We took quite a bit of a leave of absence from the blog in 2017. Our lives were a little busier, but mostly quite normal on a daily basis. This post is an attempt to catch you up a bit on our previous year.
Andrew has continued teaching at Silla University here in Busan. In addition to teaching practical and conversational English, he had the opportunity to teach an Introduction to Philosophy course for the brave students who dared to study philosophy in their second language. (It's difficult enough for me in my first.) He also taught in a program that prepares Korean students for internships abroad. I began the year continuing to teach at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Plant (KHNP), where I'd been since April 2016. I left the position in July 2017 for a closer-to-home opportunity at an academy, where I teach Pre-K, kindergarten, and elementary school classes. This position has been a wonderful fit for me and has given me utmost appreciation for teachers around the world. Managing the emotions of 10 preschoolers at one time is no easy task.
It's no secret that we find Asia captivating and seek to explore more of it any chance we get. We were fortunate to be able to take several trips in 2017 that uncovered more of the beauty this part of the world offers. We also had the chance to return home -- me, once on my own in April to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday, and together in July. I'll attempt to offer brief anecdotes of these travels.
You might remember that our first trip outside of Korea in winter 2015 took us to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. There's something about Southeast Asia that hooks many people. The smiling faces, incredible yet simple food, diverse geography...these are only a few of the things that keep us wanting to go back for more. So, last January and February, Andrew and I set out on a month long trip to explore more of the region that's stolen a piece of us, a piece that we're happy to keep there.
We began our time in Northern Thailand in the city of Nong Khai. Northern Thailand has continued to be a mesmerizing for us to visit. After a couple of days in Nong Khai. we crossed the border in Laos, our first time there. We spent a week total in the cities of Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The dramatic landscape, colorful food, smiling faces, and relaxed way of life are aspects we'll never forget. We'd only feel blessed to be able to return to Laos someday, as seeing it even once was mesmerizing.
After a week in Laos, we returned to Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. Due to very strict border crossings into Myanmar (Burma), one must cross over land through Thailand. Chiang Rai was a nice stopover after so many hours in less than ideal transportation situations. In Chiang Rai, we did some hiking, visited a very over-the-top temple called The White Temple, and got cheap massages.
From Chiang Rai, we entered Myanmar. This, we knew, would likely be the most far our place we've ever been. Looking back, we weren't wrong. At this point, foreigners are only allowed to travel certain areas due to continued political unrest. We began by flying domestically from Mae Sai to Inle Lake, a small water town offering a glimpse of life living and working on the water.
After a couple of days here, we traveled by bus to Bagan, an ancient city speckled with over 2,000 temples and pagodas. We spent several days exploring the temples by foot, bike, and hot air balloon. Getting to see the temples from above at sunrise is an experience that I still pinch myself over.
From Bagan, we traveled to our final destination of this trip, Yangon, Myanmar's largest city and former capital. Yangon was one of the most ethnically diverse cities we've been to in Asia. It really felt like we were in another world. The pace of the city was rapid, both in daily life and the amount of growth about to take place.
Schwedagon Pagoda:
As with our previous tours of Southeast Asia, we returned to Busan exhausted and with an expanded worldview and appreciation for how others live.
Shortly after this trip, I returned home for two weeks to visit my family and celebrate my dad's 70th birthday. It had long been a dream of his to take a road trip to Cooperstown, New York, to visit the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. So, after one week visiting friends and family in East Tennessee, mom, dad, and I set off on a road trip to Cooperstown. This was probably the first road trip we'd been on together since I was a child. The main differences were: I did most of the driving and complained a lot less about Alan Jackson on the radio. We ended our trip in Washington, D.C., where we visited Shelley and Nick, celebrated Easter, and saw a great Nationals win. I am so happy to have the memories with my parents from this time.
Later that summer, Andrew and I returned to the U.S. together for six weeks. Our plan was to begin in Chicago, spend a week in Collinsville, drive to Tennessee to spend a week, and then make our way northeast to explore part of the United States and Canada that we'd never seen. There is so much beauty in the world, and I believe some of the places we saw on this trip were the grandest of all.
We took Dolly, the Subaru, and our tent to West Virginia, Pennsylvania (where we got to spend a lovely few days with the Garber clan), and Maine, and then into Quebec, Montreal, and Toronto. From Toronto, we drove to South Haven, Michigan to spend several days with Lynn and Paul. From SH, we met up with Rach in Traverse City to do lots of cuddling, eating, and outdoor adventuring. This was my first time in the Great Lakes region, a place near and dear to Andrew and his family. It was indeed all it's cracked up to be.
Our first campsite in Fayetteville, WV:
Portland, ME:
Quebec City:
Montreal:
Toronto:
South Haven:
From Michigan, we took several days to get back to Tennessee (our final stop) via Illinois. We said our final goodbyes for this trip home and boarded several planes back to Busan.
We got in on the solar eclipse!
At the end of September, Korea celebrated Chusseok, a holiday similar to Thanksgiving. This year, Chusseok fell close to another Korean holiday in which the founding of the Korean language (hanguel) is celebrated. Thanks to the Korean government who "sandwiched" one Monday, we were able to have 10 days off from work. We took this opportunity to visit China, beginning in Nanjing, stopping in Suzhou, and ending in Shanghai.
Nanjing (also written as Nanking) is probably known by most westerners by the Nanking Massacre or Rape of Nanking during the second Sino-Japanese War at the end of 1937. Nanjing was a nice city in which we spent our days visiting museums, temples, and various other important attractions.
We took a high-speed train to Suzhou, a major focal point of trade and commerce. Suzhou has become a tourist destination for many Chinese, so it was quite crowded. Along with seeing the historical offerings of the city, we ate the best fried dumplings of our lives, so that's a win.
Lastly, after a few days in Suzhou, we took another train to Shanghai. As you might imagine, Shanghai is an incredible city. It's diverse, full of tradition, unbelievably modern, and has a skyline that literally takes your breath away upon first encounter. It was easy to see why Shanghai is so important on a global scale.
The end of each year allows us to reflect on how fortunate we've been the months and years prior. Though this sort of reflection is of utmost importance every day, I find myself caught up in my own perceived daily annoyances of life and neglect to do so. Andrew and I have been blessed to have each other in the journeys that we've taken, and we look forward to many more.
Now, it's February, and the Olympics have begun! Are you watching? We felt so proud watching the Opening Ceremony, hoping our friends and family could get a glimpse of the beautiful Korea that we've come to love. The Lunar New Year holiday falls in the middle of the Olympics, so we're excited to have the opportunity to travel to Pyeongchang Wednesday, the 14th, through Sunday, the 18th. It feels surreal to us that we'll get to be part of such an inspiring event.
Andrew has squared away tickets for us to attend Alpine Skiing (Women's Super G), Cross-Country Skiing, Biathon, Skeleton, Curling, and Men's Hockey (USA vs. Russia). We'll also be sporting our best USA swag, so look for us on camera!
If you've made it to the end of this post, eat some carbs to restore the energy spent trying to keep track. Thank you for always checking in on us, sending Christmas cards, emails, and text messages. These things really do get us through bouts of homesickness. We miss you and hope that the new year brings you joy and peace.
Love, Rachel
We began our time in Northern Thailand in the city of Nong Khai. Northern Thailand has continued to be a mesmerizing for us to visit. After a couple of days in Nong Khai. we crossed the border in Laos, our first time there. We spent a week total in the cities of Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The dramatic landscape, colorful food, smiling faces, and relaxed way of life are aspects we'll never forget. We'd only feel blessed to be able to return to Laos someday, as seeing it even once was mesmerizing.
After a week in Laos, we returned to Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. Due to very strict border crossings into Myanmar (Burma), one must cross over land through Thailand. Chiang Rai was a nice stopover after so many hours in less than ideal transportation situations. In Chiang Rai, we did some hiking, visited a very over-the-top temple called The White Temple, and got cheap massages.
From Chiang Rai, we entered Myanmar. This, we knew, would likely be the most far our place we've ever been. Looking back, we weren't wrong. At this point, foreigners are only allowed to travel certain areas due to continued political unrest. We began by flying domestically from Mae Sai to Inle Lake, a small water town offering a glimpse of life living and working on the water.
After a couple of days here, we traveled by bus to Bagan, an ancient city speckled with over 2,000 temples and pagodas. We spent several days exploring the temples by foot, bike, and hot air balloon. Getting to see the temples from above at sunrise is an experience that I still pinch myself over.
From Bagan, we traveled to our final destination of this trip, Yangon, Myanmar's largest city and former capital. Yangon was one of the most ethnically diverse cities we've been to in Asia. It really felt like we were in another world. The pace of the city was rapid, both in daily life and the amount of growth about to take place.
Schwedagon Pagoda:
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (the Golden Rock), a site of pilgrimage:
As with our previous tours of Southeast Asia, we returned to Busan exhausted and with an expanded worldview and appreciation for how others live.
Shortly after this trip, I returned home for two weeks to visit my family and celebrate my dad's 70th birthday. It had long been a dream of his to take a road trip to Cooperstown, New York, to visit the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. So, after one week visiting friends and family in East Tennessee, mom, dad, and I set off on a road trip to Cooperstown. This was probably the first road trip we'd been on together since I was a child. The main differences were: I did most of the driving and complained a lot less about Alan Jackson on the radio. We ended our trip in Washington, D.C., where we visited Shelley and Nick, celebrated Easter, and saw a great Nationals win. I am so happy to have the memories with my parents from this time.
Later that summer, Andrew and I returned to the U.S. together for six weeks. Our plan was to begin in Chicago, spend a week in Collinsville, drive to Tennessee to spend a week, and then make our way northeast to explore part of the United States and Canada that we'd never seen. There is so much beauty in the world, and I believe some of the places we saw on this trip were the grandest of all.
We took Dolly, the Subaru, and our tent to West Virginia, Pennsylvania (where we got to spend a lovely few days with the Garber clan), and Maine, and then into Quebec, Montreal, and Toronto. From Toronto, we drove to South Haven, Michigan to spend several days with Lynn and Paul. From SH, we met up with Rach in Traverse City to do lots of cuddling, eating, and outdoor adventuring. This was my first time in the Great Lakes region, a place near and dear to Andrew and his family. It was indeed all it's cracked up to be.
Our first campsite in Fayetteville, WV:
Portland, ME:
Acadia National Park, ME:
Quebec City:
Montreal:
Toronto:
South Haven:
Traverse City:
We got in on the solar eclipse!
At the end of September, Korea celebrated Chusseok, a holiday similar to Thanksgiving. This year, Chusseok fell close to another Korean holiday in which the founding of the Korean language (hanguel) is celebrated. Thanks to the Korean government who "sandwiched" one Monday, we were able to have 10 days off from work. We took this opportunity to visit China, beginning in Nanjing, stopping in Suzhou, and ending in Shanghai.
Nanjing (also written as Nanking) is probably known by most westerners by the Nanking Massacre or Rape of Nanking during the second Sino-Japanese War at the end of 1937. Nanjing was a nice city in which we spent our days visiting museums, temples, and various other important attractions.
We took a high-speed train to Suzhou, a major focal point of trade and commerce. Suzhou has become a tourist destination for many Chinese, so it was quite crowded. Along with seeing the historical offerings of the city, we ate the best fried dumplings of our lives, so that's a win.
Lastly, after a few days in Suzhou, we took another train to Shanghai. As you might imagine, Shanghai is an incredible city. It's diverse, full of tradition, unbelievably modern, and has a skyline that literally takes your breath away upon first encounter. It was easy to see why Shanghai is so important on a global scale.
The end of each year allows us to reflect on how fortunate we've been the months and years prior. Though this sort of reflection is of utmost importance every day, I find myself caught up in my own perceived daily annoyances of life and neglect to do so. Andrew and I have been blessed to have each other in the journeys that we've taken, and we look forward to many more.
Now, it's February, and the Olympics have begun! Are you watching? We felt so proud watching the Opening Ceremony, hoping our friends and family could get a glimpse of the beautiful Korea that we've come to love. The Lunar New Year holiday falls in the middle of the Olympics, so we're excited to have the opportunity to travel to Pyeongchang Wednesday, the 14th, through Sunday, the 18th. It feels surreal to us that we'll get to be part of such an inspiring event.
Andrew has squared away tickets for us to attend Alpine Skiing (Women's Super G), Cross-Country Skiing, Biathon, Skeleton, Curling, and Men's Hockey (USA vs. Russia). We'll also be sporting our best USA swag, so look for us on camera!
If you've made it to the end of this post, eat some carbs to restore the energy spent trying to keep track. Thank you for always checking in on us, sending Christmas cards, emails, and text messages. These things really do get us through bouts of homesickness. We miss you and hope that the new year brings you joy and peace.
Love, Rachel
