Busan and the Abundance Mindset

I am 58 hours into a trip to Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. For 38 of these hours, I have been a solo explorer. For the other 20, Dae Han, my love, spent 9 hours traveling in order to have almost 1 full day together. While I cannot quantify the gratitude I have for him and the way Dae Han cares for me, 100% of my heart was happy to share in this weekend with him.

I have 4 hours remaining in this trip, 4 hours until I board the train bound for Seoul that will take 2.75 hours to return me to my home in South Korea’s largest, most densely populated city.

In the past 2.2 days, I have spent roughly:

5 minutes shopping for a sun visor because I arrived to the beach without my sunglasses, and to be honest, I would have bought this visor regardless because its giving me those cute beachy vibes.

7 hours reading 2 books: Pachinko with Dae Han and The Beginning of Spring on my own. We found a lazy spot in a park to read Book III of Min Jin Lee’s epic novel turned Apple TV series.

45 minutes appreciating Haedong Yonggungsa Buddhist Temple. The temple was especially popular on this day as Buddha’s birthday is near and it was Children’s Day, an important holiday here in Korea.

5 hours eating yummy meals, some of which started with 반상, side dishes that offer sweet, savory, and umami flavors — for a food and culture lesson on 반상, give a listen to my student Jihoo’s podcast episode entitled, “Where Side Dishes Take Center Stage”

Some amount of slow moments savoring the feeling of home that I always have with my handsome man, while sipping Earl Grey and letting dark Ecuadorian chocolate truffles melt in my mouth.

1.75 hours running along the water, finding spots for moments of meditation or a place to complete a short HIIT circuit of squats, pushups, and planks

3 hours walking and watching fisherman, surfers, and swimmers.

20 minutes becoming two of those swimmers, finding the sea’s very cold waters at first almost intolerable, and then … really refreshing (Dae Han spent at least twice the amount of time submerged in the sea than me).

Some hours just gazing out at the aqua water washing over the sea stones.

Since moving abroad almost 9 years ago now, I have become increasingly aware of how time passes. Perhaps it is because settling into life abroad brought with it a sadness of missing time with family and friends Stateside. It has also meant a keen awareness of how, over time, I have been expanding through challenging, sometimes uncomfortable, often delightful experiences. Perhaps, too, the sands of time have become the focus of my attention so often because as we age, we fear we are “running out of time".

Being on the beach this weekend, I have been reminded to try and work away from the notion that there is a scarcity of time. While deadlines, timelines, and checklists have their place, what I am choosing to breath into is abundance right now. The world would often have use believe that we need to produce more, buy more, be more … if you listen to the world, there is a mindset of never-enough-ness.

I have 35 minutes before I need to start walking to the bus to take me to the train station. That is a finite amount of time left to spend sea-gazing, but I can also recognize that there has been enough exploration and restoration to return me to Seoul a better-rested woman.

As I finish this post, I am back in the BaciAbode. It will take awareness to maintain my abundance mindset as I begin preparing for the week ahead, but I am hopeful that remembering the many slow breaths I took in Busan, I can also give myself permission to do the same in Seoul.

Before I sign off today, I want to acknowledge that there is a truth to scarcity, generally truths that I do not have to face if I avert my eyes, but truths nonetheless that I feel because of being part of a collective human psyche. Some in our communities and countries do not have enough support, resources, or seats at the table. Scarcity is indeed part of their reality, and a reality I believe we all have the capacity to shift. Dae Han is a devoted leader of the NGO called the International Strategy Center. The ISC hosts online forums (usually once a month) in the spirit of solidarity with people around the world, to understand current events and issues more deeply.

On May 21st, they will be hosting a forum on Korea’s Disabled People’s Movement. While I know that many readers here are not Korea based, I think the forum could be worthwhile for all of us in our respective places in the world. I encourage you to join the forum, to listen and learn and consider those near your homes that are facing scarcity, not as a mindset, but as a reality. First my parents, and now my partner, help me to understand that we have the power to bring more abundance to others.

Peace and love,

BaciAbroad