A Korean-American creator shares life updates after returning to Korea, including starting the 75-Hard challenge, a 75-day program with no cheat days, strict diet, two daily workouts, and no alcohol. She discusses a Han River book club picnic, recommends Susan Cain's Quiet, and mentions watching the K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines.
안녕하세요, 예ong아 이르기. I'm finally back in Korea, so I wanted to give you a little life update. It feels a bit bittersweet being back because I had so much fun traveling in the US. I went to New York for Christmas, I went to Vegas, and I spent so much quality time with my family in my home state of Michigan. So it was a great trip and I made so many memories there. But I always miss certain things from Korea when I'm in the US. So it also feels really great to be back. I missed a lot of Korean food. I really missed the fast delivery here and how convenient everything is in Korea. And actually, one of the things that I always miss the most when I visit the US is how walkable Korea is. I love the wide sidewalks in Seoul and how I can easily go for long walks here. In the US, that always seems impossible. So it's been really nice getting to enjoy all of the things that I've missed. As you probably saw from a lot of my videos that we filmed in the US, I did not eat very healthy there. I ate a lot of fast food and a lot of junk food. So I'm finally trying to get back on track with my diet. I'm trying to practice more healthy habits. In order to jumpstart these healthy habits, I started a challenge called 75 Hard. It's a super viral health challenge in the US these days. This challenge lasts for 75 days, and you're not allowed to have any cheat days, so it's really tough. During 75 Hard, you have to follow a diet, work out twice a day, drink a ton of water, and read nonfiction books, and you cannot drink alcohol. I'm filming a vlog about my experience doing 75 Hard, so make sure to check that one out. What I've been struggling with the most during the 75 Hard challenge has been my diet. I set super strict rules my diet. For 75 days, I cannot eat any takeout food or delivery food, and I can't eat out at restaurants. So every meal must be cooked at home. I'm also not eating gluten or sugar. So my diet is quite restricted these days. I enjoy cooking, but having to cook every single meal has been pretty exhausting. I really miss Coupon Eats, especially on days where I'm a little bit busier. Tonight I made beef stew. I also make a lot of salads like chicken salad. I eat eggs almost every morning for breakfast, and now that the weather is getting hotter, I'll start making my favorite smoothie bowls. For breakfast soon. That's a staple for me in the summer. I've also had a lot of fun catching up with friends and family since I've been back in Korea. I finally could go to a book club meeting. I missed so many meetings when I was in the US and it made me really sad. I had a little bit of FOMO, so I was really happy to come back attend a meeting. We went to the Han River for a picnic, and we discussed our book of the month, which was Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. To be completely honest, this wasn't my favorite book. I learned some new things while reading it, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I usually prefer novels or fiction books over non-fiction books, but we had a really great discussion about the book and I enjoyed it still. One book I've read recently that I do really recommend surprisingly is a non-fiction book. It's called Quiet by Susan Cain, and it's about the power of introverts. I could really relate to this book because I'm actually an introvert. Many people assume that I'm an extrovert, but my MBTI is INFP. So when I was reading this book, I really felt connected to it, and I found it very interesting because a lot of people view being introverted as a weakness. But she says the opposite, that it's a strength. So I really recommend this book for anybody, but especially if you're an introvert. Recently, one of my subscribers recommended the K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, and I just started watching it. I think I'm on episode 6 or 7 now, so I I still have a long ways to go, but I'm loving it so far. It is such a heartwarming K-drama, but it's a real tearjerker. I think I need to watch it with a box of tissues. When I watch this show, I think what I feel the most is respect for the older generation. I became a really big fan of IU as an actress. I first saw her in Hotel del Luna, and then I watched Nayeon Jisoo, and now this new drama. So I'm a huge fan of IU. I think she's an incredible actress. My goal this week is just to stay strong with my 75 hard challenge. I've been really struggling with it lately, and I cannot wait for it to be finished. I've been craving bread like crazy. I just want a sandwich or any kind of carb, like a big bowl of noodles. I think when the challenge is finished, my first meal will be a big bowl of sujebi. I love sujebi, and it just sounds amazing right now. But until then, I need to stay strong keep eating healthy, keep going for my walks, drinking my water, and sticking to my health routine. Now that I'm back in Korea, if you guys have any suggestions or any type of vlog that you want to see while I'm here, please let me know in the comments below. And also make sure to check out the pinned comment. I hope you all have a wonderful week and I will see you next time. Goodbye!
