Welcome to Keem Dallae Collective
- May 18
- 3 min read
Updated: May 19
Welcome. I am really glad you are here. Today is my 52nd birthday, and it felt like a good time to finally hit publish on this new space. It’s another day and I'm another year older, and it causes me to reflect on how I’ll spend the time ahead of me. I would like to build something meaningful, and creating this collective is a way to share about the things that occupy my days and my heart in the hopes that they might help someone else navigating similar paths.
The name Dallae has a couple of beautiful meanings. On one hand, it refers to the wild Korean chive—a small, ordinary little plant that manages to grow out of the cold, hard ground early in the spring, bringing a bit of life and nourishment when things still look pretty bleak. But in Korean, the word dallae (달래) also means to soothe, comfort, or calm someone's heart. That combination—having the quiet endurance to keep going through a tough season, while also creating a gentle space to find comfort—is exactly what I hope this space becomes for you.
Instead of keeping different parts of my life in separate boxes, I wanted to bring them together into a single, consolidated master space, because they are all a part of who I am. This is a flowing feed where several paths converge into one journey, because that’s how life actually happens.
The Pillars of the Collective
Our journey here is anchored by four distinct threads that are closely intertwined:
The Survivor Journey & New Mission: We all go through seasons that challenge us to our limits. I’ve had my own share of struggles and survival, and those experiences changed how I look at the world. They caused me to strip away the noise and seek what truly matters. This space is where I share what I've learned, not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone still figuring it out every day.
The Reality of Caregiving: Caregiving is a big part of my life, and if you are a caregiver, you know it is one of the most beautiful and exhausting roles a person can navigate. It takes an immense amount of emotional and physical bandwidth. I want to talk openly about the daily realities of looking after someone else—the practical hurdles, the emotional ups and downs, and the importance of preserving your own identity and peace in the process.
Intentional Travel: Travel for me is everything—it’s luxury, bucket lists, rest, and perspective. More than anything, it is about spending quality time and making lasting memories with the people I care about. Whether it’s a quick weekend trip down the coast to Carlsbad or planning a simple change of scenery, we will explore how a change of place can help us reset and find clarity when life gets overwhelming.
Mindful K-Beauty: Taking care of your skin doesn't have to be complicated, and it isn't about vanity. I’ve found a lot of comfort in the steady, gentle approach of K-Beauty. Daily skincare is simply my "me time." It slows down aging and makes me feel good. When the day is chaotic, taking a few quiet minutes for a mindful skincare routine is a soothing, grounding anchor—a practical way to show yourself a little kindness.
Walking the Path Together
I didn’t try to keep these pieces of my life separate. They're all a part of who I am, and if anything, what kept me grounded in it all was my faith in God. The person who gets tired from caregiving is the exact same person who needs the rest of a quiet weekend away, a few minutes of a calming K-Beauty routine, and the steady strength to keep moving forward.
I’m not an expert, and I don't see myself as an editor sitting behind a desk. I am just a regular person living through the middle of life, just like you.
Thank you so much for stopping by at the very beginning of this journey. Whether you are navigating your own caregiving journey, recovering from a tough season, or just looking for honest conversations about travel and self-care, I’m really grateful to have your company.
Here’s to the quiet, steady spaces we create along the way.