Welcome to My Indoor Paradise

My name is Jayou, an Indoor Voyager based in South Korea. In Korean, my name Jayou [ja-yu] carries a beautiful meaning: "Freedom."

To be honest, I wasn't always a fan of the MBTI craze—the trend of categorizing complex human nature into just a few letters. However, as time passed, I began to see its positive impact. It gave people a reason to naturally accept the existence of "introverts" just as they are. Looking back, I can't count how many times I was told to "mingle more" or "be more sociable." Even I felt pressured by the thought that I should be out meeting people, so I used to fill my weekends with endless appointments.

I am an INFJ, and my introversion score is a striking 93%. I have always been someone with so much I want to do and think about in solitude, but for a long time, I don’t think I truly honored that need. Now, as I stand on the threshold of forty, I have come to realize that the most important journey in life begins when we finally tune into the voice within.

For some, the home might feel like a confined space trapped within four walls. To me, however, it feels like a vast universe where infinite possibilities can be explored.

In my Kitchen, I travel through scents and tastes, documenting my K-Kitchen Diary.

At my Craft Table, I build a Handmade Sanctuary with every stitch and seam.

In the Chaos of Parenting, I capture the fleeting Moments of Motherhood that anchor my soul.

For the past six years, I have shared my journey on a Korean culinary blog. During that time, I found myself constantly grappling with what it means to write. I realized how difficult it is to write truthfully about the things I genuinely want to say. Since my focus was on cooking, I felt pressured to prioritize information delivery, leading to writing that was refined and filtered over and over again. Eventually, the act of writing began to feel hollow—a repetition of formal posts that left me exhausted.

Now, through Medium, I hope to create an opportunity to connect with a wider world. Whether you’re a fellow parent, a craft lover, or someone looking for a quiet corner in a busy world, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s find paradise together, one small moment at a time.

*I wrote most of this in Korean first, then used AI to translate it into English.