
Akina Marie
Bio
Japanese & CHamoru writer rediscovering magic in the world.
Stories (6/0)
There's a Driving Force Behind Everything That Seems Effortless
Ever find yourself completely mesmerized by a musician’s natural ear to pick up specific notes? Or how an artist can paint a portrait from their imagination? While these pockets of magical concoctions may seem effortless, there’s much talent and practice that exist beyond the visible eye.
By Akina Marie 4 months ago in Humans
What Would My 13-Year-Old Self Say to Me Now?
We all been asked that one question: If you were to give your younger self a piece of advice, what would you say? Someone asked me this recently. I stared a complete blank and came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t say anything at all. Because my 13-year-old self was destined for great things and it’s my 30-something-year old self who didn’t believe in those great things anymore.
By Akina Marie 5 months ago in Confessions
Give Yourself Permission to Start Over
Growing up, I wish we were told more often that it’s okay to start over. That starting over isn’t as scary as we perceive it to be, but instead a reminder that we are meant to forge more paths than the one we’ve been trekking on. That it's completely normal to try your hand in a different career path than the one your diploma tells you should be pursuing. That although the grass may not always be greener on the other side, it's worth exploring because the scenery doesn't change much if you're standing on one side of the fence your entire life.
By Akina Marie 9 months ago in Humans
How Many Lives Have You Lived?
This idea always fascinated me. While 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, it’s also a much-celebrated milestone. It’s the closing of another decade. Ironically, I also turned thirty last month. That too was a bitter-sweet end of a decade toasted to my wanderlust twenties.
By Akina Marie 12 months ago in Humans
Old Fashioned Grief and Coffee
It was a mundane Thursday when we met up for coffee and donuts. Little did I know, coffee and donuts would soon become our thing — a thing that became a “thing” in 2018 as I paced inside the Manila Airport waiting to board my flight.
By Akina Marie 12 months ago in Families
The Spectacle of an Almost Kind of Love
Like most stories of magic and adventure, it begins with a moment of chance set in a whimsical circus. Our decision to meet was out of the blue and spontaneously unplanned. Adam stood outside my door with a plastic bag filled with treats for the sick — a box of Tylenol, orange juice, and several EmergenC packets. I was coming down with a cold and gratefully accepted the kind care package that he hand-delivered to my doorstep. Although we both attended school in the city, we seldom crossed paths with one another. He went to school by the lake, while I went to school up on the hill. Although San Francisco existed in a 7 by 7 peninsula, there was so much I have yet to discover during my daily outings of this intriguing city forever embedded in my mind as a magical circus.
By Akina Marie 12 months ago in Humans