My journey into K-dramas started in the most unexpected way — during the pandemic. Like so many people, I was stuck at home trying to survive one day at a time. I was caring for my autistic daughter while supporting my husband through cancer, and honestly, my mental health was struggling. Life felt heavy, and I desperately needed an escape from reality.

Then Netflix recommended “Rookie Historian Go Hae-Ryung”. At first I hesitated because English isn’t my first language, and the idea of Korean subtitles felt intimidating. But curiosity won, and within one episode I was hooked. Suddenly subtitles didn’t matter anymore — I was completely pulled into this emotional, beautiful world of storytelling.

After that came 100 Days my prince, Crash Landing on You, The Heirs, Boys Over Flowers, and basically every drama I could find — especially if Lee Min Ho was in it. 😏 What started as “just one show” quickly turned into hundreds of dramas and a full-blown obsession.

Then TikTok changed everything again when I heard The Rose’s song Sorry. The moment I heard Woosung’s voice, I was done for. I became a Black Rose in 2023, and even though I missed their U.S. tour, my husband and I flew to Hamburg in 2024 to see them live for the first time. That trip honestly changed my life.

Later, after The Rose concert in San Antonio, I met Leea and Janet — two fellow Black Roses who became my unnies, travel companions, and sisters in chaos. Since then we’ve traveled together to concerts, KCon, Jin’s concert, endless watch parties, FaceTimes, and now we’re even planning a South Korea trip in 2027.

Looking back, what started as a desperate need for comfort became something so much bigger. K-dramas and K-music gave me healing, friendship, community, and pieces of myself I thought I had lost. They didn’t just entertain me — they helped me find myself again. 🌹