#SohsInSeoul

Greetings from Korea!!! :) I've had an amazing past week in Seoul exploring the beautiful city with my mom, family and friends. Every day has been so eventful and I've eaten at least 4-5 meals per day not including all the Korean street food, snacks, and desserts I've munched in between those meals. Heh. It's almost 11pm and my eyes are so tired and heavy but I wanted to briefly update so I don't forget about my experiences here. Today we took the bullet train to Busan where we'll be for the next few days. The train was amazingly fast (80-90 miles) and we got there in 2.5 hours. I remember coming 10 years ago and it being a 5 hour drive. My generous auntie was kind enough to hook it up at the Park Hyatt at Haeundae Beach for us... (wow) so here I am on the 24th floor, writing this post while staring out the huge glass window overlooking the beautiful city of Busan and its famous beach.

View from our pad! Picture taken earlier in the day.

It feels surreal to be here, but I can't express how grateful I am to have been given the time off from work and various responsibilities to enjoy this last trip with my mother! A much needed vacay to recuperate my mind, body and soul.

Picture taken at Cheonggycheon river. Seoul is decorated with colorful lanterns throughout the city for Buddhist festivities. The river was decked out with various animal statues, etc. We liked these water bottle vases with flowers in them :) 

Few pictures on what we've been eating thanks to family and friends who have been taking us out!

My camera couldn't even capture the entirety of the food we ate! Thank you Pastor Justin & family. :)

Food at Insadong! Loved this street and love how every city has its own culture. Thank you Kyle! :)

FEAST. jk. I wish :( This is what the King eats...& was taken at the museum in Gyeongbokgung Palace. Everything is made of glass but it looks...so...REAL!

This is one of my personal favorites. 'Beendehddok' at Dongdemun market. 

Being in Korea, being a bride-to-be and having major food FOMO is not a good combination. Oh well :) More to love~ I'll save the desserts for a different post!

Goodnight from Busan! Zzz

April Recap

April was a crazy month. Outside of my chaotic workplace, there are also multiple weddings to prepare for, people to meet and pray for, details and decisions to finalize... I'm always so lifeless and exhausted by the end of each day and without my mom waking me up, I don't know how I'd be able to hear my alarm and get up in the mornings. It's amazing how God sustains each day and how comforting it is to draw near to Him in times of distress for rest.
The past month I celebrated my last birthday as a Miss. It was bittersweet and I think it's finally hitting me that I won't be living under my parent's roof in a few months. We ate at my favorite comfort-food Italian restaurant Mama D's in Manhattan Beach and then went home for dessert. My mom also left to Turkey the next day so it was nice to have a meal together. I appreciate the times we get to spend with each other and it makes me grateful that we are all united through Christ.

i love my ohana

These lovely ladies took me out for more Italian!lucky to be friends with them.

This month, Matt & I also sent out our save the dates! Everything just got more REAL and things suddenly started to pick up. Our coordinator sent us a timeline of when to get things done, my cousins who are out of town are buying their plane tickets, we're finalizing guest lists, doing our taste tests, booked our honeymoon and currently looking into where we'll be living for the next two years! Now that the bigger things are done, there are a lot of details to start thinking about.
It's funny how different guys and girls are. Matt is a big-picture, chill type of guy and I am so detail oriented with a planner-type personality. It's easy for me to think about ten things at once but Matt generally does one thing at a time. To make things smoother and for us to bicker less (haha), I started writing to-do post-its for him and I find it so cute that he has been looking at those post-it's and getting things done thoroughly one at a time. :)

 This past weekend, my friend Ashley came down from SF to have her bachelorette party in Socal! It has been an honor and privilege to experience engagement and wedding planning with a few of my good friends- Ashley being one of them :') We started the day in an Escape Room in Hollywood where we only had 50 minutes to escape the terrorizing wizard of the abandoned castle...We made it with a minute to spare. Really started to get into it... Hahah. Afterwards, we ate KBBQ and shaved ice in Korea town and enjoyed the rest of the evening walking around LA. It was so much fun and I can't wait to witness her union with David come July!!!

before we went in to the castle! U can see the door behind us.

My view while writing this post. It is 4:55 and I end in 5 minutes but I think I might leave a bit earlier today. :) TGIF!!! Have a good weekend ya'll.

The Calm during the Storm

It's crazy how months fly by when you're planning a wedding. It's already been almost half a year since our engagement and we ONLY have six months left! Thought I should blog more about my engagement experience so I can one day look back at this crazy time of life and... laugh.

The whole month of February was rejuvenating, productive and fun. So far my favorite month this whole year! Earlier in the month, my brother turned 21 so we had a surprise birthday party for him with family and friends. He was surprised for the most part until a few seconds later when my baby cousin shouted out, "Everyone be quiet- Jeremy's coming!!!" while the window was open. It was a great first party with that many people at our new home. The next weekend was Valentine's Day which turned out to be unexpectedly, spontaneously fun for the both of us. We hung out all day around Orange County and then went to d-town Disney to eat beignets. It was too bad our passes were blocked out, but then we randomly joined a free swing dance class in the middle of downtown Disney and I was wearing red so we were able to participate. It was so stress relieving and so much fun dancing with Matt and random strangers. Matt said he planned that all along...suure.
The third weekend of February we had our Inverse church retreat in Yucaipa. Not only were the owners and their dogs Korean, but they also served delicious Korean food and ban chan for our meals. Hands down best retreat ever. I'm so thankful I went and so grateful for my church community. Many were convicted, reminded and encouraged to seek God in all that we think, say and do. Work was once cursed but has been redeemed and being a servant of Christ, it is and should be our job to work humbly-joyfully to serve and glorify God to further enhance His kingdom.
Soon after the retreat, my roommates and I headed to rainy Portland, Oregon where we ate the best fried chicken and donuts, saw tons of bearded, hipster men in hipster coffee shops and breweries, and enjoyed each other's company in a cute air b&b where we met the friendliest cat, Oatmeal! It was refreshing to hike and enjoy the fresh air at Multonomah Falls, and every night we had at least two dinners because the food was that good. It was unfortunate that the air b&b only had one restroom. .. . Tmi?? Tmi..

Back to normal life which is always nice too. Because Matt is a full time grad student and because I'm at work most of the day, wedding planning is usually on pause throughout the week, and come Saturday and Sunday our days are completely packed. This past weekend was one of those weekends. On Saturday, we had premarital at 8am in Glendale, had my dress fitting at noon near Brea, met our photographer around 3 in Costa Mesa, had dinner with friends in Irvine and I came home to finish writing all the emails and follow up requests. The next morning at 8am we met our wedding coordinator back in Brea. CRAZY ! Who knew there was this much to do??

Everyday there's something to do, somewhere to go and things to think about. But in and through it all, God is there beckoning us to draw near to Him. God meets us in our deepest needs and in Him we can find true rest. Thank you Lord for never leaving nor forsaking me and for always listening to my deepest thoughts and prayers. Thank you for surrounding me with your presence when I'm by myself in traffic going and coming from work. Thank you for sending the Spirit in times of weakness and for reminding me of biblical truths.

May you be honored and glorified- exalted and lifted high!

E

Firework Show

Good mornin! I was so tired this morning and had the hardest time waking up. But we had a "Code Red" fire drill on the first floor and the whole building had to evacuate. Probably the first real fire drill I've experienced and I guess it woke me up a little. Zzz. Haven't been able to update because I've been so busy and so much excitement has happened in so short of a time!

Before I forget, recap to the weekend of November 8 when Matt and I got engaged! Probably one of the most meaningful moments thus far in our relationship. The past few years were filled with much joy but also a lot of change and transition that really tested our relationship. One thing I'm so thankful for is how persistent and unyielding he was in showing his love and commitment to me. On the day he asked me to be his girlfriend at the Starbucks next to UCI, he had written out his goals he had for our relationship and a few applicable verses. Few of those goals were that he would propose to me his second year of dental school and that he would never stop showing grace and love for me. Come engagement day, he read off the same thing and lo and behold- he's proposing his second year and I can definitely say that this man is a recipient of God's grace by the way he shows love and grace.
What Matt said would be a "Firework Show" at Corona Del Mar, was actually a "Sparkler show" at sunset for our engagement! Afterwards I was thinking... Firework show at 5:30? Really Erin??

Some pictures taken and edited by Lily and Robert.

!!!

sweet sisters

:') <3

always a good time 

After a crazy few months with new changes in relationship and work, finally get a few weeks off (much needed) for winter break. May we all find rest physically as well as spiritually through the comfort of His word this Christmas.

Hello Fall

Happy Monday :) Spent this whole morning at a UCLA neurology department meeting where I got to actually see Dr. Feinberg and Dr. Mazziota's faces. I saw them a few months back but only got to catch a glimpse of their semi bald heads and receding hair lines. They're really important people by the way... Bosses to my boss's boss. It was basically a meeting for the doctors and some of us staff got to sit in. Even though I had no idea what kind of medical terminology they were using, it was still fascinating to hear their discussion regarding upcoming medical research goals.

The most exciting thing about this meeting though was a 15-year-old high school student from Hollywood who came in as a guest to one of the head doctors in the Movement Disorder clinic. It's uncommon for high school students (under 18) to participate in research. But this 15 year old personally contacted the head chairman of UCLA Medicine saying that although only 15, he can and will make a difference to the school of medicine. He has so much going for him- top of his class with dreams of going to Harvard Medicine to become a neurosurgeon, volunteers and interns, speaks 5 languages, etc. But what stood out in his speech was when he said this: "I've adopted this mindset from a personal relationship I've had my whole life: that I came to serve but not to be served." I was like... Say what? Did he just preach Bible? Here is this little guy in front of doctors and directors, sharing his passion for medicine and mindset of serving others instead of receiving service. I don't know this boy nor do I know if he truly has faith and salvation in Jesus. But I was encouraged of his boldness to proclaim his faith and servant-minded heart. It was awesome and I left the meeting with an enlightened perspective to humbly serve God's people with the mindset that their needs are greater than my own.

On a side note, about a week ago I tried carving a pumpkin for the first time. It was fun for the first 3 minutes... and then I realized I had only carved out less than half an inch through the pumpkin and wasn't strong enough to persevere. So I ended up just drawing the alien's face and ears on the pumpkin and Matt did all the carving. Hehehe.

This picture reminds me of the time before we started dating when I needed furniture in college. So I asked Matt to take me to Ikea and then he built all my furniture for me afterwards. I have no idea how carving a pumpkin led me to this memory.

Finished product. "You have been chosen. Ooo the Claw... " I hope you get my movie reference :)

ta-da !~

The remnants. And the best part. ^^

Monday, Monday

Happy Monday! I normally don't look forward to Mondays because I feel so tired from the weekend, but I've had one of the most relaxing weekends and slept early last night so I'm feeling rejuvenated for this week. Today's especially special because there's a UCLA career fair in a few hours where they give us free stuff and one of my coworkers brought homemade chile rellenos to work. :)

I'm finally getting used to the daily grind of work. It's not as stressful anymore and I even find it enjoyable to be here. It's great not being the newbie anymore. We've been getting a lot of volunteers from UCLA next door and I've been assigned to interview and assign work to them. It's been so fun getting to know these collegians and it reminds me of when I used to volunteer at the Torrance Memorial Hospital when I was a senior in high school. It makes me want to help them even more because I know how helpful it was for me. The one bad thing is that I accept almost everyone I interview and now we have over twelve volunteers. Oops...They're all just too cute and sweet. :) 

Something that I've been hashing through recently: What it means to fight for joy.
I've heard this phrase thrown around so many times in sermons, conversations, etc but it wasn't until I really experienced circumstances where I needed to 'fight for joy' that this phrase actually became meaningful. I can't even describe the countless times I've fought back the heaviness of discouragement or weariness. The terms "Hope in God" "Look to Jesus" were so central in our way of thinking and talking in our Christian community, yet I still struggled to foster a continuous heart of joy. Because my external circumstances were oppressing and my internal emotional condition was weary, my perspective to fight for joy was disheveled: I didn't see a purpose to even fight if I was bound to feel this way again.

After many months I came to the remarkable thought that there will never be a moment where I won't need to "fight for joy." How is this awesome...? Because fighting for this joy in Christ means constantly meditating and thinking about Jesus to the point where our thoughts and actions become shaped by God. It means being so saturated in Jesus and in the Word that all our earthly problems decrease and Christ increases. I see this in pastors at my church, in my dad, even in psalmists in the Bible. Their approach to hardships reveal much about their relationship with God-how even in the midst of tribulation, their hearts are directed towards Jesus with an overflow of praise. It's amazing to see the transformation of our thoughts about life,  emotions, burdens and cares when we are fixed upon Jesus.

I'm getting so much work done right now... Haha. Probably should go take a break now. ;)

Sleepless in Seattle

Good morning! It's 12:37 am and I can't sleep. I'm assuming it's because I'm traveling to Seattle tomorrow morning! I can never sleep the night before I travel. Probably a combination of excitement, worry, and exhaustion. I definitely have a mild case of travel anxiety... Besides not being able to sleep, I am super excited to be able to travel with my roomies who haven't even packed yet! W00t~

Anyway a quick thought before I sleep. If I can describe the past month in one word it would be: 'Waiting.' I realized after I graduated, I am constantly waiting for something new to happen. New job? Different direction in ministry? Relationships? It makes me so eager to want to know my future. At the same time though it made me think of why God has allowed so much of our lives to be consumed by waiting. I'm seeing how much God values the fruit produced in the soul that learns to wait patiently for him. He takes pains to cultivate this in us. Such pains only lead us to gain trust and dependence in our Lord and produces hope as He never fails us and His promises remain secure. I am thankful that I can learn to trust God's promises as it is really developing my capacity to hope in eternal life. Practicing every day not to trust in my perceptions and emotions but on His promises.

I should probably try to sleep now. Sigh. I think another reason I can't sleep is because Matt is still up studying for his last final tomorrow. Wish I had something to study so I can stay up with him. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I really do miss college finals week. There really is nothing like staying up with your friends all night and... studying. HAHA. Okay I really must be tired.
This is Matt trying to frown but failing hardcore... And I just look like Squidward. Yay.

So proud of this good lookin' feller. 

Seriously contemplating on whether to watch "Sleepless in Seattle" or not. Title is kind of ironic... I love Meg Ryan. And Tom Hanks and Seattle! But mostly SLEEP! ><

Good night!