Where are you from, and where do you live?
I was born in South Korea and raised in Virginia. After college, I lived in Mexico City, Shanghai, and Yunnan. I recently moved from New York to the San Francisco Bay Area.
How did you get started living abroad?
I grew up in the Virginia suburbs and attended college in an even quieter town down south. So when I finished my undergraduate studies, I was determined to move to the biggest cities in the world. First, I ventured out to Mexico City. Then, I was offered a job contract in Shanghai. So I ended up on the other side of the world! You can read more about my adventures here.
What are some of your favorite memories of your adventures?
Eating blowfish in Korea, a warm summer in Beijing, Shanghai’s blue skies, swimming with elephants in Thailand, and the time a bunch of my college friends came to visit me in Mexico!
Do you have advice for people looking to travel abroad?
I tend to plan everything meticulously, but my experiences have taught me to remain flexible and open to unexpected possibilities.
What languages do you speak?
English is my main language, but I also speak Korean and Spanish. I’ve been studying Mandarin Chinese for the past year, and I can read/write/speak at an intermediate level. Feel free to write me in any of those languages!
What kind of camera do you use?
My daily digital camera is Nikon D90. I also use LC-A+, Seagull, and Nikon EM. I have a collection of vintage polaroid cameras, as well. Oh, I love camera talk!
Who designed your blog?
Maps and Fragments is a self-hosted wordpress blog. I customized a “Child Theme” for Twenty Eleven. My talented friend Emily Fuhrman helped me with the logo design.
For any other inquiries or to say hello, you can send me an e-mail at collectingmaps@gmail.com.