The Wanderlust Threader

Reflections on the stories we're told and leaning into a culture of connection and rest over hustle and grind.

A Doctor Who quote, some graffiti, and a flat in Spain; sometimes the universe whispers, “You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.”

Reflections on adventure and travel after receiving a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award.

I wrote this in 2019 after a trip from Los Angeles to San Diego. I strumbled across it and felt it was fitting with the major changes in...

The following entry includes two excerpts from a section of my memoir focused on my diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm and how it influenced...

This entry is about my identity as a white, Korean neurodivergent woman. Part of this identity also encompasses my connection to my...

I stood trembling in a library. I gripped the small, blue book tightly. Surveying the entire library, family members were present,...

** If you haven’t seen the Barbie movie yet, please note that there will be spoilers in this piece.** I played with Barbie dolls, but...

Right around the end of May, you’ll find me preparing my car, preparing it for an annual road trip to Illinois, where I spend a...

This is the final reflection I shared in my dissertation. I reflect on my Korean culture and heritage, and the process of using the...

I am currently sitting at the dining table at my house in the Midwest. I don't actually live here - my dad does - but this house has been...

I initially started this website a year ago when I felt as if I was drowning, struggling to find out what my next steps would be and...

This piece is on my journey as a PhD student and encouragement for others to remember to remain whole.

The pounding in my ears coupled with the beating of my anxious heart reminds me of my humanness. Soul tapping deep into cavities unknown,...

I've lived in San Diego for most of my life. I was born here, grew up here, left at 18, September 2006, and returned September 2011, 5...

Today, on this Mother's Day, We collectively celebrate those who raised us, sacrificed for us, and laid down their lives for us, Who have...

I'm a big Doctor Who fan. I'm aware of a lot of its problems, like imperialism and such, but it has managed to maintain my attention for...

As an academic, teacher, activist, and "progressive" (leftist) living in a large city, I can't help but reflect on things as I drive...

I wrote this poem in the summer of 2020, but I wanted to share it now so it's more recent and accessible. Feeling, breathing, fighting,...

This poem is written by Charlene. © 2022 Quiet among the crickets' songs, With sounds of cars chasing taillights in a city always...