Changing Seasons – July 2025

Hi friends. Welcome back to another month in review–even as each day felt quite long (hello humidity), July really went by in the blink of an eye.

The month started off on a potentially catastrophic foot when I called to have my AC leak repaired and was informed they would need to take it away for two to three days. Now, this is my only AC unit, so the prospect of even a few days without filled me with dread. As did the blog post that said someone else got their AC back a full week later. So after they removed the AC, I immediately booked a train ticket down to Busan to stay with family. This turned out to be a good decision as the repair ended up taking over two weeks (and technically it’s still not completed…), but let us not dwell on the aggravating.

Thanks to the temporary loss of AC, I got a week-long Busan vacation to spend time with family, eat my aunt’s home cooking and walk on the beach almost daily.

Beaches I walked

Barefoot walking is the latest health trend in Korea – it’s not uncommon to see (mostly older) people walking barefoot along dirt paths in the park. I also just quite like the feeling of walking barefoot, so one of the highlights of this trip was walking or standing barefoot in the water. Gwanganli and Haeundae are more touristy areas and the beach fronts are much more developed. Dadaepo beach feels much more local, and it’s very flat and wide, perfect for walking. (And ultimate frisbee, which I can’t believe I used to play on the sand years ago.)

Things I made

Earlier in the month I attempted one of my favorite summer dishes, konguksu, or bean broth noodles, with some dusty black soy beans in my pantry. The bean broth turned out to be more concrete-like in texture than a smooth and creamy liquid, but it was still pretty tasty! I think I added too much water at the start of blending the beans–feeling optimistic I can do better next time. Second favorite meal I made was an avocado toast, but stuffed inside a pita.

Things others made

July was a good month for food. As mentioned, I had delicious home cooking while in Busan. Back in Seoul, curiously enough I had a variety of Japanese noodles: cold udon, shabu shabu (with noodles in the broth afterwards), and soba with lots of colorful veggies.

Things I watched and read

For the second month in a row, I think I watched more media than I read. I’ve been keeping up with Formula One since my Drive to Survive binge watch, and it’s been fun to follow a sport again.

This July I also started and finished all four seasons of Slow Horses on Apple TV. The show was first put on my radar when Mhairi McFarlane shared she had joined the writers’ room for the latest season. I adore Mhairi’s writing, she’s one of my favorite writers, and so immediately I was intrigued. I love a good spy thriller and the show did not disappoint.

I had two standout reads this month. Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch is the latest installment in the Rivers of London series. If you’re not familiar with this series, it’s been described as “imagine if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz.” I don’t think that’s the best description, but it is about magic and the London police. I quite enjoyed listening to this latest book–it featured some of my favorite supporting characters more heavily, and I liked seeing the new roles the characters took.

These Summer Storms is Sarah MacLean’s latest novel, and not a historical romance! I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a fun read. Set in Rhode Island, the plot centers around an inheritance game with lots of family secrets revealed. I listened to this on audio as well, and Julia Whelan is an excellent narrator.

Things that made me smile

Before I left the US, my friend shared some samples from her indie perfume collection. Choosing my scent every morning from this little perfume corner has become a joyful morning ritual. Thanks to her introduction, I learned I like smiling like marshmallows 😀 My favorites that she shared have been from Sorce, and their naming is great. For example:

• ‘A Witch’s Valentine’
  • Notes: Marshmallow, Moroccan rose absolute, raspberry puree, white chocolate, the softest suede
• ‘What Big Eyes You Have’
  • Notes: Immortelle absolute, lemon meringue pie, pearlescent vanilla musk
• ‘Fu*kery’
  • Notes: Caramelized sugar, Luxardo cherry, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, sandalwood, tobacco absolute, smoke, night air, clean sheets

I have been feeling a bit uninspired by all things stationery and journals lately. I keep up with my five year journal more out of obligation, and haven’t been doodling or drawing much. So I wasn’t feeling excited the other day as I walked through the Hottracks stationery section inside Kyobo bookstore. The items that normally would have interested me felt uninspiring. That is, until I came across this little corner of pencils from Japan. I was absolutely delighted by the fun and colorful pencils on display, my favorites being these two pictured here. I didn’t buy them, but I felt happier knowing they exist.

Big thing I bought

I’m drafting this update on my new phone. I didn’t plan on getting a new phone this week as I was hoping to use my Samsung Galaxy Note10+ just a bit longer before I switched. Alas, half the screen kaputted yesterday, just one month shy of its sixth birthday. Six years was the longest I’ve used a mobile phone, so I guess it served me well. Anyway, starting next month, I should have crispier photos in my Changing Seasons posts, courtesy my S25 Ultra.

That’s all for today, friends. Wishing you peace and happiness, wherever you are.

This post was written as part of the Changing Seasons challenge. You can visit Ju-Lyn’s post to see how other creatives’ around the world spent their July.