From left, Eojin Lee and Gaeun Lee

Q. Hi, Roommate Campers! Could you introduce the roommate sitting next to you instead of yourself?

Eojin We have this nickname for each other, "Tini." It comes from "Destiny," since we click on so many things. My friend Tini, Gaeun, is cute, funny, and just good at a little bit of everything. She knows exactly how to enjoy culture, and she's great at keeping analog records of things.

Gaeun Tini, Eojin, has the most stamina out of anyone I've ever met. She's bright and full of energy. Things always feel lighter when she's around, and she gives me plenty of reasons to laugh. We're basically each other's comedy partners. She's also got so many bouncy ideas that she'll stay up all night just diving into one, she's incredibly creative.

Mangrove Dongdaemun, Bunk Room

Living together, even everyday life starts to feel like traveling.

Q. Sounds like a best-friend duo with some serious bright energy. Do you remember when you first met?

Eojin We've been close since senior year of high school, so that makes us friends of about ten years now. We got seated next to each other in class, and we just clicked conversationally right away. We talked so much that teachers kept telling us to be quiet. (laughs)

Gaeun Right. The actual reason we first started talking was tiny. Tini, Eojin, had a Zootopia Judy pencil case, and I just blurted out, "I love that too!" From that day on, it was just "wait, you like this too? No way, even this?" over and over, and we realized our tastes lined up in this almost unbelievable way. That's how we ended up calling each other destiny, our "Tini." Our taste and our pace are so similar that there's never an awkward beat when we're together, and even after becoming adults, we've just naturally kept spending time together.

At a Coldplay concert. ©Gaeun Lee & Eojin Lee

Q. Before joining Mangrove Roommate Camp, what kind of home was each of you living in?

Eojin I live in Yongin, cozy and close with my family.

Gaeun I also live in Yongin with my family, same as Tini. My job's in Seoul, so before coming to Mangrove Dongdaemun, I was spending over three hours a day just commuting round-trip. The ride home especially drained a ton of energy.

So most days ended with me getting home and just working out, resting, or sleeping. That was enough to recover from the day, but I didn't have the time, energy, or headspace left to get into any personal projects.

To me, home is a safe zone. After working hard out in the world, you need somewhere you can come back to and actually rest.

Mangrove Dongdaemun, Rooftop Terrace

Q. Was there a space you especially liked while staying here during the camp?

Eojin My favorite spots are the library and the work station. They're the kind of environment where I can really lock into my own work, so I've grown attached to them.

Gaeun Same here. I can come down after work and get through stuff on my laptop, and there are monitors set up too, so I can work on a bigger screen when I need to.

Mangrove Dongdaemun, B1F Library

Lately I've been thinking about what kind of home actually balances rest and activity, instead of tipping toward one or the other.

Mangrove Dongdaemun, B1F Work Lounge

Q. You two are basically soulmates. What was it actually like living together? Did it match what you expected, or did you see a different side of things?

Eojin For me, it was pretty much what I expected. It was fascinating to be able to share an entire day, morning to night, with a friend, and it's turned into a memory I'll keep.

Gaeun This is actually the first time we've ever lived together, though we've traveled together a lot. Now that we've been living here at Mangrove Dongdaemun, even everyday life starts to feel like traveling. (laughs)

©Gaeun Lee & Eojin Lee

Q. Last question. What does home mean to each of you, and how much did everyday life at Mangrove actually feel like home?

Eojin To me, home is a safe zone. After working hard out in the world, you need somewhere you can come back to and actually rest. That means it has to be an environment where you're not conscious of anyone's gaze or worried about being judged, and I think Mangrove fits that.

Gaeun For me, I want home to be more than just a place to recover, somewhere I can spend time a little more actively too. A space where I can end the day without being completely worn out, and keep working on personal projects when I need to. Lately I've been thinking about what kind of home actually balances rest and activity, instead of tipping toward one or the other.

The biggest change since living here is that my commute, which used to eat up over three hours, has shrunk way down. I've got more time to rest, and more than anything, I'm spending lively, energized days alongside my friend Tini, Eojin.

©Gaeun Lee & Eojin Lee