Name:
Leigh Nelson (Kim Eun Gyeong)

First KAtCH event:
Chuseok 2024

Where did you grow up/Where do you live now?
I was born in Korea (Seoul specificallt) and lived there until I was 3 and then we moved to Newport News, VA. When I turned 10 we moved to Evanston IL where I spent the rest of my childhood.

Tell us about yourself:
I am a wanderer. I get antsy a lot and think of big things, but then I get overwhelmed and end up doing small things that make me happy. I think I  considered an ambivert, socially. I love doing anything where I can have a new “experience.” If I don’t eat every 4 hours, I get extremely cranky. Sometimes I’d rather be around animals than people. I got a couple kids. There’s massive male vibes in my house, which is cool because I love being a boy mom. I watch horror movies all year around. If I had a superpower, it would be to speak every single language in the entire universe.

You’ll likely KAtCH me doing the following
Laughing is my favorite thing to do. If we can laugh together, we good. I enjoy long bike rides. I am fascinated by animals. I am a strong advocate for mental health. I enjoy trying new foods/drinks. I love hanging out with close friends and my hubby/kids. I try to do art if I have time but it’s hard to get in the zone when you constantly hear “mooooooommm!” every 5 minutes. 

Why do you enjoy being involved with the KAtCH community?
It’s a group of people I never knew could help heal something inside of me that’s felt broken for a long time. I feel more of a connection to my heritage than I ever have before and I don’t feel self conscious about my background.

Favorite restaurant(s) in Chicagoland:
This is honestly a hard question because there’s a lot of great places with good food here. These days it’s been just cooking and eating at home. But I crave sundubu jjigae a lot and I can’t make it very well at home. 

Find me/Social Media:
Instagram (originally.leigh)