One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

I started this blog in late February 2026, the year I turned 60. Before that, I had never even used ordinary social media. I had no particular plan to become a blogger, attract readers, or build an audience. I simply wanted a place to record my everyday life. My life in Jeju was already full of little things I enjoyed: golf, my two dogs, Ruby and Rich, the changing seasons in my garden, teaching English, and discovering what it means to live well after 60. So I started writing. Some days, I wrote about golf and the small things I was learning about my swing. Other days, I wrote about living alone, taking care of my dogs, enjoying an ordinary afternoon, or finding a new perspective on life. I never thought these everyday stories would attract much attention. But recently, something unexpected has been happening. My daily visitors have been steadily increasing. And today, when I saw the number suddenly reach 938, I was genuinely surprised. I was getting close to 1,000 visitors a day. For...

It rained heavily in Jeju today. I went to the driving range and enjoyed hitting golf balls. But the rain became so heavy that I started worrying about Ruby and Rich at home. After about 40 minutes of practice, I decided to head home. Luckily, both dogs were safe and dry. They seemed to have stayed in the storage shed to avoid the rain. Then I thought about Ruby. Ruby never gets wet if she can help it. She loves going outside, but she hates wet grass. She may go there once to do her business, but after that, she refuses to walk on the same wet grass again. Instead, she carefully steps on stones or finds dry places to walk. And muddy puddles? Absolutely not! Usually, Ruby follows me wherever I go without any trouble. But when she sees a dirty or wet place, she suddenly has very strong opinions. I can almost hear her saying, “Mom, I love going outside. But surely you don't expect me to walk through THAT!” It makes me laugh every time. Ruby is also surprisingly clean. Her body rarely ...

These days, I sometimes ask myself, “What did I actually do today?” I didn't go anywhere special. I didn't do anything extraordinary. And yet, somehow, the day disappears so quickly. So I started thinking about what I actually do. Before taking the dogs for their morning walk, I turn on the robot vacuum. Then I take my two dogs for a walk. When we come home, I brush their fur. I make mixed-grain rice, wash and cook some bean sprouts, season them, and fry a couple of eggs. I eat breakfast, take my medicine, wash the dishes, and make myself a cup of coffee. And somehow, a good part of the morning is already gone. Then there is something else that comes with having two dogs. Opening the door. They want to go outside. They come and stand next to me, so I open the door. A little later, they want to come back inside. So they stand at the door and bark. I go and open the door again. A little later... They want to go outside again. Open the door. Then ...

Something funny happened this week. I suddenly had a lot of interpreting work. Normally, I may get one police interpreting call a month. But this week? Four times. And then, early this morning, at 3 a.m., my phone rang. It was an urgent interpreting request. I was half asleep, but I got up and went. I finished the interpreting around 6:30 a.m. Then I came home. It was Sunday. And I had an English class at 8:30. I took a shower, got ready, and started my day again. At moments like this, I sometimes say to myself: “Angie, you’re still alive!”  😊 Police Interpreting Is More Than Translating Words When I work as a police interpreter, I sometimes hear “Thank you” from both sides after the work is finished. Of course, I cannot talk about the details of the cases. Confidentiality is one of the most important responsibilities of an interpreter. But there is something I have learned from doing this work. I am not on either side. I have to interpret accurately for the police. And I have to ...