Aside from those suffering with allergies, I think most people feel special when they wear perfume or cologne. I must admit that I am one of those people. From an early age, my mother would not allow my sisters and I to leave the house without putting on perfume (and baby powder… why? No clue). Of course, at the time it was in the form of Jean Nate after shower spray, Maja soaps and perfumes, or AVON cream fragrances. Still, it was clear to us that no Miranda girl would ever be bullied or rejected for having bad odor! That would be inconceivable!

Although my taste for fragrances has changed significantly since then, I still cannot leave my home without perfume or body spray. Nowadays, there has been an evolution in the beauty industry with essential oils, body scrubs, and home made fragrances for the body and for the home. While I was in South Korea, I found Laon Jena – the cutest little shop that offered several craft workshops like making soap, candles, home fragrances, and shower gels among others. I decided to sign up for a perfume making class, and later for a soap making class and candle making class (I’ll dig more into the latter two on up-coming blogs).

The workshop took two hours, and my friend Yang Yunjung accompanied me. Although the process was somewhat tedious (mostly because you have to smell so many fragrances and end up with a bit of a headache), the talented owner and teacher, Park Chae Young, made the whole experience enjoyable and memorable. The process for making perfume involves smelling several fragrances until you find the ones you like, and mixing those with oils of your choice. The final product is a wonderful scent that makes you memorable to everyone that comes in contact with you, and I say that in the best way possible!

In my quest for chasing life, I have found that sometimes the chase can lead you to do things that bring you joy — like traveling to special and unique places. It can also be found in reaching dreams, and making special things. This time, I found life in time spent creating something beautiful with special people. We enjoyed our time together working on our perfumes while we laughed and listened to Nora Jones playing softly on the background. This time, I chased life to this little perfume shop in Pohang City, feeling accomplished after completing my own perfume created by my own hands; simple, soft, and enjoyable. How are you chasing life these days?