new things

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1. The number of indoor plants I look after has grown over the past year and a half - I now have four (4) plants. Being home more has helped me to become a better plant caretaker. I check the soil and water my plants weekly, make sure they have enough indirect sunlight, trim the leaves if things get too wild and say kind things to them as much as possible. I repotted two of my plants for the first time today and I somehow feel closer to them. One of the things I enjoy most is seeing new leaves grow. :)

2. I've been making little lifestyle changes like exercising and drinking less milk tea/boba and bread. I started going to pilates twice a week about a month ago and it has been really good for my body and soul. I plan on trying out boxing this coming week, so really looking forward to that! <3

3. I recently discovered a really cute coffeeshop inside of a bookstore (pictured below) and reached out to the team a month ago to see if they would be open to me volunteering as a barista. I sadly didn't hear back from anyone, but was able to talk to the main barista today. The barista was super nice and said he'd love for me to join the team - yay! Seems like the perfect opportunity to learn more about coffee + get to know new people.

 

That's all for now! 

xoxo Grace

Posted by : Grace J. Lee
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Life goes on.

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A friend sent me an Instagram post on my birthday that was really encouraging and I wanted to share it here:

today is my birthday.

first thing I did was to go to a cafe

and get myself a cup of coffee.

then I sat down and started to think.

about my past year. about the things that

happened. about the things that did not

happen. about the crappy times. and about

the things that I am grateful of, in the end.

things don't always happen the way we 

want them to be. people don't always

stay. the hopes that make you feel alive

often end up killing you too.

I was disappointed that a lot of things

I wanted to happen did not yet.

but I am also so so grateful for the things

that I have now that I never thought I could

ever achieve when I was younger. and that

makes me tremendously happy.

I am grateful for this account. for this

platform I have to be able to post my

thoughts openly and be accepted for it.

grateful for you -- who is reading this.

on most days, this platform is my coping

mechanism. without it,. things might not

feel as light as they are now.

I don't know when I started feeling this way, but I get the birthday blues every year. It's not that I'm not grateful for my life and all of the wonderful things that have happened, but it's just something that happens to my mood around my birthday. Part of me just feels sad. Perhaps it comes from my tendency to think about the things I haven't accomplished yet or maybe it's because I feel like I'm not moving forward. Still trying to figure it out! Anyways, after reading the Instagram post my friend sent me - I reflected on my day and made a list of the little things that brought joy on my birthday and I wanted to share them here: 

- being home

- really nice weather

- my mom making me 미역국 (seaweed soup) for my birthday

- my mom's willingness to drive me everywhere (due to my sprained ankle)

- my mom carrying my crutches down the stairs when I need to leave the house

- receiving thoughtful gifts from my friends

- one of my friends stopping by to say hello and buy me birthday doughnuts

- my brother and sister-in-law asking if I wanted to go to Carlsbad to see the flower fields

- friends I haven't talked to in a long time sending me birthday messages

- going to a local park with my mom to celebrate my birthday

- my mom bringing a plate of fruits for us to eat at the park (kiwis, oranges & strawberries)

- my left arm not feeling as sore from my first vaccination shot

- finishing my "wizard of oz" puzzle (even though there's one piece missing)

- getting my free Starbucks drink (and for my mom being willing to drive me)

- good conversations with new people in my life

- my thriving three plants

- being on sabbatical

 

here are a few photos from my birthday this year. it was very low-key, but still wanted to capture a few special moments.

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Things I love

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• My bullet journal
• My pen/pencil/marker collection
• Korean traditional music
• Writing lists
• 칸초 (or kancho)
• Making Korean food
• ㅂㅌㅅㄴㄷ
• My home "cafe"
• Thoughtfulness
• Listening to music all day
• Working from home
• My home "office"
• My aloe plant from my friend L
• Growth
• Trying new recipes
• Sourdough bread
• Mushrooms
• Salt & vinegar chips
• 팥빵 (or red bean bread)
• Organization
• Video editing
• Speaking Korean
• Clouds
• Lip stains - YSL Water Stain in #603
• Solo time
• My pink NY Yankees baseball cap

Posted by : Grace J. Lee
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updates

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Here are some updates about my life right now --

• Currently listening to traditional Korean music on Spotify while drinking my homemade cold brew - Click Here if you want to listen! Listening to this new album that dropped over the weekend and lots of music by Lauv (mainly because my friend P listens to his music all the time + he has a lot of good songs). I also really like this song right now...and this song.

• Currently reading "The God Who is There" by D. A. Carson and "The Emotionally Healthy Woman" by Geri Scazzero. Even though I've mainly been inside of my apartment over the past 2+ months, I feel like I've grown so much in my walk with Him. Thankful to my friend A for asking me if I wanted to join a Bible study with a group of amazing women. Only two weeks in, but it has been soooooo good already. Excited for the next 6 weeks!

• I'm really thankful for my weekly Sunday school class at 11am -- a group of high school seniors and college students who inspire and encourage me far beyond what I thought was possible. Happy I get to be a small part of their lives right now and I'm excited to see them grow and accomplish great things for His kingdom! :) I want to post a photo of them here, but I'll keep that to myself for their privacy.

• Currently wearing 유자 (or Yuja) by Jo Malone. I honestly bought it because the scent was inspired by Korea, but I also really like the scent. I love 유자차 (or Yuja tea), so it just feels really special.

• The most recent thing I started doing is bullet journaling - it has helped me stay organized and productive during quarantine. All thanks to my friend S! :) I've collected pens, pencils, markers, rulers, stickers & washi tape to make the most of this life/task management tool. It was hard to start, but after getting the hang of it - I love it!

• I set up a home "cafe" after I started working remotely since I can't go to cafes right now. It's been a cool experience, making pour over coffee and cold brew at home. I still don't know anything about coffee, but I'm enjoying the process of learning. 

• I've watched A LOT of Korean dramas in the past two months -- 이태원 클라쓰 (Itaewon Class), 사랑의 불시착 (Crash Landing on You), 동백꽃 필 무렵 (When the Camellia Blooms) & 부부의 세계 (The World of the Married). These are the ones I enjoyed the most! The last drama I mentioned was kind of stressful and not always enjoyable, but I feel like I bonded with a couple of my friends more because of it (H & P). 

• Favorite quotes right now --
• "One day when you wake, you will find that you have become a forest. You have grown roots and found strength in them that no one thought you had. You have become stronger and more beautiful, full of life giving qualities. You have learned to take all the negativity around you and turn it into oxygen for easy breathing. A host of wild creatures live inside you and you call them stories. A variety of beautiful birds rest inside your mind and you call them memories. You have become an incredible self-sustaining thing of epic proportions. And you should be so proud of yourself, of how far you have come from the seeds of who you used to be." - Nikita Gill, You Have Become a Forest
• "I am rooted, but I flow." - Virginia Woolf

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Paris.

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Paris, I'll see you in April.  It's going to be great.  I promise. 

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Things I love.

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1. Documentaries about castles
2. Getting ready in the morning
3. Oversized sweaters and coats
4. Crime-related television dramas
5. Celebrating the holidays, especially Christmas
6. Playing board games
7. Theatre and plays
8. Being Korean-American
9. My Google calendar and using emoticons for everything
10. Walking through the forest
11. My Nike shoes
12. Rainy weather
13. Gold accessories
14. Listening to Spotify all day 
15. Cuddling with my dog
16. Traveling/Going on adventures
17. Baking chocolate chip cookies
18. Learning about history
19. The ocean
20. Iced lattes

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2017.

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These are a few things I'm looking forward to in 2017!

1. My managerial accounting class
2. Studying for the GMAT's
3. Taking the GMAT's
4. Applying for grad school
5. My birthday trip to Seattle, WA & Victoria, BC, Canada in April
6. Family trip to Big Sur in September
7. Visiting state parks and being one with nature
8. Cooking one fancy meal a month using one of my cookbooks
9. Growing in my faith
10. Living fearlessly & following my heart

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