Holiday Par-T

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's been nearly 4 years since I arrived here,

all alone. A one woman play on an empty stage.

Not even my Harri-bou-bou to keep me company.

Now, my drama is filled with a cast of characters

that spans the globe.

Thank you to everyone,

for making this a very Merry Christmas.

Family Thanksgiving

Can it be?

Three years of thankful celebrations

with the Anjung family?

A great gift of being kidnapped to Anjung

all those years ago, has been the stable community

of friendship and support.

In life, that's the best think you can have

and what I am most thankful for year-in-year-out.

This year there was even a baby added to the clan!

New Years Revolution

Pyeongtaek Lake New Years Celebration

When the sun rose above Pyeongtaek lake,

life looked much different than seasons past.

During the 2011 season I was just trying to breathe,

In 2012 I worked on moving forward,

and in 2013 all time was lost. 

Now, in 2014 I have come full circle
and caught our tail.

The Harri-bou-bou and Diego Burrito

now share the marque

and I must figure how

what that means for my character.

Will this be a rom-com?

A drama?

A tragedy?

It's never really clear,

but it's most certainly worth watching.

What I do know is that,

as leading men go,

I'm certain I nailed the casting.

You Can't Touch This

These boys have me wrapped around their little fingers.

 There are a lot of lonely people out there

who feel disconnected,

and lost in the space between 

themselves and other people.

This is a universal experience, 

yet borders seem to magnify it.

For reasons I haven't quite understood,

once you cross a border it's like, 

for many people,

you stop existing.  

You have fallen off the ends of the earth.

The funny part is that in a country the size of the United States,

living outside the country is sometimes closer then living in the country.

For example, 

visiting my family in Seattle

is only a 9-10 hour flight from Korea.

Yet, when I went to college in Nashville 

I was 16-20 hours away from my home in Talkeetna.

Still, folks consider my move to Korea more of a displacement.

I can tell you right now, 

it was not.

That said, 

whether I'm in Alaska, Tennessee or South Korea,

maintaining a connection with my family is my priority.

They are the light of my life and the beat of my heart.

Thankfully, they feel the same way,

and we don't let each other miss out on all the important days.

They set a place for me at Thanksgiving dinner,

and I join them at 8am via Skype.

My brother Skyping me 
from his Russian hospital bed,
even while getting a consult from his Dr
just so I know he's pulling through.

Planning my sister a surprise 30th birthday
and filling it with Skype dates for her with people 

from all over the world who miss her. 

My nephews calling from Russia 
to learn about Korea,
and to just say hello.

We make sure to have smart phones and FaceTime 

and we take each other on virtual tours of places 

the other has never been.

My aunt and cousins calling to chat about their days
and just be a family.

We use text messaging to keep each other posted

with moment to moment photo of our daily delight

and the knowledge that we are loved.

Basically, we always remember 

that the other needs the other

and that is all the heart truly needs.

Thankful For Friends In Distant Places

Thank you Lisa and Steph. The hostesses with the most-esses.

I returned to the old set of my drama

to celebrate a little holiday cheer.

It was wonderful to see the old faces,

and re-tell the stories of old Anjung

There is nothing that makes me feel happier

then great food,

old friends,

and having a laugh 

at my own expense.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Made with love.

Ready - Set - Go

The old characters were up to their old antics.

It was a truly multicultural event.

Dinner had all the fix'ns

Everyone was filled with smiles.

Cute Ghouls and Monsters Galore

Candy and games translate into any language.

My Little Monsters Just Love Halloween.

Even the "grown up" ones can't resist the fun.

Of course the little boys can't get enough of being Monsters.

The girls are especially scary, but they are darn cute.

Warning: candle light classrooms might leading to napping.

Vampire Coin Toss is A Class Favorite

Slow Down. Children at Play.

Invitations for Thanksgiving came from all over,

but nothing seemed right.

It felt like passing the time rather than 

an adventure or a celebration.

So I looked to my own path.

The only thing that I could put my finger on was the direction -

I needed to head south.

Somewhere down there was where I needed to be.

So I went and followed my compass 

thinking I would retrace the steps of past adventures.

Possibly visiting 가거도 or 흑산도 again.

However the world had other plans.

In Mokpo a typhoon and an old man sent me in a new direction.

They said I needed to stay away from boats and find a safe harbor.

The old man found a map and said, "You should go here.  It is best."

Hesitant at first, I pushed past it and followed his advice.

When has a stranger ever steered me wrong?

So I caught the first bus to 증동리,

the first step to my final destination.

What I found there was nothing less than solitary perfection.

One of Korea's Slow Cities.

There is little to do there but:

walk

fish

bike

read

play

soak

reflect

and be thankful.

CLICK HERE to read more about Korea's Slow Cities.

 

 

 

 

 

I am forever thankful for the kindness of my Pension owners,

who welcomed me to their Thanksgiving table with open arms.

Disclaimer: I never plan ahead. When I travel I just show up and see what happens.  I do not book anything, reserve anything, or have any idea what will happen when I arrive.  When I did this trip I did it on bus and could not really speak any Korean apart from, "Can I have ____?" or "How much does it cost?"  It still worked out.  Korea is easy to travel in.  You wont die, the worst thing that will happen is that you will be mildly uncomfortable.