I have been traveling around different countries this year to support my daughter who is playing in pro tennis tournaments.

Currently, I’m visiting my family in France after 15 years of being away from them. We planned to spend a few days in Paris where I lived for 15 years.

So a little history…

I arrived in Paris when I was 19 years old to continue my studies after I graduated high school in Seoul.

I spent my young adult years and professional life in Europe for 19 more years before our family migrated to Australia.

To be honest, coming back to Paris was not something extraordinary or exciting for me. Almost no feeling attached….

Is this what we call back home?

I remember a time when I went back to Seoul for a 30-year reunion of my middle school. It felt very exciting as if I was going back to the unknown. There were so many changes since I left at 19.

However…

Visiting Europe was different, even in London or Paris, they almost felt the same, as if nothing happened significantly.

Although I see it as a great opportunity to find myself in the same place that used to be my home, it almost feels like I am visiting the future.

Somehow I can see how much I have evolved in the past 15 years.

I am a different ME in the same place.

Everything is different because I’m different now compared to who I was 15 years ago.

It’s a great experience to understand that the place I am in has nothing to do with my feelings or perception. The only one who is creating my own reality is ME.

I see and think things in a different way because I have evolved.

This only means that my happiness is not dependent on where I am or who I am with. The peace comes within me wherever I am.

I used to complain a lot like a typical French who always has something to say about everything and nothing ��

But this time, everything is beautiful and amazing every day.

Gratitude and appreciation make us grow our higher consciousness.

I know it is easy to say but difficult to apply in our daily lives. But if you make a commitment, it is possible.

It is a discipline to be happy and it is a choice.

15 years is long enough for me to be detached and become aware of the differences in me. It’s a gift from my 15-year life…

Have you ever visited your family, friends, or someplace where you felt like nothing has ever changed or evolved? How did that make you feel?