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Kayla Kim Votapek
Kayla Kim Votapek

15 Followers

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Pinned

나에게(Dear Self): Photograph

나에게, You are allowed to enjoy the moment. To look at the photographs and videos. To remember the way he felt. The way he kissed—the way he made you feel. You are allowed to keep the love in the photographs. Sometimes that is what life is about. The small moments…

Dear Self

1 min read

나에게 (Dear Self): Photograph
나에게 (Dear Self): Photograph
Dear Self

1 min read


Pinned

나에게(Dear Self): Letting Go of Values

나에게, We all have our own set of values and standards that we hold ourselves to. They are principles you believe in, a point of view that you have high opinions of, your standards of how you live your life, and internalized ideologies that influence your judgment of what is…

Dear Self

1 min read

나에게(Dear Self): Letting Go of Values
나에게(Dear Self): Letting Go of Values
Dear Self

1 min read


Pinned

Hiraeth: homesickness for a home to which you cannot return; a home which maybe never was.

A house is a place where one lives. It provides shelter and protects you from the rain. It offers you a place to breathe. To let loose. To be free. But when does that house become a home? After you move all your stuff in? After you lived there for…

Home

3 min read

Hiraeth
Hiraeth
Home

3 min read


Pinned

나에게 (Dear Self): What If?

나에게, What if I answered the phone instead of letting it go to voicemail that day? Would that have been our last conversation? Would you have forgiven me for the past 10 years of distance and for cutting you out of my life? Would you have told me you still…

Dear Self

2 min read

나에게 (Dear Self): What If?
나에게 (Dear Self): What If?
Dear Self

2 min read


Jan 1

나에게(Dear Self): 2022 Reflections

나에게, 2022 has been a whirlwind of ups and downs for you. You moved to your birth country. You lost another parent. You reached your goal of traveling to 30 different countries before turning 30. You experienced what it feels like to be alone in a country where you don’t…

Letters To Myself

2 min read

나에게 (Dear Self): 2022 Reflection
나에게 (Dear Self): 2022 Reflection
Letters To Myself

2 min read


Oct 24, 2022

나에게 (Dear Self): Knowing When to Walk Away

나에게, You are not replaceable. Don’t let anyone’s action determine your own self-worth. Their actions show their character and not yours. Take this time to feel all the emotions that are going on inside of your beautiful soul. Emotions are so complex and meant to be felt. It’s okay to…

Dear Self

2 min read

나에게(Dear Self): Knowing When to Walk Away
나에게(Dear Self): Knowing When to Walk Away
Dear Self

2 min read


Jul 22, 2022

나에게 (Dear Self): Ownership of Story & Healing Journey

나에게, LOOK AT YOU! Look at how much you have changed. In one month, it is going to be a year since you moved to South Korea! Congratulations! You have grown in so many ways since you got here. That enthusiastic determined bright-eyed girl who first stepped off the flight…

Self Love

2 min read

나에게 (Dear Self): Introduction
나에게 (Dear Self): Introduction
Self Love

2 min read


Jul 14, 2021

So very well said and expressed.
6
1

Virginia Hatley

Thank you so much for your kind words.

Thank you so much for your kind words. It means the world to me that you were able to connect to my story. I am so glad that your journey brought you closer with your sister and that you are having these conversations. Returning home to ourselves is a hard thing to do and being able to have converastions with others about it is vital to building a more informed community. Being an adopttee comes with a lot of emotional obstacles, but it is apart of our journey. It's something that we can share together and support one another. Thank you for sharing your story!

1 min read

1 min read


May 6, 2021

An Adoptee’s Experience: Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day. a day of celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. Mother’s Day. A day of celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. A day that reminds me that I was abandoned by my birth mother. Since childhood, I have been…

Adoption

4 min read

An Adoptee’s Experience: Mother’s Day
An Adoptee’s Experience: Mother’s Day
Adoption

4 min read


Jan 5, 2021

A Million Paper Cuts: A Poem about Microaggressions

On the train I check the news Another hate crime More attacks I get a paper cut. On the streets of NYC I hear men calling me “China Doll” “Be My Orderway Bride” Another paper cut. Walk through the doors Take a seat at my desk I look around Code Switch. Code Switch…

Race

2 min read

A Million Paper Cuts
A Million Paper Cuts
Race

2 min read

Kayla Kim Votapek

Kayla Kim Votapek

15 Followers

Korean Adoptee ❤ Stories about Identity, Liberation & Healing. Website: https://www.kaylakimvotapek.com

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