Going through a gap year before grad school or any transitional period in your life can be full of uncertainty and loneliness. These feelings can suck, especially in a period of your life where you’re learning more about yourself, what you want to be, and how to not fuck up. It’s not easy. I wanted to share my lessons that I’ve learned in my gap year thus far and explore the pain experienced in a transitional period. Thanks for listening, and enjoy :)

Sometimes we can convince ourselves that we weren’t productive enough today. Sometimes we make ourselves feel guilty for not checking everything off our to do list. For me, I thought becoming more productive and filling my days with things that would advance my career, fitness, or other was going to be my key to a seamless life. But when the colder weather starts to hit and most times you just don’t want to get out of bed, doing things to “advance” aren’t going to be as inviting. And that’s OK. This week I dive into how productivity can be toxic if not properly address in our lives - and as always, let me know what you guys think on my instagram @j.ieonkim or my blog jieonkim.com.

Body image is something that we all struggle with. It’s rooted deep in our childhood and the environment we grew up in. This week I talk about my body image issues as a Korean American woman and how I’ve worked through them these past few years. Get ready for this ramble!

We all have our safe spaces. This week I talk about some of my favorite places, including but not limited to Costco, airport convenience stores, a couch, and my bedroom. I had a lot of fun just diving into why I love these places and convincing you why you should love them to. Thanks for listening.

A lot of the times we feel this need to be unique, be different, be that cool, mysterious girl in the room. We may think it when we express ourselves with clothes, when we have to write a personal statement for medical school, or any other endeavor where there might be a lot of eyes on us. But the reality is, we don’t have to be unique. We don’t have to put up this front that we are special, that we are different from everyone else. First, because we already are, when we are our genuine selves. Second, because this perception of being unique is all subjective. Tune in for this week’s Thanksgiving episode, an episode dedicated to the lesson I am most grateful for learning.

We have all seen the day in the life vlogs, the glamour of tech jobs, and felt the overwhelming need to have the perfect work life balance right now. But some of us haven’t figured that out yet or are going into a field where job benefits are just being able to get home at a reasonable time (if that). Some of us are extremely passionate about what we want to do, but wonder if we should take the “easy” route of careers instead. Some of us have no idea what we want to do, but feel pressured to have it all figured out anyway. The pressure to have the “stress free” life is real, even though there is no life where stress is free. This week I dive into my experiences with growing up with this feeling, mixed in with some Korean immigrant complexities. Hope you guys enjoy.

The concept of self care has been so idealized and pressured to be aesthetic, but don’t often actually involve doing things that make your life easier or give you less stress. This week I talk about self care practices that have been idealized that I actually use in my day to day and are, in my opinion, worth incorporating. Enjoy and let me know what self care practices y’all use in your day to day. Instagram: @j.ieonkim and blog: jieonkim.com

The past few weeks have been about some pretty deep topics. This week, I wanted to dive in and reminisce on my trip to Korea a couple months ago. I talk about stories from travel, feelings of seeing my extended family after not seeing them for so long, and any tips for traveling to Korea. Enjoy me rambling with a glass of wine. Follow me on instagram @j.ieonkim and my blog jieonkim.com!

We put a LOT of stuff on our plate. Even when we don’t realize it. And a lot of the time, when we are trying to be the best at everything, we start to feel overwhelmed, resentful, and guilty towards ourselves and others. We don’t have to feel like this, however. We can set boundaries - where we don’t feel like so much of our time is for others. It’s okay to be selfish. Enjoy this week’s episode. And follow me on instagram @j.ieonkim and my blog jieonkim.com.

Growing up sucks. You have to learn how to get an oil change, learn how to make a doctor’s appointment. But sometimes growing up is awesome. You get more confident, get to know what you actually like. This week I dive into all the things I miss about childhood but also what I like about growing up. Follow me on instagram @j.ieonkim and check out my blog jieonkim.com :)