Captain J: Navigating the Language Seas

 They call us “military nurses.” I call it a dual identity. Most people know what a soldier is. Most people know what a nurse does. But when I say I’m a military nurse—a commissioned officer who’s also a licensed nurse—it’s often easier to say I’m both. And I mean fully both. That duality is baked into the job. And perhaps, it’s that very duality that sparked my own desire to explore life beyond the traditional paths. So, how do you become a military nurse? There are two main routes: 1. Officer Training Program (OTS) You graduate from a civilian nursing college, complete military training, and receive a commission. 2. Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy (KAFNA) You apply during your final year of high school, pass a series of exams (including a rigorous physical and mental screening), complete four intense years of education—including boot camp—and pass the national nursing exam to be commissioned. On paper, Route 1 is shorter. But that doesn’t mean it’s easier. Promotio...

 While organizing the artifacts of my life... Looking back, like most people, my 20s were a whirlwind of confusion. I entered the military academy almost by accident—tagging along with a friend—and spent the next four years constantly questioning whether that path was ever meant for me. After graduating, I endured six more years filled with unpredictable people, situations, and relentless efforts to prove myself. Maybe, as someone once said, the choices I made weren’t meant to bear fruit until I reached my 40s or 50s. Maybe they were seeds—still green, still growing. Now, in my mid-30s, I’ve begun to reflect on my life. What shaped me? Why did I become the person I am today? To understand myself, I need to revisit my past. To prepare for the future, I need to examine the present. But to make sense of the present, I must trace the path I’ve walked. I never felt easy defining myself in neat terms, so I decided to revisit the fragments of writing I left behind over the past decade...

 A distracted soul—now seasoned with just a pinch of responsibility and grit. In an era where human jobs are vanishing, what’s left for the rest of us to hold on to? I call it seriously distracted . Somewhere between deep focus and fleeting hobbies. That’s where I’ve lived most of my short life—and maybe that’s okay. We’ve all heard it before: “The world is changing fast.” But these days, the pace is downright terrifying. AI and machine learning now nudge me toward what to buy, what to watch, and maybe even what to think. While these algorithms try to make my life easier, I find myself asking—what exactly am I supposed to do now? "You’re all over the place—just pick one thing!" That’s something I’ve heard more times than I can count. For a long while, I blamed myself. Why couldn’t I just stick to one path like everyone else? But after knocking on the doors of many different careers, I’ve come to a liberating conclusion: It’s time I stop fighting who I am—and start ...

 Interpreter 101 This post is for anyone who has worked with an interpreter, has an in-house interpreter at their company, or is planning to hire one. Interpreter : A person qualified to interpret. (Source: Naver Korean Dictionary) That’s the dictionary definition—but what does an interpreter actually do? Before diving in, let’s clear something up: the term “interpreter” covers a wide range of professionals, and there are multiple ways to categorize them. Those who can perform simultaneous interpreting, and those who can’t. Those who graduated from a graduate-level interpretation/translation program, and those who didn’t. In-house interpreters vs. freelance interpreters. Interpreters (spoken language) vs. translators (written language). Let’s unpack that. Simultaneous Interpreting & Graduate Schools Categories 1 and 2 are often related. That’s because simultaneous interpreting is a specialized skill taught in professional interpretation/translation gradu...