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The Mission // Dec 2025

The Long Way Home

Queenstown, Wanaka, Brisbane. A fishing trip 16 years in the making.

Ihaven't seen my dad in 16 years. Not because we drifted apart, but because he was forced to leave. Fraudulent immigration lawyers took everything from him—his home, his business, his life in the United States. He had to sacrifice it all and return to South Korea just to stay legal.

He left behind his family. He left behind me.

"Come to think about it, it was my dad who taught me how to fish. I still remember the little Tanaka rod with a fly at the end. I was just 7 years old, standing at a nearby river, trying to mimic his cast."

That Tanaka rod is long gone, but the lesson stuck. Fishing became my way of connecting with the world, even when he wasn't there to see it. Now, for the first time in nearly two decades, we have a chance to cast a line together again.

We are meeting in Queenstown and Wanaka, New Zealand, and finishing the trip in Brisbane, Australia. My wife is coming too. It’s not just a fishing trip; it’s the closing of a chapter that has been open and painful for too long.

Help Make This Happen

"International travel and logistics for a reunion like this aren't easy. If you've enjoyed my content or connected with my story, any support to help get us to that riverbank means the world."

Visit GoFundMe

All proceeds go directly to travel & logistics costs.