Adventurer of the Month: Hannah Jin

 

Adventurer Of The Month

– Hannah Jin –

Instagram // Facebook // Website

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1) We would love to get to know you more. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Hannah but over the years, I’ve collected a collection of quite a few nicknames; one which includes “Shin Jin”, which is just a combination of my middle name and my last name (and also part of my travel hashtag #AdventuresOfShinJin). I’m a 20 year old Korean-American and in my third year of university as a Public Health major. I’m from Boston, Massachusetts, born and raised, and I love my city. I have a lot of passions and interests and sometimes I don’t know what to do with them all. But to attempt to sum all of them up… Jesus is my main man, I’m a worship leader, I have serious wanderlust, I’m addicted to Instagram and photography, donuts and coffee are my passion, and I’m a beach & mountain person.

 

2) We love seeing photos of your adventures. How did it all start for you?

I’ve always been one for adventure, but ever since I got to college, school had taken over my life and it was hard for me to make the time to get out into the world outside of my school bubble. However, at the beginning of this fall, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Amsterdam, and that is currently where I am at right now! It’s been unreal being in this city and I’ve been traveling around all of Europe for the past 3 months where I have been to 10 countries and over 18 cities. I’m someone who doesn’t like the ordinary or to be mainstream, so I’m always on the look out for unique places and I tend to literally venture off the road, looking for new and undiscovered things. And as an avid Instagrammer and photographer, I always have my camera in one hand and my phone in the other, searching for perfect photo ops to capture every moment of my adventures.

 

3) Do you have a favorite trip? And if so, what makes it so special?

Ah this is such a hard one… I would have to say either Croatia or Norway. Croatia was special because I got the best of both worlds: the beach and the mountains. I got the chance to venture to Plitvice National Park during the off peak season so it was perfect, even with the rain. And then we drove back to our base city in Split and hiked a trail to get to a pebble beach off the coast. The water was the clearest I have ever seen and it was the definition of paradise. Norway was special because I just love Norway and everything about it. It’s been on my list of countries to visit since I can remember and I finally got to do it. We got to hike up Pulpit Rock/Preikestolen and got to see the first snow of the season (although that soon turned to rain…) The views nonetheless were incredible and no words can clearly describe its perfection. It’s a place you just have to go see for yourself.

 

4) You capture the world so beautifully. Do you have any tips on taking and editing photos?

To be honest, I really don’t like looking like a tourist especially in Europe, stopping at every corner to take a photo haha… BUT I’ve been learning to get over myself and to capture every moment I can even if it means that I have to stop traffic in the middle of the road. Over the many years of photographing, I think I’ve also just developed an eye to see the beauty in everything around me. Opening your eyes and simply being observant makes a huge difference in your photos. All this to say: do what you gotta do to get that perfect capture! Go out and take risks even if the people around you look at you funny. And take your time walking down the street sometimes and pay attention to little things that may catch your attention. In terms of editing (I’ll keep it simple)… lighting is everything.

 

5) What was the first trip you took?

Ever since I was a kid, I had the chance to travel all across America and to parts of South Korea with my family, but my solo traveling all started in Kansas City, Missouri. I fell in love with KC ever since I stepped foot in it and it is now like a second home to me after traveling there for over 7 years. I think the hipsterness, coffee, and all the opportunities to adventure captivated my heart.

 

6) What have you learned along the way, as you’ve explored different places?

I’ve learned that life is way too short to go through it while on autopilot. That you can’t let the moments you have somewhere just breeze by or else you’ll regret it. That you shouldn’t let comfort take preeminence in your life. But the most important thing I’ve learned is to be grateful for the opportunities I do have to travel and to not let those moments of traveling I do have slip away so easily.

 

7) Do you collect any souvenirs from the places you visit?

Boy do I have a collection… I’ve been collecting multiple postcards and pins from each city and place I’ve been to! But man, my postcard collection is getting a little out of hand. I think I spend half the time trying to find the perfect postcard and the other half trying to resist buying all the postcards on the rack.

 

8) What makes your heart beat? What do you really believe in, stand for, and want to tell others about?

My heart beats at the sound of Jesus’ oh so glorious name. It is through His grace that I am able to adventure and travel to all the places I go to, and without Him, it all means nothing to me. I live and do everything to make His name known and to experience and capture His beauty through it all. After being able to tangibly do that on missions trips to Mexico and Bolivia, my heart yearns to expand His Kingdom everywhere I go because in the end, He is so worth it!