I first came to the U.S. on the eve of Thanksgiving in 2002, November 27th. Even though my very first visit to the U.S. was in the summer of 2002 for the SIGGRAPH conference, this time I came with my wife to the U.S., and we’ve been here ever since.

At that time, I was working for a small startup in Korea, trying to build a business around cloud rendering services. But since there were no business opportunities in Korea, they sent me to the U.S. to help set up a Hollywood branch. Having been married for less than three years, I couldn’t leave my wife for this uncertain, long business trip. So, I brought her with me, thinking this could last at most six months, hoping that while I was working, she could spend time learning English.

My first picture of LA, taken on the freeway 101.

Little did I know back then how soon the company would go out of business, how I would get a job at another startup in LA, eventually land a job at Disney, get laid off, and then join DreamWorks. I also didn’t know when we would become parents of a beautiful girl, how we would settle down in LA, and all the amazing people we would meet and part ways with along the way. If I had known all of these things, could I have done it again?

This year, the eve of Thanksgiving is once again on November 27th, and all the memories of past days since 2002 flash back. I feel a bit of melancholy for our younger selves from 22 years ago, thinking about all the troubles and hardships we would experience. At the same time, I envy their youth, energy, and hope for the future. But most of all, I feel thankfulness for all the blessings we have received until now, on this Thanksgiving Day eve.