to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, the ancient Hindu temple. The hike was a challenge, with the unbearable heat. But what I saw when I reached the top took my breath away. As I marveled at the sight before me, I knew it had been well worth it.

You won’t find a rainbow without a little bit of rain.

#5) Manila & Hoi An. I was there with my peers during my church’s “Service Week.” We mixed concrete to help build homes, spent time at an orphanage, and delivered buckets of porridge to feed the locals. I had visited Manila before, but only as a tourist. This time, looking to serve and not to be served, I understood my ignorance. The trip truly helped me see these places and people in their authenticity because this time, I was involved and I was invested. I felt part of their reality, not simply on the outside looking in. What a privilege it was to learn from them and to work beside them.

Take action.

#6) Venice. It was like a mirage. From a rooftop, I could behold this beautiful maze of a city crisscrossed by canals. But riding through the city on a gondola gave me an intimate close-up view of things I had missed or could not see from afar. It’s kind of like that in life too. We sometimes don’t know the reality until leaning in and gaining a closer look. The key is to consider multiple perspectives and find a balance so that we can “see better.”

Look beyond the surface. 

#7) Destination unknown 

Ultimately, it is not about where you’ve been but what you’ve learned. In the end, it was the “brains in my head” and the “feet in my shoes” that steered me toward the important takeaways I now live by. 

And I can’t wait to discover where they will take me next.