Why would two Canadians from Vancouver, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, choose to live on Jeju Island? The question floats to us like dandelion seeds on the wind.
Our Unexpected Love Story with Jeju
It wasn’t love at first sight, I confess. Almost three decades ago, we first set foot on this island and felt nothing stir—quite the opposite, actually. Dissonant and disappointing, despite all her wild beauty. We didn’t fall in love, and perhaps the feeling was wonderfully, stubbornly mutual.
But then, in the quiet aftermath of a world paused—by a pandemic, by my cancer, by Håkan’s new conditions—we returned for what we told ourselves would be just a brief visit. Everything had shifted. Or perhaps we had. We began to fall, gently at first, then with the intensity of waves against enduring cliffs. What started as enchantment with her raw beauty deepened into something that touched both body and spirit.
When love finds you, what choice do you have but to follow where it leads?
Building a Mindful Life on Jeju Island
So here we are, weaving our lives into the fabric of Jeju. When your heart calls you to live fully in this moment—not in yesterday’s regrets or tomorrow’s worries—the only honest response is to say yes to what feels most true, right now.
On this volcanic island, cradled by ancient stone walls and groves heavy with tangerines, we’re discovering that life’s most sacred moments wear the clothes of the everyday. Living as expats on Jeju Island has taught us that authentic living isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about paying attention.
What You’ll Find in Notes from Jeju
These Notes from Jeju are the fruits of our slow living on this enigmatic island. Strangers who become new friends, reconnections that surprise us, conversations that expand us even just a little. Those breathtaking moments when Hallasan mountain catches light like magic in the early hours and we remember, suddenly, the miracle of our lives.
We offer not wisdom but wonder. Not answers but the kind of questions that make you pause mid-step and see your own life with fresh eyes. If you, too, are listening for what matters most beneath the world’s endless chatter and squabbles, perhaps these small revelations from our corner of the earth will kindle something beautiful in yours.
Come, sit with us awhile.
Welcome to Notes from Jeju.
