Yujin Kim tried out a rototiller during her visit to Twisp.

Hello, Let me introduce myself first. My name is Yujin Kim, 29 years old. I came from South Korea. I have been traveling in lots of countries but this is my first visit to the United States. That is why I was a little nervous on the day before I started this trip. Believe or not, I hardly could sleep the night before I left my town. I was wondering who I was going to meet, where I was going to go, what I was going to see, etc.

Some people might be curious about the reason why I came here, to Twisp. There is a special reason for me. I came here to meet the family of my friend, whose name is Jesse Asia. We have been exchanging tons of letters back and forth since 2000, and finally have met 13 years later. The relationship between us is so special to me. I think I am really lucky to have a friend like her. I am sure no one can imagine this.

I am living in Bucheon, which is a small city nearby Seoul, with my parents. It took 10 hours to Seattle from my town by flight and five hours again to Twisp. It was a really long journey for me. But now I know that it is worth it, because everything here is new to me and people are so nice to me. I don't feel strange at all. Everything is familiar to me as if I have been here for a long time. Now I am feeling like I am lost in heaven. Actually I have no idea how I can express my feelings. Probably there are no words to describe it properly.

I have been working as a journalist for a Korean daily newspaper company since last year. I am writing about Korean economics, mainly focusing on how Korean electric companies such as Samsung and LG make money. Three weeks ago I went to Berlin, Germany to see a big event of Samsung electronics. The company held a big launching show for their new smart phone, Galaxy Note 3 in the city. There were more than 500 journalists from all over the world gathered at the same time and the atmosphere was really hot. This is what I am doing for a living. It is really dynamic, unexpected and difficult because I have to fact check and make sure what I am reporting is accurate.

Journalists have to be ready anytime they are needed. So the life of journalists is so stressful. We usually work from 8 am to 6 pm every weekday and on Sunday we also have to work because we are supposed to publish the newspaper on Monday. When we are at work, we often have four to five meetings during the day. We meet to share ideas and get new information. There is a deadline, too. For me, I have to finish writing an article by four pm every day (800 - 1000 words). So sometimes it is like someone is chasing behind me so fast, and the society of journalists are getting more competitive day by day. I think nowadays everyone can be a journalist if they want to be because there is a good internet system all around the world. So the professional journalists need to be better, more professional, insightful, creative. That is why I am trying to listen to people who have different opinions about some political issue than I do. That is why I am trying to travel a lot. Actually I like traveling, but sometimes traveling for work is a burden. I love my job but it makes me sad from time to time because of the demands.

This town, Twisp, makes me feel free from the life I have had for the last two years. In my city, there are only tall buildings and cars and crowded places with people. But here it is totally different from there. What I like most is here I can find peace of mind staying away from the busy life and get some fresh air outside anytime I want. It is so sad for me because the time I have to go back home is coming. But this city will be my second home and stay in my heart forever. For sure I will be back. I want to say thank you again. I really appreciate all of your hospitality.