“Keep searching”

Being in Korea from 2021-2022 helped me to look back on my life:

Where I have been and where I want to go.

For a long time, I didn’t like research or thought I couldn’t be a good researcher. However, being an independent researcher helped me to realize I like research.

But that was still something missing. So what?

I spent months analyzing and writing the manuscript. But what if no one even reads it? Then what's the point? Is it just for my happiness and satisfaction? Or is it to really help people? How can research help people?

So, I searched. I read books. I try to understand how other people who are in their advanced careers have done.

Now, I am slowly finding out. In order for research to have an impact, it needs to come from people. It needs to start with the people who are actually going to be impacted by it. That's what drew me to my current position or maybe I didn't know it will lead me here, but somehow it did.

I believe this is all because I never stop searching. Instead of settling in and just following others, I kept searching, asking questions, and looking for ideas and examples.

I won't stop searching and I am getting closer to the answer every day.