We had the good fortune of connecting with SuRin Choi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi SuRin, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?

There are couple things in my life that feed my soul, and one of them is TRAVELING! I really enjoy traveling and documenting my travels (on Instagram & by keeping a personal diary). I like having a list of countries & cities I have visited so I collect postcards. One of the things I like most about exploring the world is that I get to meet new people from diverse countries and cultural backgrounds when I visit many places. I also love the outdoors and the adventures that I take on. Of course, there are times when I encounter unexpected things along the way but I always learn life lessons on how to get around those hurdles and move on. Now that I am slowly starting to resume my travels after the pandemic and hope to be a more frequent traveler, I look forward to visiting cool places, meeting new people, and gaining valuable life experiences!

Yoga is also a huge part of my life. I first started practicing yoga in 2015 during my freshman year of college. It was during summer when I joined a community yoga class with curiosity and not knowing much about what to expect from taking the class. I’m SO glad I took the class because I feel so anchored in my life after connecting with my body and learning to move/flow with the breath. I came to the US in 2017 for the first time in my life by myself (for school) and I continued practicing to cope with stress and feel stronger. I completed my yoga teacher training at the University of Utah and I am a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance since 2018. I feel the best when I volunteer as a yoga teacher.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am currently working in clinical research but I am also a traveler and a yoga teacher. Just to tell you a little bit about myself, I am a 26-year old Korean girl, who was born in a town called, Bad Soden, Hessen, Germany and so far I have lived in four countries (1) Germany-Frankfurt, (2) South Korea-Seoul, (3) Thailand-Bangkok, (4) United States-Salt Lake City, Utah and traveled many places (so far 22 countries, 164 cities, and 14 US States + Washington, D.C.). Traveling has been a big part of my life since I was born. I hope to visit most (if not all) countries and share my journey along the way with others. I used to post my travel photos on my private Instagram account but I recently opened a public account that is dedicated to my travels (@sr_ch_) and I look forward to sharing my experiences on that platform. I might also consider writing a short essay or publishing a book that discusses my life, and travels in depth in the future. That sounds fun!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah so I would recommend a lot of outdoor activities in or surrounding Salt Lake City area! Neff’s Canyon is one of my favorite places to hike, as well as Mount Timpanogos. Checking out national parks in Utah is also fun- I really liked hiking multiple trails in Bryce Canyon & Zion National Park! I went snowboarding at Brighton during winter, and if you are a huge fan of snow sports, you should definitely come ski or snowboard because the slopes are not that far from Salt Lake City.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
ALL people I have met while traveling!! Super awesome and supportive people out there who I had great experiences exploring with!

Instagram: Personal: surin.choi | Travel: sr_ch_ (in Korean)

Linkedin: Su Rin Choi

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Special thanks to… Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Snorkeling tour_ for showing me the life under the sea and taking the photo! Ted Caudle_for showing me the most beautiful night sky in Page, AZ and making my road trip from Boulder City to Seligman to Williams to Grand Canyon NP to Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe bend memorable! Michael Cooper _ for taking amazing Zion National Park photos and hiking with me! (+ thank you for picking me up in Cedar City!) & all other people I have met during my travels, who have been awesome travel mates/partners

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.