– A girl who travels and explores the world from her coffee shop in Seoul
I meet the young Yena at her cozy and humble coffee shop, The Wanderlust Corner, in the Sinchon neighborhood.
“I was born here in Seoul and have lived most of my life in this neighborhood.
I graduated from the university of agriculture, where I met a professor who did research and analysis on fruit, including apples and grapes. He recommended an internship on a farm in the middle of the German vineyards where they produced good wine. I found the idea fascinating, so I left here to spend eight months of my life in the European country. I really enjoyed living in nature, where I found slower and more relaxed rhythms, where people greet you warmly, I was not used to this because I have always lived in this city where everything is so fast.
I didn’t have enough knowledge related to the wine industry, before then I always thought that this alcoholic drink was something snobbish, it often happens that here in Seoul the more expensive a product is, the more it is considered good, we have not yet developed a culture related to wine tasting. But during my overseas experience, I learned to distinguish it, appreciate it and understand what makes it delicious: if you like the taste it means it’s good, regardless of the cost.
Germany not only changed my approach to wine, but it also helped me a lot to improve my lifestyle. Before the trip to Europe, I didn’t feel confident: I never left the house if I didn’t wear make-up or if I didn’t put my contact lenses on, this was to feel more accepted and appreciated by others, which happens frequently to a lot of other people here in South Korea. Having spent a long time among persons from a foreign country and observing how they live in a different culture from mine, where everything was much more practical and simple (especially because I was in the German countryside), made me change several ideas about myself and how I managed my life.
I remember that I was with two local girls who did not have too many problems with the heavy work at the farm, they dressed simply and did not wear makeup, they taught me to be more brave and independent, to be more myself: now I don’t use anymore a lot of makeup and I wear glasses, otherwise I feel like I’m fake. But before, I had no idea that all this makeup was … how to say … too much! I had no basis for comparison.” What she tells strikes me a lot and makes me think about the fact that being born in a certain culture pushes us to act in predetermined ways, in line with precise behavioral principles, dictated by social models that we consider obvious, following them in a purely automatic way, as if we were real automatons. We often behave and assume absurd attitudes because we conform to patterns of which, most of the time, we are not aware. We do not notice our mistakes because we do not have a mirror on which to reflect our mistakes and therefore be able to improve. For this reason, I find traveling and, above all, coming into contact with different cultures fundamental for personal development.
“I also gained a few extra pounds when I was in Germany… my friends here said I was chubby, but the critics no longer bothered me. I know it is not an easy thing to understand or accept in my country, where beauty standards are very high and where you always have to look perfect. Since then I have started feeling good about myself and appreciating myself for what I am.
I went to Germany to study but this experience changed me a lot on a personal level, making me a much simpler, more natural and more mature person.”
“I also had another experience at a winery in Oregon for a couple of months. Once back in South Korea, about two years ago, I opened my own coffee shop. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, my idea was to travel: I wanted to go to Italy, Australia, New Zealand and many other places, I wanted to learn many more things, languages and meet new cultures…but one day a friend of my mother gave me the idea of doing something here. I had never worked in this industry and never imagined starting to do it, so I set to work and learned how to operate and manage my new place. It was not easy at first, I learned a lot from the people who come here, I was lucky, I have always met nice persons. There are several guest houses in this area and there are many travelers who come in for a coffee and spend time here. I have become friends with some of them, they are often friendly and open-minded, they also helped me in the most demanding and busy moments, especially when they realize that I am alone managing my coffee shop many want to give me a hand. They help me decorate and arrange the place, sometimes some of them are professionals and they give me useful advice on how to manage my business and how to make my working life easier. “
“This coffee shop is made of people who come here.”
“During the early days I opened here, seeing all these travelers, all so free and always on the move, made me feel trapped, but I then realized that having them here is like continuing to explore the world but staying in my Seoul. Which I like even more than traveling itself because I have discovered that travel is not what interests me, but the experiences that can be had while in faraway countries are what I want and fascinate me and, as I said, fortunately the people who come to my coffee shop give me this feeling. I realized that when I was thinking about traveling it was more like a dream, a way to escape from everyday life in a moment when I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but now I’m building something with my work and my commitment, I feel good and comfortable here.
I also have Korean clients, they often come because they are intrigued by the fact that I have foreign travelers here, some want to practice their English. Some are attracted to the atmosphere of my coffee shop quite different from others in the area which is usually more sophisticated and trendy, my place is much more modest and cozy.” A really nice place indeed, coming to Yena feels like you are going to visit a friend.
“Asian culture has often been influenced by Western countries standards, admiring their cultures and styles. Many people do not know those nations but they have fallen in love with the idea they have made of them, a kind of dream, often they would like to move abroad, feeling a kind of envy and thinking that life is better than here, but they don’t know well what it means to live in those countries.
I found that once we mature we begin to accept more of what we are, to appreciate our culture and our country of origin.
I don’t think I’ll be working on my coffee shop project forever, I like learning new things. But this experience taught me a lot, I became independent, I committed myself and I worked hard to be able to learn how to manage my business on my own. Everything takes time and must be built step by step, little by little. Often we are captured by stories, we always see the successes of others but we don’t think about the effort and time involved to reach such results.
This place has given me a lot of stability, I am satisfied with the life I am living now, even if it is sometimes difficult to coordinate everything. So I face the tough moments with music, I started learning to play the cello a year ago. For the job I do I am always in contact with many people, I need to recharge by being alone, this musical instrument helps me to relax.
When I was in high school, I always had pressure from family, friends and teachers about the choices I would have to make. I have never felt completely free to do what I wanted. I wish I had been brave enough to take charge of my own life and decisions at the time. For example, I remember that I wanted to study and improve my English, I would have liked to reach the levels of a native speaker … but everyone told me to focus only on science subjects because I was good at that and I would have had to work hard to pass the test for the university admission…I could have studied languages later on. I often went to the library to read books, but my mother didn’t agree, she wanted me to study only the school texts and not waste time with anything else. But that for me was a precious period in which I found my philosophy of life in the sceipts that interested me.
I am becoming wiser and more mature, now I can make my own decisions independently and freely. A “limited freedom”, I mean that it is not doing everything I want, but a way of consciously choosing what I like.
When I meet new people I feel alive, when I talk to them, when they open their hearts to me, when they tell me and share their stories when they feel comfortable with me … it’s really important to me.
I believe that curiosity is fundamental: I am a very curious person, I ask many questions because I am interested in the various opinions of others, I want to understand what they think of a specific topic or issue. I like being at home alone and on my own, but at the same time I am fascinated by people and I want to be in their company. A spontaneous girl with a serene smile, a symbol of beauty that comes from within and not tied to a superficial appearance.
For sure if I worked in a company I would make a lot more money, which I do not deny is not important, but what I have learned and acquired with this experience in my coffee shop is something that you cannot buy in any way, it is something priceless!”
The Wanderlust Corner is in Sinchon: 6 Sinchon-ro 3-gil, Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
Go drink a delicious coffee and spend a nice time at Yena’s place!
Here her IG: @thewanderlustcorner
