Timbre Shilts

My first month, my new friend and I entered a mall and noticed people lining up, so we joined the line too. We gave the employee our names and phone numbers, thinking this was some kind of Covid measure. We were then given lanyards with our names, and to our surprise, realized we just registered ourselves for a medical and hospital equipment show! We were finally able to find the entrance to the mall and now have a souvenir to remind us how to properly enter the mall.



Breea Duwyn

Sealed in a plastic cup and plastered with the cafes logo, the golden apricot jam still felt warm as I cradled it in one hand, while gratefully thanking the mother-daughter duo who run the cafe; I had quickly become a regular customer, touched by the kindness and care they gave me in each of my visits since having moved to Korea.

Being gifted this jam however, instantly reminded me of my mother making jam from farm fresh strawberries every summer, and when I shared this sliver of myself, I was met with the sincere reply, "It must be a mom thing."

After leaving the cafe that evening, the abundant memories I've made over the past several months of being in Korea, culminated with thoughts of a life I left behind across the world, welled in my heart. I thought about how much my confidence has grown since teaching eager children the English language and who have sparked my creativity time and time again, I reflected on the friendships I've made and how they've filled my life with constant adventures, and all the places I have seen and where I will go next; I reminisced on all of the experiences that have brought me right to where I am now.

Settling into somewhere new is beyond unpacking your entire life across the world, but it is about discovering the spaces where you fit, the places where you feel valued and appreciated, where you feel like your presence has positively impacted those around you; where being gifted jam means much more than something to top your toast with.



Khayshia Beckmann

People swarm all around you. Yelling, screaming, and laughter, drowns your thoughts. Lost. Overwhelming dread dragging you under. Map arrows pointing you to the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, a ray of light in the form of a small teenage girl appears. She understands the situation. Taking you through the throng of people. Guiding you to Bus 282. She sits you down, types in your final stop, and disappears. Sagging in relief, you sink into the chair and breathe, THANK YOU! as the bus drives off.