everything was charmingly mismatched and instantly nostalgic — embroidered linens, french toile plates, pewter silverware…

beer mimosas and spicy pork rinds

best dish: red-wine poached eggs with AMAZING prosciutto. that bearnaise sauce single-handedly turned me into a fan of white wine vinegar. pastrami short rib was delicious too.

i loved the feel of being in a communal farmhouse kitchen.

it was so good that our party decided on the spot to make dinner reservations for the same night. we didn’t end up keeping them, but all the more reason to come back :)

chicago deep dish! yes, please. although to tell the truth… it’s just as good, if not better, at tony’s little italy around the corner from my house. :)

the incredible view from our 53rd floor mag mile apartment. absolutely. beautiful.

bleeding heart bakery

it rained for most of our weekend in the city, but i feel like it made chicago all the more beautiful. there’s something about the way the street looks when it’s just rained…

frontera grill! home of top chef master rick bayless.

hot doug’s foie gras hot dog + duck fat fries. decadent and heavenly. at the same time. and worth the 45 minute wait.

i loved the art institute. could have stayed there the whole day if it weren’t for my aching feet by the end of our trip…

and of course, the millennium bean!

(i’m saving photos of the publican for the next post because it’s just that good.)

chicago is definitely one of my new favorite cities. photos soon!

japanese schoolchildren at fushimi inari shrine. kyoto, japan.

sorry for the embarrassing lack of updates!  i am finally home after a month of nonstop traveling, and my tired feet and shoulders are thanking me. my half-unpacked bags are still sitting on the carpet, but first things first–photos! japan and taiwan were a visual feast, a dream world full of colors and lights. can’t wait to get through them all, but for now i’m just enjoying being at home. constant sunshine, home-cooked food, incredible friends make me never want to leave. that said, it has been an amazing, unforgettable journey. i’m already looking forward to the next one. :)

people wrote wishes on these

we had dessert at a really swanky patisserie..

seoul is packed with cafes, cafes, cafes! this one was adorably decorated with a travel theme.

walking around hongdae at night, we ran into a group jamming in the middle of a square… they were incredible!

headed to a jazz bar to round up the night…

until next time, korea! :)

it was my first time in an east asian city that wasn’t chinese. and it was surreal. it was so similar to shanghai/taipei/hong kong in some ways and yet walking the streets just felt different. it had the same vibrant, loud, modern but cluttered feel, minus the dirtiness.  streets were equally crowded but seemed more peaceful, because people were more polite and less prone to public fighting/arguing/pushing/shoving. strangely, there were more international brands and stores, but much less foreigners than what i’m used to seeing on the streets of beijing. the thing that struck me the most about walking the streets was that it just felt… freer. i can’t really explain it, but oddly there is a tangible difference in the atmosphere of a place that is, well, free. and i’ll leave it at that before the censors come after me.

and i found a new top 5 favorite food (no, i can’t have just one): ddeokbokki. especially with cheese. who would have thought?!

thank you to becky, the best hostess in the world. <3

the beautiful kyungbok palace

yummy traditional korean meal

parts of seoul remind me of hong kong

the street food is all delicious, but ddeokbokki is the best

been tossing and turning in bed for a little bit now, so i figured i’d flip on the light and write a little bit.

i’m going to china this fall and i’m terrified.  some days i think about how fabulous it’s gonna be journaling from some cute hutong cafe where eastern and western cultures collide.  and then nights like these i imagine myself trying to combat loneliness in a sterile apartment, the only sound accompanying me being the buzzing of fluorescent lights above. some imagination, huh?  i think of these things only because i’ve lived both sides, and it can be both wonderfully exciting and downright depressing.

i shared with a few people that i’m facing my worst fear—of being alone—by going on this trip.  people are often surprised that someone who loves to travel as much as i do would struggle with this.  i mean, i don’t think people generally love being alone all the time, but i genuinely fear it.  and no, i can’t even say that i’m doing anything as noble as trying to overcome it.  the truth is that i just deal with it because i couldn’t imagine the alternative—giving up the opportunity of a lifetime because of something so trivial.  giving up the chance at inspiration, growth, discovery, adventure… i literally have to remind myself of these things all the time, or i’d give up at everything i try.  trying new things is not my nature, but i do it in faith that one day, i won’t regret it.  it probably sounds stupid but that’s how i life my life on the edge.  it’s not really on “the edge,” but it’s still throwing myself into situations that are SUPER challenging for me.

meanwhile, i have to deal with a number of sleepless nights thinking about how i’m going to miss my lovely bed and sleeping within fifty square miles of everyone who knows and loves me best in the world.  it’s a frightening thought not having those things.