Seungwan woke up to blaring sound of her alarm at 5am, she didn't have to be at work until 8am but she wanted to give herself enough time to exercise before her workday began. She shut it off with a groan and slipped out of bed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. After that she went to her dresser and selected some Nike Dri-Fit pants and shirt, she paired that with a black Nike hat and Nike cross trainer sneakers.

After she was satisfied with her appearance she went to the kitchen to retrieve the bottle of water she put in the refrigerator last night. Seungwan grabbed her keys from one of the side tables by the couch. She almost forgot her Airpods that is left on the kitchen counter last night. She selected the indie rock playlist on her phone especially the Toronto based band Metric and went out the door and locked it behind her. The time was 5:30am when Seungwan made it outside.

"Okay so I will spend 45 minutes jogging around Don River and then return home to complete 100 crunches before work." Seungwan said to herself before setting her Apple watch to see how many steps she completed today. Seungwan isn't really a health enthusiast it is just that working in the food industry can be damaging to one's health. Taste testing and a wide range of endless items to prepare and eat can really entice a person to over indulge.

Besides Seungwan has seen her weight go up and down throughout the years but she recently lost 30 pounds and everyone has been paying her compliments on her appearance. Some say she is too thin while others can't get over how Seungwan is around food all day but somehow is sporting a stomach that consists of abs. 

It was now 6:15am as Seungwan headed back to her 1 bedroom apartment that was located on Queen Street which was surrounded by upscale restaurants and eccentric coffee shops. Not only did Seungwan live on Queen Street but she also worked there and because rent for a 1 bedroom was close to $2,000 a month not including utilities she held down 2 jobs.

Seungwan's main job or full-time job was a lead chef at George Restaurant one of the upscale restaurants in the area that offers a menu that includes soft shell crab, pork belly, duck , and ahi tuna among many other items that run around $30 a plate. Besides the pricey food the restaurant has a beautiful outdoor patio and even host weddings and reservations should be made months in advance. Seungwan assisted the staff in the back of the house if there was a rush for dinner.

But Seungwan's main job title was Catering Chef because the restaurant also held private events like business meetings where Seungwan could use her expertise. Seungwan's 2nd part-time job is as a barista at Early Bird Espresso & Brew Bar which she sometimes enjoys a little better than George's Restaurant. The coffee shop is a nice laid back work environment that isn't too stressful where Seungwan can sometimes daydream and write songs in her head that she will play on her guitar after she finishes her shift. Since Early Bird Espresso opens at 8am that is where Seungwan starts her day and ends it at George's Restaurant for the dinner menu.

"99...100" Seungwan counted the last crunch and fell flat on her back, exhausted but also pumped to start her workday. She immediately went to the bathroom to shower and change into a fresh pair of clothes. The coffee shop doesn't require their employees to wear a uniform they are only required to wear a apron with the shop's logo on it.

Seungwan selects a yellow sundress from her closet and white 2 inch heels in since she is going to be on her feet all day. She puts two white bobby pins on either side of her shoulder length hair after adding a little foundation to her skin and coral pink lipstick to her lips. Seungwan went to the refrigerator and selected a rubber maid container of left over vegetable lasagna that she made last night. Took another water bottle this time from the freezer and packed the last of the items she needed in a tote bag she used as her work bag. 

As Seungwan entered the coffee shop she saw her best friend and coworker Yoo Jung Ahn who was mobbed by multiple coffee orders and a line that never seem to end. Seungwan ran to the break room to put her belongings in her locker and latch the lock on the front. She tied her apron around her waist and went to clock in for the day as she made her way out to the front of the house the line consisted of 5 customers and Yoo Jung Ahn wasn't as panicked as before. Seungwan strolled up to Yoo Jung Ahn to see if there was anything she could do to assist her.

"If it is not too much trouble could you possibly clean out some of the coffee pots that are placed at the side of the sink?" Yoo Jung Ahn pleaded in a soft voice.

Seungwan smiled and said, "Sure no problem and you don't have to be afraid to ask me to clean something especially when I offer you help."

"I know it is just that you are a Catering Chef at a 5 star restaurant with a 3 course meal listed on the menu and this is just a coffee shop." Yoo Jung Ahn said while using her hands to emphasize the space.

"You know I don't look at my situation like that and working here is a nice change for once compared to the inconsistency of a kitchen, upscale or not." Seungwan said with a smile.

Yoo Jung Ahn smiled back and looked at the floor as she said, "Yeah I guess you are right it does help to work in two completely different places so you don't over work yourself."

"My point exactly you see now you understand and besides my day wouldn't be complete if I didn't see you." Seungwan said while wiggling her eyebrows.

"Ewww cheesy! When you are done being greasy I have something to show you that I think you will be interested in."

After Seungwan was done cleaning out the coffee pots there was a rush of customers that Seungwan and Yoo Jung Ahn took care of. Seungwan made the drinks while Yoo Jung Ahn rang the orders on the cash register. 5 minutes passed and it seemed that the crowd died down so Seungwan and Yoo Jung Ahn went around the counter and sat at a small table in front of the cash register.

"I usually keep my phone in my locker but I have it with me today to show you this new dating app I signed up for it's called Love Without Borders." Yoo Jung Ahn explained while passing her phone to Seungwan. Seungwan took the phone and looked at it a little speechless.

"This app offers men and women from around the world isn't it great!" Yoo Jung Ahn beamed with happiness.

"Oh Seungwan, don't be shy just go ahead and browse through it. There are some interesting people on this app and I am not saying weird well there are some of them on there too. What I mean to say is there are a ton of gorgeous people not just men but women too. I think I am starting to question my uality after logging into this app." Yoo Jung Ahn laughed while slapping Seungwan's shoulder.

Seungwan laughed a little too fake as she handed Yoo Jung Ahn her phone back. She knew her friend only wanted what was best for her especially after she invested 2 years of her life in a relationship with a French art student named Margaux that ended 3 months ago when she had to return to France.

"Look Seungwan if you don't think that you are ready to start dating again just know that there is no pressure from me for you to see someone new." Yoo Jung Ahn said with a look of worry on her face.

"This app is not just for relationships but also friendships so we can connect with people around the world who have the same common interests." Yoo Jung Ahn said while trying to lighten the mood.

Seungwan broke out of her trance as she was staring at the surface of the table. She her lips and looked Yoo Jung Ahn straight in the eyes and said, "This app is appealing in the way that it is different from the others who try to match you potential love interests who happen to live close."

Yoo Jung Ahn perked up until she heard the dreaded "but."

"But are you ever going to see the person you like in the flesh. If you do will that only be when you are able to afford a plane ticket to travel to where ever that person lives once or twice a year, if that is possible. Another thing Yoo Jung Ahn, we all watch the reality show Catfish where it is so easy to fake pictures and completely lie for months even years to the person you are talking to. If someone is trying to get your attention from a different country than there is reason to believe it is a scam. So I hope you are cautious when speaking to literally a stranger because that is what it is."

Seungwan finished while crossing her arms.

Yoo Jung Ahn had agape and they sat silent for a few minutes before Yoo Jung Ahn said while leaving her seat to stand,"I stand by my word to not pressure you into dating someone new but I thought you should know there are plenty of options out there with relationships and friendships. Well I said my peace and now I must wipe the tables, fill the flavor syrup containers, and restock the coffee beans. Care to join me?"

Yoo Jung Ahn wiggled her eyebrows at Seungwan. "Yes" Seungwan said as she went to stand and followed her friend back behind the counter to clean up and close up shop.

At the upscale restaurant there were no huge events booked for the week so Seungwan assisted whatever cooking needed to be done in the back of the house. Around 7:30pm she took a 15 minute break to cool down from the dinner rush. Seungwan liked to spend her breaks walking around the outdoor patio just to take in the sight of all of the beautiful flowers that are in bloom before the harsh winter comes calling. She wasn't surprised that weddings were held here because it is a gorgeous venue to hold a wedding.

Just thinking about marriage made Seungwan sad not because she dated women more than men but it was that she put her career first before her love life. And now that she is in her mid-20's she wonders if she still has time for a relationship. She gave her all to Margaux knowing well enough that she would have to return to France one day. Seungwan still finds herself a little choked up when she thinks about Margaux but 3 months have passed and it is time to move on. Seungwan can't seem to get that crazy idea out of her head that her best friend suggested.

"Dating someone from another country that you may not ever see in person....yeah okay sounds sane." Seungwan said to herself and let out a small giggle. But as the night went on and Seungwan returned to her apartment alone as usual she thought maybe it wasn't such a bad idea and she was also curious to see who was out there. Seungwan was especially interested in finding someone from South Korea because she was thinking of moving there before the year ends.

Seungwan got lost in thought fantasizing about her future girlfriend greeting her at the airport before they travel back to her house together. The clock on the bedside table read 11:22pm, Seungwan didn't like to stay up too late because then she felt too groggy for her daily morning exercise. But she thought this time she would make an exception and skip the workout tomorrow and stay up and check out this app that Yoo Jung Ahn seems to rave about.

"Okay let's see if this is worth me losing sleep and exercise over," she said as she waited for her phone to finish downloading the app.