Happy Birthday, 엄마!

This is the second year in a row that I will not be with my immediate family during their birthdays (all in the month of September). I am a little sad about this, as I love my family more than anything, but I do realize that this separation does not make me love them any less. If anything, I appreciate them more as I am away from them.

There are a lot of things that I like about home (I still consider California to be my home), but there are a lot of things that I like about Korea, too (which I definitely consider to be my motherland). I feel a little closer to my heritage here, and I like the fact that I am getting in touch with my nationality.

I know that my Korea is very different from my parents' Korea. Still, the fact that I am living and working while speaking in Korean makes me feel a little more Korean, and therefore a little closer to my parents.

More than anything, I have come to the understanding that I cannot control my life. I don't know what's coming next, and I'm okay with that. I know that worrying about it won't help, and though I can't control the slight trepidation that I feel, I am not overwhelmed with nervousness. I know that I'll be fine.

This peacefulness is a nice gift from my motherland, the land of my mother and father.

I do wish, though, that I could give my mommy a hug right now.

I got my love of coffee from my mother, and I was appropriately getting coffee today when I snapped a phone picture of the Nescafe interior. I love coffee shops here, they are so clean and comfortable (and when I say clean, I mean CLEAN) and full of simple syrup.

Whatever my mother is doing today, I do hope that she's having a wonderful birthday, with something that makes her smile.

엄마, 생일 축하해! 한국와서 맛있는 커피 마시자.