A New Chapter in America’s Finest City - 5 Years of MAIM TIME

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Yo, what’s good my people? MAIM TIME is BACK. After a long hiatus, I’m back on the mic to celebrate a major milestone—five years since I first started this podcast. February 2020, right before the world flipped upside down, I put out my first episode. Now, five years later, I’m back in America, starting over, and it’s time to catch y’all up on everything.

Where have I been?
For the past 11 years, I built a life in Korea. It was the best decision I ever made, and it shaped me into the person I am today. But at some point, what was once an adventure started to feel like a cage. I needed a change. So in March 2024, I left Korea and moved to San Diego, California—America’s Finest City, and arguably, America’s Most Expensive City. Now, I’m navigating reverse culture shock, adapting to a new life, and figuring out what’s next.

Starting Over in My 30s
Who does this? Who spends their 20s in a foreign country, only to return to their homeland and start over again in their 30s? A bum like me, apparently. In the past year, I’ve had to:
✔ Get a driver’s license
✔ Start working in the family business
✔ Adjust to American life after a decade abroad
✔ Cut out distractions to focus more on personal growth
✔ Just get used to life in America

Everything is different. In Seoul, I could hop on a bus or train anytime, anywhere. In San Diego, you need a car. In Korea, people keep to themselves in public. In America, strangers smile and say hi on the street. It’s weird, but in a lot of ways, I missed this.

What’s Next for MAIM TIME?
I don’t always know where to take this podcast, but I always find myself coming back to it. This is for me. This is for you. If you’re an Asian diaspora kid trying to figure out who you are, how to self-actualize, how to navigate the in-between of two worlds, this podcast is for us.

This episode is raw, unfiltered, and straight from the heart. It’s a stream of consciousness update on my life, my struggles, and what it means to take responsibility for your future—even when you don’t have all the answers.

Lessons from Rock Bottom
You haven’t really lived until you’ve hit rock bottom. Until you’ve tried to cry but no tears come out. Until you’ve wanted to scream but just stare at the ceiling instead. And even then? You get up. You move forward.

I could be homeless. I could be struggling just to survive. But I’m lucky. I have my family, my health, and the opportunity to build something. And if I have to survive, why not thrive?

The Bigger Picture
What would my Asian Ancestors do? What would the Founding Fathers do? What would you do if you had to start over from nothing?

People risk everything to get here. Some walk through deserts. Some smuggle themselves across oceans. Me? I had the privilege of choice. That humbles me. That makes me grateful. And that makes me want to do more.

So here I am. Back in America. A new chapter begins.
Hit play, let’s talk about it.

How I Budget to Live in the Most Expensive City in the U.S.
Video: Migrants cross into San Diego amid surge in Chinese nationals | Morning in America

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