Before the Trip

• Be on the lookout for a seat sale. I use Skyscanner to easily find cheap flights.
• Prepare your visa. If you are like me who holds a passport that requires a visa to enter South Korea, it's already a given that we have to work on securing a tourist visa. Years ago I physically went to the South Korean embassy to get my visa processed, but I think today it's all online. I have not tried the online application route but for sure I will undergo this new process if I plan to travel to South Korea for the next coming months. 😉
• Plan your itinerary. As much as I like going impromptu with my activities abroad, I still want to have some sense of control and order whenever possible. And so what I have learned with my trips so far is this process:
• Create a list of all the activities you are interested in doing. Don't think too much of it, just dump everything you can think of.
• Group these activities by location. Google Maps is a great help on this step.
• Align these activities to the number of days that you are traveling. Then assign a day for each region of your activities.
• Once the daily itinerary has been laid out, you can go into more details like the routes and medium of transportation so you can now plan the order of visiting the places within each region.
• Book your accommodation. Finding a hostel usually happens after I have planned my itinerary. My criteria for choosing the accommodation that best fits for me are:
• Close to public transportation (i.e. subway)
• Has elevator (because of my knees 😫)
• Previously when I was traveling solo, I wanted a private toilet and shower. But since experiencing capsule hotels in Taipei and Tokyo, I am more open-minded now to shared spaces in hostels.
• Prepare foreign money. Before, I really go the bank to get local currency. But now I learned to just prepare cash in USD and just withdraw local currency via ATM. As much as possible, if the store accepts credit cards, I will pay via card. But if they only accept cash, that's the only time that I will use my cash. For the ATMs, there's a lot of options. Research for the one with the cheapest foreign exchange rate. During my last Seoul trip, I went to exchange my USD at KOBE Currency Exchange at the airport  (1 USD = 1,094 KRW). However upon exiting the airport, I found Wooribank that had a more competitive exchange rate (1 USD = 1,100KRW).
• Bring a power adapter. The power sockets in South Korea are Type C and Type F so be sure you have the compatible adapter for your devices.
• Check the weather during your trip. I always go to AccuWeather to check the weather temperature range during the days of my trip. I get cold easily so knowing the weather would help me prepare what kind of outfit I would need to bring.

During the Trip

• Learn and use their local language. Not everyone knows how to speak English so it will be very useful if you know a phrase or two to be able to communicate, if hand gestures cannot convey what you want. Also, speaking their language shows respect to their culture. 
• Learn the transportation system. Fortunately, it's very easy now to navigate the subway with the help of various phone apps. What I used was the KakaoMetro app. Also, get a T-money card! This is a must-have when traveling on the subway because this is what you use for payment. The card is also accepted as payment in bus, taxi, and selected grocery stores.
• Walk around to explore. I love walking at a leisurely pace during vacations. Especially if your itinerary is just DIY, you don't really have the time pressure to be in a specific place so you can go window shopping if you see interesting shops along the way. This is my favorite part of traveling -- discovering hidden gems while strolling the streets.
• Be food adventurous! If you don't have a sensitive stomach, it's a lot of fun and an enriching experience to try the local food. It's all part of the cultural experience that you shouldn't miss. 😁

WORK

HEALTH

RELATIONSHIP

• I just finished watching Bridgerton during that time, and I was imagining Hawke to look like the Duke. 🥰

• Taylor Swift's Willow became my book reading soundtrack, and now whenever I listen to it, I remember the events of the first book.

• In the second book, Kingdom of Flesh & Fire, the wedding ceremony was so beautifully written.

• The mind is like a garden, and its natural beauty is hidden beneath the chaos.
• Healing is rarely ever about maintaining a sense of calm but rather about maintaining our sense of choice. It’s about immersing ourselves in experiences and activities that can help us cultivate inner peace and a sense of well-being.
• We can’t change what happened to us, but we can change how those experiences affect us now.
• Somatic therapy is based on the belief that our bodies hold onto memories, emotions, and stress that can contribute to mental and physical health problems. By focusing on the body and its sensations, somatic therapy aims to help people release trapped energy and emotions and ultimately achieve a greater sense of well-being.
• Somatic therapy uses a variety of techniques to help us become more aware of our bodies and the physical sensations they experience. These techniques may include breathing exercises, movement practices, meditation, and other mindfulness-based practices.
• Trauma can get trapped in parts of our body and manifest physically. It is rooted in the idea that our emotions and experiences are not just in our heads but are also stored in our bodies.
• The one thing that we should understand is that the body has its own innate wisdom and ability to heal.
• Stress is like the uninvited guest at our orchestra’s performance.
• Working with the body and not against it can help us release these experiences and promote healing.
• We can choose to notice sensations when they arise and facilitate the movement of these feelings by allowing them to exist.
• It starts within, a process that begins with understanding our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• Self-awareness is not an easy state to get to. Understandably so because it requires us to confront our own thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, which can be uncomfortable and even painful at times; that’s why it’s natural to want to avoid discomfort by distracting ourselves with external stimuli like social media, television, or work, rather than turning inward to reflect on our inner world.
• Approach your emotions with less judgment and more curiosity.
• Shift your perspective from the idea that they are something to be feared or suppressed, but rather as a source for valuable insight and information.
• Let go of comparison and lean into gratitude.
• Create more than you consume.
• Start focusing more on where most of your energy is going.
• The only way out is through, more especially in the context of self-awareness.
• Your body hears everything your mind says.
• Our bodies possess an innate ability to absorb and retain information from the world around us.
• I like to think of self-care as gardening work. Just as a garden cannot thrive without proper care and maintenance, our souls and bodies cannot thrive without proper attention and care.
• Being stuck in a fight-or-flight response mode can look like this: You are becoming extremely reactive or defensive when you’re being held accountable for something or criticized. You are ignoring or shutting out other people’s perspectives. You are feeling easily threatened in some way or another. You tend to shout or become overly aggressive during conflict situations. You have an explosive temper with a tendency to experience shame afterward.
• Avoidance: you are physically leaving uncomfortable situations or avoiding difficult topics or hard conversations. You are escaping reality through distractions such as choosing to overwork yourself or other types of coping mechanisms. You are struggling with commitment and feeling trapped.
• By creating more space between your thoughts and actions, you empower yourself to make more intentional choices.
• The body rewards us when we reward it.
• Prioritize self-care to foster a stronger mind-body connection.
• Let go of any judgment or criticism toward your body. Accept it as it is, knowing that it’s unique and capable of amazing things. Embrace your body’s strengths and appreciate all that it allows you to do.
• We adopt coping or defense mechanisms and put on masks to protect ourselves from pain or to meet societal expectations.
• Most of us have long-held assumptions about ourselves.
• Learning to self-soothe doesn’t mean forgetting about the past or pretending everything is okay. It is about finding healthy ways to comfort ourselves and regain a sense of control. It’s like adding new tools to our toolbox, ones that help us feel safe, loved, and grounded.
• Nature, in particular, has an incredible ability to heal and rejuvenate us.
• Self-compassion is the equivalent of having a personal cheerleader who’s always by your side, ready to offer comfort and understanding when you’re struggling or feeling down.
• It’s all about treating yourself with the same kindness and compassion you would offer to a dear friend.
• Touch therapy and self-compassion go hand in hand. Touch therapy involves using techniques like self-massage, aromatherapy, acupressure, or energy healing to connect with your body and nurture your well-being.
• Our pain is not all-encompassing and that there is a greater purpose to our existence.
• In choosing to lean more toward gratitude, we shift our focus from what is lacking to what we already have,
• You are more than the sum of your physical attributes. You are a complex and beautiful individual deserving of love and acceptance.
• Here’s a list of self-care suggestions:
  deep breathing exercises
  meditation
  taking a warm bath or shower
  practicing yoga or gentle stretching
  going for a walk in nature
  listening to calming music or nature sounds
  writing in a journal or practicing gratitude
  engaging in a creative hobby, such as painting or knitting
  reading a book or listening to an audiobook
  trying aromatherapy with essential oils like lavender or chamomile
  having a cup of herbal tea or warm milk before bed
  spending quality time with a beloved pet
  watching a funny or uplifting movie or TV show 
• The crux of the matter is that addiction creates a false sense of security. During our pain and our struggles, it offers an illusion of comfort, a refuge from an often harsh reality. In the long run, it does more harm than good.
• This hypervigilance and negative outlook can drain our energy and contribute to feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
• It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.
• Good boundaries also safeguard our ability to love. They prevent us from losing ourselves in relationships that no longer serve us, ensuring that we have the emotional energy to invest in new relationships or deepen existing ones. They give us the resilience to say goodbye, not as an end, but as a new beginning.
• Setting boundaries is a form of self-protection, and it allows us to establish a clear space for our healing work to take place.
• We can slowly, gently, and tenderly teach our bodies that the unfamiliar doesn’t feel unsafe. Unfamiliar can be beautiful. Magical. Unfamiliar can be glorious. Unfamiliar can be healing.
• As we begin to build trust and safety in ourselves, we can also start to explore new experiences and sensations. This might mean trying new foods, exploring new hobbies or interests, or simply spending time in unfamiliar environments. As we do this, we can remind ourselves that unfamiliarity doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming.
• Celebrate your body for its uniqueness, nurture it with healthy decisions, and trust it to carry you through life’s ups and downs.
• Just like landmines, triggers are hidden beneath the surface, waiting to be activated. When someone steps on a landmine, it detonates and causes an explosion. So, when a trigger is activated, it sets off a powerful reaction within your nervous system.
• I didn’t need to focus on erasing the memories completely. But rather on incorporating them into my whole self, accepting them, and being conscious of them.
• In choosing momentary discomfort, I am creating a strong foundation of self-love and self-acceptance.
• I am open to receiving healing energy from the universe.
• The past does not define me, and I am creating a bright future for myself.
• I am resilient and can bounce back from any emotional setbacks.
• It’s through vulnerability that true healing and growth can take place.

1. Read the emails
2. Prep the documents
3. Schedule processing the papers

1. Create an outline for the session
2. Read and research
3. Schedule on the calendar the activities planned

1.  No rice at night (first week)
2. Veggies and fruits in every meal (second week)
3. Exercise on the indoor bike (third week)

1. Select pieces / songs to study
2. Schedule activity in calendar
3. Publish post with recording of the performance

1. Habit stacking: coffee and journaling in the morning ✅
2. Add to schedule - habit tracker ✅
3. Use the Moonly app to discover guided meditations and positive affirmations ✅

1. Find references on the topic 
2. Talk to friends and ask for their opinion /guidance
3. Reflect on the things I want from a relationship so that I have clarity on what I would look out for when I start dating.

• “You’ll never grow if you only do what you’re good at,” she had said. “The most difficult things are often the most worthwhile.”
• Those most trusted could still let you down.
• One could not achieve all he had done without a certain ruthlessness.
• Everyone has their own troubles; some lay them bare while others hide them better.
• Titles are inherited, talent might be blood-bound, but true greatness lies within.
• "Our paths were forged from the choices we made."
• Could we truly hate those we had loved before?
• Perhaps those who brought us greatest joy, also wielded the power to inflict the most suffering.
• Every hero is a villain to the other side.