Life – Life Through the Windshield

(THE NOW SERIES)

Here goes my first full winter outside Canada. Missing the snow, the winter clothes, the white Christmas ~ my constants over the past years.

Strangely, being away from it all feels like I’m living outside my comfort zone yet I’m also thrilled to be home and celebrate the holidays with my family, for the first time in a long while (6 years!).

Well, it’s been a long time coming. Work always got in the way, but not this time.

Let’s face it, we will never have enough time to do everything in this lifetime. We win some, we lose some. The only question is, what are we willing to sacrifice?

The hardest times often reveal what we truly value in life. We realize which things are more important and deserving of our attention.

If there’s one thing I learned during the pandemic ~it’s that family is everything, all the rest comes second.

When I thought the world was going to end in 2020, I remembered asking myself:

If it were to end tomorrow, how would I spend my final hours?

I would fly back home at the drop of a hat and spend time with my parents, my family and loved ones.

If I had more free time, what would I be doing with my life?

Aside from traveling and eating the world’s most delicious foods, I would love to run my own coffee shop.

I’ve always been fond of korean dramas ever since I can remember. And if you’re a fan just like me, you would know k-dramas feature cafés all the time. It is a regular scene in korean dramas ~ a unique reflection of the coffee culture in Korea.

Initially, I was inspired by the classic rom-com series “Coffee Prince” ~one of my favorites to date, which I have rewatched at least 5 times. Another fave but with a different genre ~ “Healer”, where most of the scenes took place at a café called Coffee Bay, owned by Young Shin’s father. And the most recent drama, which somewhat solidified my dream of owning one was “Hometown Cha Cha Cha”. Who wouldn’t swoon over Chief Hong and his barista skills?

Anyway, long story short, I ended up doing it after two years. I took my advice and finally opened my own coffee shop.

Photo: Customer

This is probably an age-old advice and may or may not work for you – Do yourself a favor and do what you love. Sometimes our circumstances prevent us from doing things but know that it’s okay. Nothing is ever set in stone, even the future.

If not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then the day after tomorrow or maybe someday.

Invest in something that gives you a sense of purpose. Life itself is an investment, so spend it wisely.

No job or career is worth compromising your health and relationships.

Protect your inner peace. (At all costs! Cut off toxic people if you need to.)

Never let there be any what ifs. Turn it into why nots?

Here’s one of my favorite quotes to inspire you in 2023:

“You are the sky, everything else is just the weather.”

~Pema Chodron

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!

“This is your life. Do what you want and do it often.
If you don’t like something, change it.
If you don’t like your job, quit.
If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV.
If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.
Stop over-analyzing, life is simple.
All emotions are beautiful.
When you eat, appreciate every last bite.
Life is simple.
Open your heart, mind and arms to new things and people, we are united in our differences.
Ask the next person you see what their passion is and share your inspiring dream with them.
Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself.
Some opportunities only come once, seize them.
Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating.
Life is short, live your dream and wear your passion.”

~Holstee Manifesto

Lately, I find myself constantly thinking about what the future holds for me. And oftentimes I forget I have a NOW that I can fully take advantage of.

Before I started college, everything was already planned out for me. My parents decided which program and school I should attend to. It was more of a “where-my-brother-goes-I-go” decision. I didn’t mind because I knew they had my best interests at heart. I did not have a dream school nor a career that I had a special interest in anyway. Years after, I became a nurse and worked in that profession without any qualms. I was actually good at my job, however I wasn’t entirely passionate about it, if I’m really being honest. It was one of the most rewarding professions but there were days when I was merely floating through work, going through my daily routine, with less enthusiasm and energy. I did not put much thought into it until about four years ago.

So I decided to expand my horizons by pursuing teaching. Not long after, I got my professional license. I always had a keen interest on teaching and learning. I guess I could say, my life had been full of surprises. I always thought I had everything figured out when I was younger. I used to create a timeline for everything. My every move carefully calculated–when I’ll graduate, get my own place, travel the world, get married and have kids. When I came to Canada in 2016, I would have pursued my profession immediately, but I couldn’t afford to go back to school full-time while financially supporting myself and my family back home. Put simply, I put my career on hold due to financial constraints and partly due to career uncertainty. Besides, I wasn’t totally sure it was what I wanted at that time. When you hit a roadblock, you are most likely to find a detour. However, in my case, life showed me a completely new direction. Now, I’m older, I finally know what I want to do with my life. It took me nearly 4 years to gain perspective. With that being said, it will probably take me another four or more to finally accomplish that goal. So, yeah, this is me taking the very long and winding road. If you ask me why, honestly I don’t know why I’m doing this to myself. Haha I just keep reminding myself that it’s never too late to create the life that I want and find my place in the world.

Here’s to being loyal to our dreams and never giving up!