top of page
The Wanderlust Threader
Please subscribe to receive new updates as I share my writing, whether it be my research, reflections, or the threading of wanderlust.
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
May 179 min read
Reflections on Wanderlust Thanks to the Fulbright Award
Reflections on adventure and travel after receiving a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award.
164 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
May 54 min read
Home is the Next Adventure
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...
3 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Feb 2314 min read
The Educator I Want to Be
The following entry includes two excerpts from a section of my memoir focused on my diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm and how it influenced...
0 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Dec 13, 202311 min read
I Was Korean Until the 2nd Grade, and Again When I Had a Cerebral Pseudoaneurysm
This entry is about my identity as a white, Korean neurodivergent woman. Part of this identity also encompasses my connection to my...
4 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Aug 26, 20237 min read
Why I Write
I stood trembling in a library. I gripped the small, blue book tightly. Surveying the entire library, family members were present,...
1 view0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Aug 17, 20237 min read
Barbie, bell hooks, Plato, & the Patriarchy
** 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...
9 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Aug 9, 20237 min read
Water Color Skies
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...
0 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jul 31, 20234 min read
Using han, Finding jeong
This is the final reflection I shared in my dissertation. I reflect on my Korean culture and heritage, and the process of using the...
10 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jul 4, 20234 min read
Finding Joy
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...
11 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jun 20, 20234 min read
Life After the PhD
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...
7 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jun 5, 20238 min read
You Are Not Alone: Reflections and Encouragement on Graduate School and Being Whole
This piece is on my journey as a PhD student and encouragement for others to remember to remain whole.
0 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jun 4, 20231 min read
My Humanity
The pounding in my ears coupled with the beating of my anxious heart reminds me of my humanness. Soul tapping deep into cavities unknown,...
3 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
May 19, 20237 min read
Housing Justice in San Diego
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...
45 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
May 13, 20232 min read
This Mother's Day
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...
8 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Apr 30, 20233 min read
Doctor
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...
1 view0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jul 9, 20224 min read
Heartland of the United States
As an academic, teacher, activist, and "progressive" (leftist) living in a large city, I can't help but reflect on things as I drive...
2 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jul 6, 20221 min read
Breathing, Fighting
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,...
2 views0 comments
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Apr 12, 20222 min read
Today is More
This poem is written by Charlene. © 2022 Quiet among the crickets' songs, With sounds of cars chasing taillights in a city always...
0 views0 comments
bottom of page