what i iz learning’d: seoul edition

that coffee is everywhere, multiple times per day, and when in seoul i drink it black.

that communication doesn’t just happen with words.

that korean people say “have you eaten?” instead of “how are you?”

that my body likes to move, even as it also tells me to rest.

that if the motivation is there, i can make it up ten flights of stairs in under five minutes.

that connection can happen in a split second, with a stranger who walks into the bathroom just as you’re taking a silly photo in the mirror, and you both bust up laughing before going your separate ways forever.

that seoul fashion is my favorite. everywhere, at the grocery store, on the subway, in the school cafeteria.

that what motived me to come here turned out to be only part of the story.

that sometimes, always?, i need it blunt and straight, no bullshit. so that i can realize that there’s no going back to how it was before, ever.

that giving someone the benefit of the doubt can sometimes be an excuse to avoid reality.

that reality isn’t fixed, but it is on a trajectory that started long before now, and there’s no changing it in some ways. and that’s ok.

that being alone in a new city is exciting and scary, over and over, ad infinitum.

that time is flexible.

that when i’m in korea and presented with boxes to check for ethnicity, the nurse will look confused for a moment, before selecting “caucasian” on my behalf.

that it will never feel right to erase half of my self, regardless of which half.

that one moment can encapsulate a life story.

that i am stronger now, and also softer.

that changing my focus changes everything.

that asking for change means letting some things go.

#greymatter #poetry #thinkings #learnings #seoul