Esther JuLee and her husband, Jacob Fu, run Local Adventurer, which was recently named one of the top 5 travel blogs in the world. While some of us have been conditioned to think of “travel” as something inaccessible, exotic, or aspirational, Esther and Jacob take a very different approach that values curiosity, gratitude, and contentment. As their name suggests, they encourage finding “local adventures”. In fact, every year for 7 years, they moved to a new hometown to fully explore the region and uncover all the local gems for readers, all while also traveling internationally for their blog. With that said, I may just be the only person who found Esther through her food blog, www.momskoreanrecipes.com. If you’re a regular listener, you know that last month I did a mother’s day series. While researching possible guests for the series, I found this food blog that Esther started both as a Covid project and in response to her grandmother’s death. As Esther says, although she was born in Korea, there is not much about her that remains Korean. She turned to her mother and food to reclaim some of that heritage. As many of us are gearing up for travel this summer, I’m thrilled to have Esther on to share her story, a few travel tips, and also to think about some important topics related to food, identity, travel, and the intersection of all of these points: home. Esther’s story reminds us that everyone deserves their home country, hometown, and home culture to be a welcoming place, and just what we can do to ensure that. Listen to Esther Now Highlights of Ep. 075 with Esther JuLee of Local Adventurer How full-time travel bloggers experienced Covid to their job “I don’t feel there’s much that’s Korean about me” and how she turned to food to address that The real reason her parents her left Korea Feelings of shame/conflict about Korean food How Koreans perceived Esther The true definition of Kimchi (much wider than I realized) Pivoting: Chemistry -> Wedding Photography -> Travel Photography Division of labor for the blog with her husband, Jacob Fu Traveling as an Asian-American Experiences of racism at home vs. abroad The pressure to say certain things at certain times on social media “If you don’t carry gratitude or an adventurous spirit with you, you won’t be able to experience travel in that way.” Esther’s amazing advice for harmonious traveling with family or friends How to Find Esther JuLee and Jacob Fu of Local Adventurer Website: www.localadventurer.com Local Adventurer on Instagram Esther JuLee on Instagram Local Adventurer on YouTube Local Adventurer on Pinterest Recipe Esther JuLee Shared With Us: Water Radish Kimchi (Dongchimi) More About The Storied Recipe Podcast My weekly guests share a recipe cherished for its significance to their culture, heritage, memories, and family. I make, photograph, and share these recipes on my food and photography blog, www.thestoriedrecipe.com. During the interview, we use the recipe as a springboard and dive deep into the guest's life experiences, culture, and expertise. As a community, we become more grateful for the gift of food, better cooks and global citizens, and we honor those that loved us through their cooking. Support the podcast with a share or review: The Storied Recipe is more than a podcast. It is a community of curious, thoughtful individuals that love food, culture, and people. I depend on the community for feedback and the growth of the podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, would you please consider sending it to a friend or family member? Also, every review helps new listeners find the podcast. They mean so, so much to me personally. With all the different devices and podcast players out there, it can be a little tricky to figure out how to figure out how to leave one. If you click on this link, a really smart guy named Daniel created a handy system that will automatically detect your ...
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