Endless Shopping...

Seriously, it's outta control! Subways stations are lined with fashion, street vendors cook all sorts of questionable items, and you can get your nails done anywhere... and I mean anywhere. Each district has its own flair of how it defines fashion, but to be sure, there is never a lack of something to purchase. This country is built on an underlying consumerism with the philosophy, 'use it for a while then buy a new one'. The idea of maintaining a building or keeping a car clean and taken care of is a novel thought here. You simply buy a new one. But I must say, the clothing and accessories here are fantastic... and inexpensive! You can get a custom tailor-made piece of clothing for a small price; all you have to do is bring in an image from a magazine of a dress, tell them your measurements and voila, you have a fantastic new find! Also, there are no copyright laws here, so you can only imagine the knockoffs...

First Impressions....

South Korea.
Seoul.

Who would have guessed we would be living here? You never really know what is beyond the next bend in the road... and here I find myself married and honestly, I couldn't ask for a better husband! It's been an adventure trying to navigate our ways through the throngs of traffic as everyone shoves their way through the city, rushing to get somewhere. They drive on the right side of the road, and walk on the left... not quite sure what went wrong with that logic, but I find myself always walking the wrong direction! The subway is clean and efficient... and sometimes smells of kimchi. You can find authentic cuisine from all over the world, and Korean food, if you know what to order, is spicy and quite good. Walking down the street in Seoul, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, a myriad of smells will both enchant and assault your nose. From flavorful blends of simmering vegetables one second to other scents that I don't yet recognize... it's been an intriguing place to discover a culture vastly different from our own. We have really enjoyed the realtors that have showed us innumerable apartments. They have been very informative about Korean culture and thought as well as charmed us with their gentle spirits and witty senses of humor. We are looking forward to having a house-warming party once we get settled in and inviting them. We have one friend, Abigail... we're our own crew of 3, wandering the places most tourists would never look to find... and any time we see a Starbucks, we... well, Abby and I get excited.

I'm not gonna lie, I can't wait until we have a place to settle in, a place to rest. It's exhausting being in a new culture and straining to understand everywhere you go, trying to figure out how things are done here... but at the same time, we have great conversations and enjoy the challenge. It makes you appreciate home and how our country (and traffic) function. I've learned much about myself and find new compassion for people so very different from myself. It's been a rad adventure thus far...

After living out of a suitcase for two months, you realize how little you really need to be happy. I find myself quite happy here, sans missing family and friends.


These pictures are just a small scattering of beauty that has caught my eye...

Hawaii

What can you say?
I mean, it's Hawaii... it was such a fun time to relax and soak up the sunshine!