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Humans of Vancouver

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This weekend was the first time this year that it

This weekend was the first time this year that it hit the 20s in temperature. I could tell all of Vancouver was buzzing in excitement about the warmth, especially after the recent weeks of grey clouds and pouring rain. I celebrated the coming of summer by going biking around the seawall yesterday with two friends. It was such a lovely day! The natural landscape of mountains towering over the ocean never ceases to amaze me. It made me think about how humans are designed to be in creation. Nature is something we are always surrounded by but will never grow tired of! We can look at the same sky everyday and still, its change in colour will bring us joy. ☁️ We recognize the shape of mountains and still, a different set will bring us wonder. 🌄

When I took this photo a while back, I was looking at the same sky I did in Canada and the same kind of saltwater that makes up every ocean. Yet, I felt an overwhelming wave of joy and wonder simply because I was surrounded by creation, an incomparable beauty that will always exceed every other manmade object. I was tasting the sun and relishing in its warmth and light. ☀️✨

Wherever you are today, I hope you take the time to go outside and absorb everything it has to offer. I promise you that you'll find refreshment. 🤍

Where is a place you see with fresh eyes no matter the amount of times you go back to time and time again? 🍃

✨ April in Melbourne, Australia ✨ It's spring

✨ April in Melbourne, Australia ✨

It's springtime in Vancouver right now. It is the month after "April showers bring May flowers" and nearing a season which most Vancouverites are anticipating and will be rejoicing in — summer. On the flip side of this world, though, is currently the middle of autumn. I remember walking through these bare trees by the south bank of Yarra River one Saturday afternoon. The orange light was permeating the sky and brushing against the concrete ground, and for the first time in my life, I saw the potential of rebirth instead of the death of light in the autumn. 🍂🍁 Later on, I jumped into a pile of withered, abandoned leaves with my friends, and found joy in this simple activity I had always wanted to do. All this created a meaningful day for me, but it wasn't until years later did I reflect on, truly realize, and absorb the additional meaning this day had meant for me. In short, walking through this path hadn't been the original plan for the day; it had become an alternative plan after the initial, more elaborate plan didn't go as intended due to my mismanagement of time. Of course, no amount of guilt can ever change what happened that day, but I am grateful for what was shown to me because of it — a glimpse into the restorative grace God gladly offers me each and every day, as well as the new mercies I receive from Him every morning. 🤍🧡 Having experienced this grace, I hope I can pass it onto others when they, too, need it from me.

To read more about how I experienced God's grace during this study-trip abroad (which was a big theme for me during those five months), read my post, "Finding Grace Amid My Travel Mishaps." ✨ It can be found under my "travels" tab on my blog. 〰️

These two photos were taken seven years ago back i

These two photos were taken seven years ago back in 2015 when I carried my pink digital camera everywhere I went. What used to be considered as "great quality" photos now look grainy as if produced from film. It's astounding to think about how current phone cameras are even better than the newest digital cameras back then. How quickly and consistently are technologies improving! Still, I am grateful for the memories I captured on my digital camera. 📷 They remind me of nostalgia and simplicity. 🤍✨

Check out my most recent blog post titled, "Backpacking in Taiwan (Day 1): Waterfalls, Sky Lanterns, and Gratitude." 🌊🏮 This piece is one I wrote a few years ago during my exchange in Australia. I had taken a journalism class and we were to document a travel experience. Years later on my sister's birthday, I am finally publishing it on my blog as a commemoration of just one of the many adventures we've gone on together. 🥰

Hi, it's been a while! 👋🏻 After studying abr

Hi, it's been a while! 👋🏻 After studying abroad, I recorded three of the biggest takeaways I had during those five months.✈️ Part 1/3 answers my question of what it means to be free. I had always thought freedom meant escape; however, running on the track one day inspired me to realize that perhaps what we really desire is not to run away from something but to run towards something🏃‍♀️ - something that feels so safe and reassuring that we experience freedom because of it. What would that be for you? You can read the rest of this story on my blog post titled "Australia: The Search for True Freedom." 🌿🍃☀️

I am finally publishing part 2/3 of lessons I learned. 💬 While traveling, I encountered many mishaps due to my flawed personality... These mistakes fed into my worry of whether I was ruining how things are supposed to go, which developed into a ball of "what-ifs." I doubted the path that I was on all the time. What if I'm not where I'm supposed to be? What would you do if you found yourself on a path you don't mean to be on? Feel free to share with me your response on my post, "Australia: Finding Grace Amid My Travel Mishaps" (found in my bio) or comment down below. 📝

I never got to formally introduce myself on here y

I never got to formally introduce myself on here yet, so hello! My name is Grace. 🌻☀️ I have been thinking more about which direction I want this account to go towards and since then, have decided to write a short piece on how this idea of blogging all started.

From a young age, I've had a love for writing. Much of my free time consisted of writing journal entries, poems, letters, songs, and stories. 💬✍️ However, I did not start as an avid reader or even much of a literate student. I neither spoke much nor understood the English language well...

It was only until later on did my curiosity for words develop. Writing became my form of self-expression, especially when I found it difficult to speak my thoughts. Even more so now than ever, I am constantly amazed at the million ways in which words can be strung together or interchanged with other words to best express an idea!✨

My interest for photography also grew throughout the years, specifically capturing the beauty in landscapes, emotions evoked in a location, and the personalities of people. I am still learning and practicing, but the ability to still a moment in time fills me with wonder. 💭

For these reasons, I decided that creating a blog would be an ideal method to combine these interests of mine. Blogging remained only a dream though until a particular year during my undergrad...

To read the full version of my story, go to the link in my bio to find my featured About page. 👩‍💻

📸: @joyce_ycchang

It is so easy to be caught up in the hustle, to co

It is so easy to be caught up in the hustle, to compare our accomplishments with other people, and to base our worth on how productive we are. How often do we stand still like these mountains, yet still feel purposeful in our stillness? Or how often do we experience contentment like this lake even while acknowledging there will always be people with greater successes than us? Nature reminds me that it's okay to just be. ⛰️🌊🌳 Just being does not disprove us as worthy beings.

"Finally, I was brought to the conclusion what the pandemic only emphasized: God is the purpose to life and humans are worthy not because of productivity, but simply because we are created and loved by Him." 💫

This is the first lesson I learned and recapped in my blog post, "2020, a year of God's sovereignty." You can read it by clicking the link in my bio. 💌 I hope it reminds us all to not put our identity in our work so that we become prideful and look down on others or to feel defeated and look down on ourselves.

25✨ - 26🪐 The uncertainty which transpired l

25✨ - 26🪐

The uncertainty which transpired last year led me to many wonderings. These thoughts inspired me to write my most recent blog post, "2020, a year of God's sovereignty." I am excited to be releasing this! The link is in my bio.💬

This piece of writing took some vulnerability, but it communicates what my heart would like to proclaim to the world - that each one of your stories matter! I hope that sharing a slice of my life with you will encourage you to see the meaning your current chapter holds.🌼 & a reminder that what you're going through does not define who you are. Your circumstances do not invalidate your worth, value, or purpose.🤍

Happy new year, friends!! 🎉 Sorry for the hiatu

Happy new year, friends!! 🎉 Sorry for the hiatus. I took a break in December, lost my collection of photos in January 😭, but now I'm excited to be back in February! 💕

In 2019, I remember people saying that 2020 was going to be a year of vision. Although the year unexpectedly resulted in chaos, illness, the suspension of social interactions, and new systems and routines being set in place, I wonder if perhaps it is preparing us for a new era. What if it brings us to new realizations and new epiphanies? Sometimes growth requires the uprooting of old ways so that development can take place. This doesn't invalidate the pain that you and I may experience in the process of, but the growth is something we can look forward to. At the same time, it is okay to not always feel our best or to feel stagnant in life. Tomorrow is a new day and a new day means there is hope. May sunsets like these remind us that the sun will set and rise again and that with each new day, we are gifted with the chance to reset and try again.🤍 Here's to the seasons we will encounter this year - the budding, the growing, and eventually, the blooming. 🌱🌿🌼

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

The drama, Start-Up, has been on my mind ever sinc

The drama, Start-Up, has been on my mind ever since I finished it. It has made me reflect on the unpredictability of life but the magic that can come from it when we dare step outside our comfort zones and take a risk. Oftentimes, we limit ourselves by taking no step forward. However, inaction is also a decision and even then, there are consequences.

In my most recent post, "The Beginning of an End," I share about how we make choices everyday and how when we make the wrong one, it's okay to start over. Further reflection has brought me to realize that every choice, no matter how certain we may feel about the consequence, is ultimately a risk. This is because the exact outcome will always be a mystery until we come face-to-face with it. Decisions can be scary, but never knowing the potential of a situation can be even more unfortunate.

Whatever big decision you may be facing today, don't be afraid to step into it. Starting over or beginning something is always the most difficult part, but the steps thereafter will get easier. I am excited just thinking about how amazing the world would be if you took that one step today. 🌱😊

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