I was born in Seoul, Korea. Yes, that is in SOUTH Korea! I just turned 50 in April. OMG, I'm 50!
I was adopted at the age of 4 months by my parents, the whitest people in the world. Minnesota and Iowa, for the love of God! A parole administrator and a librarian. They were some crunchy crackers!
I also had a brother, Nick. I say "had" because we are estranged now. I haven't been in touch with him for around 5 years, and don't ever expect to be again. No big loss. Nick was 5 years younger and adopted as well. He was around 1 ½ years old when my parents adopted him. He was from Seoul as well. We were not adopted together, and are not blood-related.
I grew up in Paso Robles, CA. Population: 22,000 back in the 90's. It was one of those towns where I'm pretty sure everybody was unknowingly somehow related.
I had a terrific childhood. My family was extraordinarily close. It was my mom, dad, Nick, and me. We did everything together. We traveled, not to anywhere fantastic, but we did things like RVing and traveled together as far as Iowa in the Midwest. I'm pretty sure I slept through that entire state.
I played volleyball from the 7th grade through college at Cal State Fullerton. They were an NCAA Division I institution in the Big West Conference, which was all I cared about. I did well in high school, but I knew volleyball was pretty much my ticket into a 4-year college, which I hated and was one of the worst experiences in my life.
I got married in 2009 and was married for 10 years. The split was amicable, and I'm still in touch and on good terms with my ex. We lived in Atascadero, CA, just 15 minutes South of Paso. I used to call it "Atascabama." It was red-neck central. A lot of big white pickup trucks and parties out in random fields of nothing. But I was fine with it.
I worked as a Procurement Officer at California State Prison back in circa 1997. It was a basic desk job, pushing papers, but a great job for someone my age. I was one of those young adults who lived at home, and the only costs were a car payment and cell phone bill. It was nice.
I ended up promoting to Atascadero State Hospital, which was a forensic hospital for the criminally insane. I was an Office Tech in the Admissions ward. Very interesting job, and I met a ton of good people. I had a lot of friends. But it was an extremely depressing environment to work in, and I began to dread it.
I quit my well-paid, secure, and stable job with the state and decided to work at Starbucks for $7.40 an hour. It was quite a life change! I loved working there, though. I met so many people, both employees and customers. I worked for the company for 14 years! I still, to this day, have no idea how that happened!
I also coached high school volleyball in Cambria, CA, at the high school where I graduated. I was the JV coach and assistant coach for the varsity team. I loved working with the kids and being part of them becoming extraordinary players.
I also worked on opening the first and only volleyball club in Cambria. I coordinated the traveling and coaching, basically running the club. I loved it. We had traveling teams and teams that were just for core learning of the sport. It was very impactful.
After around 4 years, I quit coaching and began my long-lasting career in technical support. Over 20 years in the industry! I would do anything to get back in it now.
I am currently the assistant manager of the Service Deli at Fred Meyer. It's a low-paying, thankless job, but it keeps me occupied and provides income, which is all I was looking for after they closed my location at Salesforce in Hillsboro, OR. That was a tough time! Going from a 6-figure job to a poverty-level lifestyle was traumatic, but I have survived…barely. The job is extremely physical, so I wonder how long I will be able to work in the position. But for now, I'm pulling it off, and actually not too shabby at it. I NEVER wanted to manage people, but here I am with a team of around 13. I work full-time, and the job kicks my ass every day. I love my weekends! I spend my time on the computer and relaxing all day on my days off. It's usually pretty fabulous after a long, tough week at work.
I am in a relationship with a wonderful man who is everything I've ever wanted in someone. He is a phenomenal human being, and our relationship is wonderful. One of the things I am so thankful for the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.
So there it is! Take me as I am. Love me or leave me. Changing me is unquestionably impossible at this point in my life. I am happy and healthy, and I enjoy my life. It's not perfect. It may not even be great, but I'm living it to the best of my ability. Drama-free. No pets. No kids. Not married. I can get up and go at the drop of a hatpin. I am free and love it!
Oh, did I mention I have a shaved head and am covered in ink? Minor details…