003 | All Hail Pajama Pants!
Writing you from my parent's couch in Virginia
10:51 PM
Dear Friends,
I'm currently in Virginia for some belated Christmas family time with my parents, and it has been glorious. And yes, I am totally rocking my own merch in the photo above. Those beanies are freaking comfortable. And yes, I kept my pajama pants on all day as well. #livingmybestlife
The past week has been filled with such meaningful time with dear friends, as well as with my parents. There have been many deep conversations, but also wonderfully ordinary moments ... drinking coffee, sharing food, walking around, being around each other while doing our own things, and of course, Monopoly Deal.
My parents LOVE Monopoly Deal. No seriously, I mean every one of those capital letters in LOVE. We play every night after dinner, and it's fantastic. I love it too. :)
There have been so many wonderful things about this trip, but two specific ones come to mind at this moment.
One, I had a conversation with a friend that brought so much clarity for my year moving forward. Clarity plays such a critical role in our lives because it's the filter through which you decide what you will and will not give time and energy. Lack of clarity can be so confusing and overwhelming, because you don't know how to move forward. You don't know what actions to take or what things to say "no" to.
I went off grid over New Year's and decided my intention for this year is to fall in love with making things.
My friend and I talked about this and all the ideas and projects I've been planning, and as she (a person who knows me better than probably anyone else) asked me hard questions, I had an "aha!" moment where I realized there was one word off in my intention. I want to fall in love with making MUSIC.
The question that led to my "aha!" moment was this. What sounds more exciting to you? Getting to the end of 2019 having made a lot of things and explored and tried all kinds of projects, but not necessarily having gone much deeper with your skills and craft in music? OR. Getting to the end of 2019 having spent time really learning and honing your craft as a songwriter and creator of music.
And suddenly it was CLEAR AS DAY. So thankful for that conversation and the clarity it gave me moving forward.
The second wonderful thing that comes to mind is the remarkable gift it's been to listen to my mom tell stories from her past.
I've been on an intentional journey to learn more about my Korean heritage, and so I've been trying to be mindful about asking my mom questions and putting together more pieces of her story, as well as understanding more of how I grew up.
I'm so thankful to have lived in Korea for a time as a child and learned the language (although I've forgotten much and am relearning it now), and my mom was actually incredible about raising me as a Korean daughter as best she could in America, but there are lots of gaps.
It's become massively important for me to know more about my people and where I come from. I'm home for another few days, and I can't wait to have more conversations with my mom, and of course, play many more hands of Monopoly Deal.
Much love,
Shel
P.S. Also, got to celebrate my dad's birthday on this trip with a night out for a Korean feast! All the Korean food please!
THIS WEEK:
Read some pages from this book:
Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters - by John Steinbeck
It's a book I've parts of every week for probably a decade. It helps me get my thoughts flowing.Listened to this song at night while the house was quiet:
Re: Stacks - by Bon Iver
It makes me feel calm and takes me back to driving on country roads in Australia.
