Perhaps the reason we didn't leave this cold and uncomfortable house was because we loved it.
We loved this house because we could hear the laughter of children running down the alley in front of the house and see them getting soaking wet playing in the water in the yard.
We loved this house because on summer nights we could soak in the little inflatable pool, drink beer and look at the sky.
I loved this house because it brought me tearful happiness when the winter that seemed never-ending passed and spring arrived as if by magic.
I loved this house because it made me strive to live well.
I loved this house because it didn't force me to make easy choices.

---From "The Woman Who Lives in a Cold House"

If you think about it, the idea that a house changes the shape of life is nothing more than a consequential statement.
Because the past changes depending on how you look at it.
I might have lived better if I had continued living in the apartment.
If I hadn't left that cold house, I might have had great luck.
I just interpreted it the way I felt.
So even if you make the mistake of choosing a terrible house and can't leave it, if you keep struggling, you might be able to find a house that's somehow livable.
Our cold house was just that kind of house.
I live my life as I please, pretending that even the wrong answer is the right one. If it doesn't work out, I can just run away.
Like us who ran away after 8 years.
Running away is not something to be ashamed of.
Why is there a saying, "The Thirty-Six Strategies of Running Away"?
---From "The Story That Came After: The Woman Living in the Old House"

Don't cause harm, but don't be afraid.
This is something I think about a lot these days.
If this continues, I might end up making it my goal to live no differently from others, rather than living the way I like, the way I want, the way I think and want.
It's so sad that the only goal is to be 'no different from others' and 'not stand out too much.'
No matter how I think about it, that's not something worth aiming for.
So even if my stomach sticks out or my breasts sag, I will wear a swimsuit.
I will only wear a swimsuit.
There is no particular reason.
Because that's just what I like.


---From "One Piece Swimsuit Philosophy"

I am a non-verbal person here.
I am a person with a different face.
I am a spender.
I am a person who will be leaving soon.
So sometimes I get special treatment and sometimes I get ignored.
Sometimes I feel good, and sometimes I feel bad.
Anyway, I am a special person.

In the country where I was born and raised, no one pays attention to me when I pass by, but here, everyone looks at me.
He even speaks to me in broken English.
They also try to make a fuss.
They can also become friends.
They also commit fraud.
Because I am a special person.

---From "At the Hampi Train Station"

In my 20s, I didn't really know who I was.
I needed different ways to discover myself.
I had to use every card I could, and try every method I could.
I needed to experience running towards my ideals, falling down, or turning back in disappointment.
I had to meet myself in a very far away place.

Now, 20 years later, those things don't really matter to me.
I now accept that this is me.
Like it or not, I have to accept the fact that I have to drag this body and mind around.
Rather than discovering myself, I struggle to take care of my family, make a living, and do what I love.
And I don't long for travel or departures like I used to.
---From "The Story After That: I Hated Traveling"

Tomorrow may never come.
So let's really feel the sunlight, wind, and air of today.
Let's also slightly cut down on the greed we have for our children.
The worries and fears about whether I can continue doing this work and how I should live from now on are useless if tomorrow never comes anyway.
Just be true to the present.
Let's think simply and live without regrets.
Let's leave things like the future to chance.
After all, the future is just another name for the present that has been built up step by step.

---From "Tomorrow May Not Come"

There were more people around me at that time than at any other time in my life.
As insects, birds, bees, butterflies and squirrels gather around a large tree.
It definitely felt like being rich.
With 300,000 won a month, I could enjoy the feeling of being rich.

Most things that seem impossible, or like absurd dreams, turn out to be nothing when you actually try to do them.
Creating your own space outside of your home is possible if you're willing to invest a little money and be willing to spend some money.
Unless you're hoping to hit the jackpot, owning a cafe or running a business isn't something that only special people can do.
Getting started is not difficult.
It's just that running it is difficult.

---From "The Story After That: The Cafe Was Closed"