Some time has passed since my last blog entry and I think I owe you guys an update. Thanks for being patient with me :)
After our mighty road trip, my next plan was to teach English in Korea for an entire year. I had some offers but none of them felt right. After speaking with friends who did the teaching thing in Korea, I had built a pretty extensive list of what to look for in a job. Some of the non-negotiable conditions included 9-5 hours as opposed to 2-10, in Seoul, no Saturdays and start date in September. It may come across as a little too picky but I believe these are conditions that will ensure a positive experience abroad. I've traveled enough to know that as a foreigner, you can really be taken advantage of. Therefore, it is necessary to stand your ground with confidence.
That's not to say that I've been met with tons of challenges. I think I fooled myself early on in the process, assuming that finding a job would be fairly simple. Although I've had a few offers, I've had many more rejections. However, the most frustrating part of being rejected is the fact that it had nothing to do with my qualifications and everything to do with my ethnicity. Because I am Korean-American, many employers assume that I cannot speak English as well as Caucasians. And if employers are looking for Korean-Americans, they expect me to be bilingual, which, unfortunately, I am not.
The worst part is, I don't have a chance to change these employers' minds. A photo of myself is required in the initial email along with my resume. But from what I understand, my being hired depends more on my photo than my resume. Backwards, huh? This entire process has been a lesson in patience, to say the very least. There have been frequent moments of utter frustration, discouragement and anxiety.
I was beginning to question whether it was worth it to go to Korea at all. Why should I voluntarily go to a country that will treat me with such disrespect? Should I be taking the consistent closed doors as signs from God?
Well, I'm happy to report that there's a happy turn to this story. I found out that, as a Korean-American, I can apply for a visa that allows me to work any job in Korea, as opposed to Mark's visa, which only allows him to teach. His visa also requires him to have an offer letter from a school to even obtain the visa, whereas my visa allows me to go to Korea without a job and find one there. Although I was frightened by this idea of going to Korea without a job, I've come to the realization that this may offer many more opportunities for me.
Mark found a job in a great location in Seoul (5 minutes from downtown) and he leaves at the end of September. My father, who lives in Korea, plans to visit me mid-September and fly me back to Korea with him. With my airfare paid for and plenty of friends who have kindly offered their apartment to me, I don't see what I have to lose! I'm even thinking that I can apply for a job doing what I really love: writing! How awesome would it be to gain journalism experience in the international spectrum?!
I'm getting really pumped. All it takes is a little change in perspective and boom! a new opportunity arises!
Thank God for unconditionally supportive and loving friends and family. I wouldn't be able to do this without them.
I hope you all have a beautiful Monday!
what my immediate future holds...
8.30.2010
8.12.2010
If you've never seen or heard of the National Parks Passport, you're in for a treat. But be prepared: the moment you commit to buying one of these, you must anticipate acts of craziness to ensue. Here's why...
Mom's friend, Jane, who we visited in Wisconsin, recommended purchasing the passports for the kids before we began our road trip. When you visit a national park or monument, you receive a stamp in this passport indicating that you've been there and done that. Since we were planning to see so many on the trip, Mom figured it would be a great way for the kids to keep track of what they've done. So, at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Daniel, Mary and Robert became proud owners of their first National Parks Passport. It was really cute to see the kids rush to the visitor's center at every stop, frantically looking for their next stamp. At one point, in Charleston, South Carolina (where the picture above was taken), Mary left her passport at Fort Sumter, which can only be accessed by a ferry, and began to cry because she was so disappointed. Thankfully, the guides picked it up and brought it back to the mainland; they knew how important these passports were to people!
Well, it all began to change in Washington D.C. Let's just say the kids' passports became Mom's...mission. After a long day of walking to all the various memorials and monuments, the kids were too tired to walk another 200 feet to the visitor's center. Mom said, "But you need to get your stamps!" and Daniel replied, "Can you just go and get it and I'll sit here and wait?" Reluctantly, Mom agreed. What no one knew at the time was that this birthed a new passion in Mom. From that day forth, the stamps didn't sit high on the kids' priority lists. But for Mom, it was something that the kids would appreciate having later; thus, we must do whatever is necessary to get it now!
Take, for example, our trip to Niagara Falls in Canada. Because we were on the Canadian side, there were no stamps to America's National Parks and Monuments. Therefore, on our way out, we stopped by the visitor's center on the U.S. side, figuring that they'd have some kind of stamp or sticker that the kids could put in their books. Mom got out of the car, while the kids and I napped in the van, and she asked a man where the visitor's center was. He said "Over there," pointing in a general direction. Mom went that way, didn't find anything, asked another man, who replied with, "There is no visitor's center." Mom didn't take that for an answer so she continued looking around. At this point, it began to rain and Mom got blisters from her new sandals...but that didn't stop her. She went back to the first man and asked, "Where exactly is the visitor's center?" And this time, he pointed directly to the building, saying, "That third building right over there." She made her way to the building, but not without being stopped by border patrol. Her running around caused some alarm with an officer, who interrogated her about her whereabouts. She gave him the lowdown and he let her go. Luckily, after all of that, she found the stamps and the kids could stop holding their breaths, knowing that Mom's hard work paid off ;)
New York is no different. After our stop to Ellis Island, the ferry went to Liberty Island but because we were running short on time, Mom decided to get off, get the stamps and get back onto the ferry. As we approached Liberty Island, the crowd began to stand up and make their way to the door. Meanwhile, a huge crowd on the island was getting ready to board the ferry to go back to Jersey. Mom had a total of 10 minutes between the crowd unloading and the new crowd boarding to get the stamps in all 3 passports. Meanwhile, we stood by the window, anticipating whether or not we thought she would make it. We tried looking for her but of the thousands of people running every which way, it was almost impossible to find her. We looked and looked for about 8 minutes until she tapped us on the shoulder and said, "Whew!" She got back on the ferry before the crowd did! Apparently, she told the crew member what she was doing so he let her get back on before the rest of the line. She sprinted from building to building to find the stamps and by the time she was back on the ferry, she was soaking with sweat. Now THAT is dedication!
And what did the kids do?
They said "thanks" and put the passports right back into the bag.
For those of you who know my family, you know that Dad is a collector of all sorts of things but mainly books and postcards. Mom, on the other hand, is not a collector at all. If it was up to her, she'd give it all away for more space. So to see her this hardcore about collecting stamps is amusing to say the least. While Mom ran from place to place beginning in D.C., Dad sat by, quietly chuckling to himself.
8.08.2010
It hasn't taken us long to get back into the groove of things, that's for sure. When we drove up to our house on Monday afternoon, we were greeted by the Scotts, a family from church that is living with us temporarily. When we walked in, we were blown away by the transformation of the house. They had worked 6 short weeks to clean the house up, from top to bottom. The basement, garage, play room and entire backyard were cleaned and organized...a project that would have taken my family probably half a year to finish! Everyone was so blessed by their work and Mom almost started tearing up :)
Just a week after getting back, Mom and Dad were right back into hosting a big week-long event at the house. It was Vacation Bible School for the neighborhood and about 170-190 kids showed up everyday. Breakfast and lunch were served and kids got to enjoy music, dramas and lessons every single day. All in all, I'd say that the transition from the nomad life to the home life went smoothly.
BUT not without a couple of road bumps.
One of the first things I wanted to do upon returning was transfer all of my stuff in the garage from moving out of Newport into the tower room where I'd be sleeping from now on. As I walked into the garage, Jeannie (the wife of the Scott family) asked me if I was looking for something in particular. I told her that I was getting my clothes. She looked at me with this horrified expression on her face and said, "OK...I'm not sure it's going to be in here because Todd just took a bunch of bags down to Salvation Army. In the midst of cleaning up, we texted your mom last week, asking her what we should do with the bags of clothes and she told us to donate all of them." Immediately, my stomach dropped but I stayed hopeful as I made the long walk around the garage. I looked around every corner, under boxes, behind pieces of furniture and found nothing. I reassured Jeannie that it wasn't her fault and made my way upstairs to figure out some damage control.
Instead, I sat upstairs and sobbed like a baby. Everything that I had collected over the last 4 years was gone...all I had was my carry-on sized suitcase from the road trip. I wasn't upset about the cost of losing my clothes. It was more about the sentimental items, like the coat from a vintage store in France and the black dress I wore in Paris and Rome. To me, my closet was less of brand-named items and more of an eclectic mix of vintage finds that defined my creativity and the way I interpreted fashion and style. Needless to say, I was so upset.
After a few minutes of feeling sorry for myself, I went downstairs to ask my mom what happened. The mistake was totally understandable: she had told Jeannie to donate everything thinking that I had moved all of my stuff into the house. Mom felt so bad for the mistake and told me that she and Dad would do whatever they could to fix or replace it.
I discovered that my bags of clothes were donated just a couple days before we returned. So the following morning, Mom called the Salvation Army and tracked down the trailer that Todd had taken the bags to. We found out that they were still in their original bags and not yet distributed. Salvation Army said it would take a couple days to pull out all the white bags (the color of bags my clothes were in). For the next week, we called to check on the status and they kept telling us "not yet."
By the second day or so, my sadness had pretty much dissipated. Although my clothes collection was fun and kind of funky, they were just that...clothes. I didn't want the clothes to define me and it would be silly to stay upset about it. In fact, I found it kind of liberating to be able to let go of my possessions (even if it wasn't originally by choice!) and with my approaching move to Korea, this made it easy to decide what to take and what to leave.
I wish I could give you a happy ending to this story, but I ended up going to the Salvation Army on Thursday to go through 6 large bins over 6 feet tall, filled to the brim with white bags, and found nothing of mine. But it really is OK though...I'd argue that it is a happy ending because I'm genuinely OK with it now.
Just until the end of this week, I was feeling crummy about life though. My car was in the shop for two weeks and finding a job in Korea wasn't going so well. But with a little encouragement from friends and family and a lot of patience, the days have significantly picked up. I got my car back a couple days ago (and it looks beautiful!) and the response rate for Korea has increased. I also found out that I can apply for a visa specifically designed for Korean-Americans. With this visa, I don't have to have a job before leaving...this means that if, for some reason, I can't secure a job by the end of September, I may pick up and leave for Korea anyway and try and find a job there!
Other than the few hiccups I've had to overcome, life at home has been pretty sweet. I've already had some wonderful times with Mark and my girlfriends and it hasn't even been 2 weeks yet! Last Tuesday, Mark and I went to the U.S. Open, the surf competition in Huntington Beach, and listened to Cold War Kids play. Then, we headed over to the South Coast Repertory to see the musical "In the Heights." On Thursday, I had a wonderful night of cooking and conversation with Jamie and Candice. Last night, I went to the Harvest Crusade, a huge concert and evangelical event at the Angels Stadium. Then, I went to my friend Tanya's house to celebrate Diego's 22nd birthday. Today, I am heading over to the South Bay for a good-bye bbq that Candice is hosting for Jamie, Mark and me. See? Life has been absolutely wonderful!
[Mmmm! Bruschetta]
[Pesto sauce from scratch: basil, olive oil, garlic, s & p, pine nuts]
[The final product]
I hope everyone's summer has been going just as well. Tell me...have you ever had something happen to you that seemed like a crisis at the time but ended up being easy to overcome? Did you surprise yourself with the way you handled it? I sure did!
Just a week after getting back, Mom and Dad were right back into hosting a big week-long event at the house. It was Vacation Bible School for the neighborhood and about 170-190 kids showed up everyday. Breakfast and lunch were served and kids got to enjoy music, dramas and lessons every single day. All in all, I'd say that the transition from the nomad life to the home life went smoothly.
BUT not without a couple of road bumps.
One of the first things I wanted to do upon returning was transfer all of my stuff in the garage from moving out of Newport into the tower room where I'd be sleeping from now on. As I walked into the garage, Jeannie (the wife of the Scott family) asked me if I was looking for something in particular. I told her that I was getting my clothes. She looked at me with this horrified expression on her face and said, "OK...I'm not sure it's going to be in here because Todd just took a bunch of bags down to Salvation Army. In the midst of cleaning up, we texted your mom last week, asking her what we should do with the bags of clothes and she told us to donate all of them." Immediately, my stomach dropped but I stayed hopeful as I made the long walk around the garage. I looked around every corner, under boxes, behind pieces of furniture and found nothing. I reassured Jeannie that it wasn't her fault and made my way upstairs to figure out some damage control.
Instead, I sat upstairs and sobbed like a baby. Everything that I had collected over the last 4 years was gone...all I had was my carry-on sized suitcase from the road trip. I wasn't upset about the cost of losing my clothes. It was more about the sentimental items, like the coat from a vintage store in France and the black dress I wore in Paris and Rome. To me, my closet was less of brand-named items and more of an eclectic mix of vintage finds that defined my creativity and the way I interpreted fashion and style. Needless to say, I was so upset.
After a few minutes of feeling sorry for myself, I went downstairs to ask my mom what happened. The mistake was totally understandable: she had told Jeannie to donate everything thinking that I had moved all of my stuff into the house. Mom felt so bad for the mistake and told me that she and Dad would do whatever they could to fix or replace it.
I discovered that my bags of clothes were donated just a couple days before we returned. So the following morning, Mom called the Salvation Army and tracked down the trailer that Todd had taken the bags to. We found out that they were still in their original bags and not yet distributed. Salvation Army said it would take a couple days to pull out all the white bags (the color of bags my clothes were in). For the next week, we called to check on the status and they kept telling us "not yet."
By the second day or so, my sadness had pretty much dissipated. Although my clothes collection was fun and kind of funky, they were just that...clothes. I didn't want the clothes to define me and it would be silly to stay upset about it. In fact, I found it kind of liberating to be able to let go of my possessions (even if it wasn't originally by choice!) and with my approaching move to Korea, this made it easy to decide what to take and what to leave.
I wish I could give you a happy ending to this story, but I ended up going to the Salvation Army on Thursday to go through 6 large bins over 6 feet tall, filled to the brim with white bags, and found nothing of mine. But it really is OK though...I'd argue that it is a happy ending because I'm genuinely OK with it now.
Just until the end of this week, I was feeling crummy about life though. My car was in the shop for two weeks and finding a job in Korea wasn't going so well. But with a little encouragement from friends and family and a lot of patience, the days have significantly picked up. I got my car back a couple days ago (and it looks beautiful!) and the response rate for Korea has increased. I also found out that I can apply for a visa specifically designed for Korean-Americans. With this visa, I don't have to have a job before leaving...this means that if, for some reason, I can't secure a job by the end of September, I may pick up and leave for Korea anyway and try and find a job there!
Other than the few hiccups I've had to overcome, life at home has been pretty sweet. I've already had some wonderful times with Mark and my girlfriends and it hasn't even been 2 weeks yet! Last Tuesday, Mark and I went to the U.S. Open, the surf competition in Huntington Beach, and listened to Cold War Kids play. Then, we headed over to the South Coast Repertory to see the musical "In the Heights." On Thursday, I had a wonderful night of cooking and conversation with Jamie and Candice. Last night, I went to the Harvest Crusade, a huge concert and evangelical event at the Angels Stadium. Then, I went to my friend Tanya's house to celebrate Diego's 22nd birthday. Today, I am heading over to the South Bay for a good-bye bbq that Candice is hosting for Jamie, Mark and me. See? Life has been absolutely wonderful!
[The Cold War Kids at the U.S. Open]
[Dinner with the girls]
[Mmmm! Bruschetta]
[Pesto sauce from scratch: basil, olive oil, garlic, s & p, pine nuts]
[The final product]
I hope everyone's summer has been going just as well. Tell me...have you ever had something happen to you that seemed like a crisis at the time but ended up being easy to overcome? Did you surprise yourself with the way you handled it? I sure did!
8.04.2010
Alas, our trip is coming to an end. Although there were days where it seemed like no end was in sight, in retrospect, this "Great American Road Trip" as Dad likes to call it, zoomed by faster than we could have ever imagined.
After Riverton, we went to Brian Head for 4 nights of unwinding before it was time to return home. Brian Head is similar to Mammoth in that it's peak season is during the winter for skiing and snowboarding; however, people still go out there during the summer to ride ATVs, hike, fish, relax, etc. Brian Head is much, much smaller than Mammoth though. There aren't a lot of shops or grocery stores, so we made sure to stock up on groceries at the store an hour before reaching our destination.
Thursday night and all day Friday were spent doing absolutely nothing...literally. Our day pretty much consisted of eating, watching TV and reading. The jacuzzi wasn't working because of some construction they were doing so we stayed indoors most of the time. I went a little crazy at some point on Friday, feeling pretty restless and getting frustrated at everyone's lack of motivation to do anything. But since I was feeling under the weather (and no one even acknowledged my whining), I figured it was wiser for me to embrace the nothingness rather than complain about it. I took a long nap, woke up, ate a little, watched a little TV, read a couple pages in my book and went back to sleep. I felt like an infant all over again :)
Saturday was a lot more eventful. Rather than watching Hannah Montana, we drove into Bryce Canyon for the day and hiked a couple simple trails to equal a little over 2 miles. The national park was beautiful...the formations and red rock were so vivid and incredible. And the sky couldn't have been clearer! I thoroughly enjoyed the day out and about. Unfortunately, the kids weren't feeling too hot and Daniel suffered a little heat stroke in the middle of it.
At one point, we looked out across the canyon and to our right was clear skies and a bright, beaming sun. But to our left were dark gray clouds and rainfall. It was so powerful (and a little freaky) to see the rain come closer and closer, climbing over each canyon ridge and spreading out like a huge shadow. Sure enough, it rained a couple minutes later and we decided that it was probably best to return to the condo.
We cooked up some dinner and plopped right back onto that tan leather couch for some more lazing around. With some hot chocolate in hand, we watched America's Funniest Home Videos (you should hear Robert roar with laughter every time that show comes on!) and more of the obnoxious Disney Channel (have you noticed that there's a lot of yelling and high-pitched voices on that station?)
The following day, we were planning on going to Zion National Park since it was so close by. However, after some intense contemplating, we decided to embrace the last day of our trip by staying in and continuing our lazy fest. The kids didn't really enjoy the hiking at Bryce Canyon so much, so it didn't make much sense to drag them out to Zion if they were just going to whine and complain the whole time. I continued nursing my cold and finished my book, while the kids took in more Disney Channel and junk food.
[Taking a breather and soaking in the scenery]
[Talking about what the rock formations remind us of. Mary said, "That rock over there looks like a queen sitting on a pillow with her bodyguard next to her."]
On Monday morning, we whipped the condo back into shape, repacked all of our belongings and said "goodbye" for the very last time. We had mixed feelings of excitement, nostalgia, sadness, anxiety and happiness running through our bodies. But there is no doubt in my mind that we all felt thankfulness as we drove out of the parking lot and onto the freeway towards home. I am so thankful for my beautiful family and the hours upon hours of entertainment they provide me. I am so very thankful for my gracious parents who organized and funded this entire trip. I am absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to experience such a thing. The night before it was time to go, Dad sat us all down for a little discussion and reflection. At the very end of our family meeting, he said, "I hope one day you guys and your families will have an opportunity to do a trip like this."
And it is so true. Perhaps I will not have the time and money to go on such an extensive trip like this one, but even a couple weeks driving across country is an experience that I think everyone should partake in. Our country is filled with fascinating stories and beautiful sights; it's a shame to think about how many Americans would rather fly to Europe rather than explore their own backyard! If everyone took some time to go on a "Great American Road Trip" of their own, I think our country would become a little more enriching and a little more cultured, don't you think?
After Riverton, we went to Brian Head for 4 nights of unwinding before it was time to return home. Brian Head is similar to Mammoth in that it's peak season is during the winter for skiing and snowboarding; however, people still go out there during the summer to ride ATVs, hike, fish, relax, etc. Brian Head is much, much smaller than Mammoth though. There aren't a lot of shops or grocery stores, so we made sure to stock up on groceries at the store an hour before reaching our destination.
Thursday night and all day Friday were spent doing absolutely nothing...literally. Our day pretty much consisted of eating, watching TV and reading. The jacuzzi wasn't working because of some construction they were doing so we stayed indoors most of the time. I went a little crazy at some point on Friday, feeling pretty restless and getting frustrated at everyone's lack of motivation to do anything. But since I was feeling under the weather (and no one even acknowledged my whining), I figured it was wiser for me to embrace the nothingness rather than complain about it. I took a long nap, woke up, ate a little, watched a little TV, read a couple pages in my book and went back to sleep. I felt like an infant all over again :)
[Robert and his chocolate chip cookie recipe (as he wrote it):
2 chokolet chip cookies
1 jar of peanut butter
1 bag of chokolet chips
1. spread peanut butter on the cookie
2. add chokolet chips
3. put another cookie on top to make a sandwich]
2 chokolet chip cookies
1 jar of peanut butter
1 bag of chokolet chips
1. spread peanut butter on the cookie
2. add chokolet chips
3. put another cookie on top to make a sandwich]
Saturday was a lot more eventful. Rather than watching Hannah Montana, we drove into Bryce Canyon for the day and hiked a couple simple trails to equal a little over 2 miles. The national park was beautiful...the formations and red rock were so vivid and incredible. And the sky couldn't have been clearer! I thoroughly enjoyed the day out and about. Unfortunately, the kids weren't feeling too hot and Daniel suffered a little heat stroke in the middle of it.
At one point, we looked out across the canyon and to our right was clear skies and a bright, beaming sun. But to our left were dark gray clouds and rainfall. It was so powerful (and a little freaky) to see the rain come closer and closer, climbing over each canyon ridge and spreading out like a huge shadow. Sure enough, it rained a couple minutes later and we decided that it was probably best to return to the condo.
We cooked up some dinner and plopped right back onto that tan leather couch for some more lazing around. With some hot chocolate in hand, we watched America's Funniest Home Videos (you should hear Robert roar with laughter every time that show comes on!) and more of the obnoxious Disney Channel (have you noticed that there's a lot of yelling and high-pitched voices on that station?)
The following day, we were planning on going to Zion National Park since it was so close by. However, after some intense contemplating, we decided to embrace the last day of our trip by staying in and continuing our lazy fest. The kids didn't really enjoy the hiking at Bryce Canyon so much, so it didn't make much sense to drag them out to Zion if they were just going to whine and complain the whole time. I continued nursing my cold and finished my book, while the kids took in more Disney Channel and junk food.
[I wish this picture wasn't blurry!]
[Taking a breather and soaking in the scenery]
[Talking about what the rock formations remind us of. Mary said, "That rock over there looks like a queen sitting on a pillow with her bodyguard next to her."]
On Monday morning, we whipped the condo back into shape, repacked all of our belongings and said "goodbye" for the very last time. We had mixed feelings of excitement, nostalgia, sadness, anxiety and happiness running through our bodies. But there is no doubt in my mind that we all felt thankfulness as we drove out of the parking lot and onto the freeway towards home. I am so thankful for my beautiful family and the hours upon hours of entertainment they provide me. I am so very thankful for my gracious parents who organized and funded this entire trip. I am absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to experience such a thing. The night before it was time to go, Dad sat us all down for a little discussion and reflection. At the very end of our family meeting, he said, "I hope one day you guys and your families will have an opportunity to do a trip like this."
And it is so true. Perhaps I will not have the time and money to go on such an extensive trip like this one, but even a couple weeks driving across country is an experience that I think everyone should partake in. Our country is filled with fascinating stories and beautiful sights; it's a shame to think about how many Americans would rather fly to Europe rather than explore their own backyard! If everyone took some time to go on a "Great American Road Trip" of their own, I think our country would become a little more enriching and a little more cultured, don't you think?
8.01.2010
I know this post is long overdue but for the sake of our enjoyment, let's pretend that today is July 22nd or 23rd :)
After our most wonderful experience at Yellowstone, we continued heading west towards Riverton, Utah to visit the Peltiers, a family of dear friends who moved to Utah not too long ago. They attended Calvary Chapel East Anaheim and were involved with the Newcomers' Dinner that my parents hosted once or twice a month so I got to know the family well.
Anyway, we were hoping to make it for dinner but we ran a little late and didn't arrive until 7 p.m. Luckily, everyone who went to the Peltiers' were still there when we arrived, so we got to chat for a little bit before they all took off. Meanwhile, I explored their beautiful home and backyard, ooing and awing at their hens and roosters and their amazingly large dog, Cooper. The moment we opened the car door, Daniel, Mary and Robert ran off to play with the Peltier kids. The evening flew by too quickly as we spent time catching up and learning more about their house and neighborhood. Before long, lights were out and everyone was sound asleep, gaining their energy for the next full day.
The following morning, Mom and I went for a jog around the neighborhood. I thought it would be easier to jog since Riverton wasn't so rural and hilly as the previous stops. But the altitude made it too difficult to do any kind of intense running or jogging, so Mom and I decided to walk briskly instead :) It was a great way to start of the morning and enjoy the beautiful mountain views.
When we got back, Hannah was making some potatoes, eggs and bagels for breakfast. We fueled up and then, Mom and I took Daniel and Mary to the doctor's office to check up on their never-ending cough. The diagnosis was simple: allergies from all the traveling. With a new prescription in hand, we made our way back to the house to get ready for the next adventure of the day. When we drove up, the kids (sans Daniel) all ran up to the car yelling, "Daniel just went to the hospital! He jumped off the hill and fell and hurt his arm! He was screaming in pain!" After lots of yelling, we finally got the story straight: Daniel had jumped off of this tiny little hill in the backyard and fell on his right arm. He landed on it and began crying so Dad decided to take him to the hospital just in case.
Meanwhile, everyone else went to some water fall for a picnic. I decided to stay at the house and do some job hunting for Korea. Although I got the job that I interviewed for in New York, I turned it down because they wanted me in Korea by August 17th, giving me only 2 weeks after I return from this road trip. Rather, I decided it was best to look for something that didn't feel so rushed and unorganized. Thus, the search continues.
I had a solid 2 hours to myself before Dad and Daniel returned to the house with...a temporary cast and sling! Daniel fractured his wrist and needed a cast for 4-6 weeks. Although he was absolutely bummed out, I kind of chuckled at the fact that he was the first in the family to break something. It was kind of like a coming-of-age thing. Rather than feeling sorry for him, I was happy he was experiencing it. He probably preferred the sympathy.
The rest of the gang returned shortly after. Robert and Mary felt very sorry for Daniel. At one point, I asked Robert why he was looking so sad (I thought maybe he had gotten in trouble). He said, "I'm just sad for Daniel. It makes me sad he broke his arm." How thoughtful :)
That evening, we went to church with the Peltiers. It was a lot of fun to see the McCormicks again and so many others from CCEA. We didn't even feel like visitors because we knew so many people! It was really quite wonderful.
After the service, I played with Vickie's precious little girl, Hannah Lily McCormick, and rocked her to sleep! I can't even put into words how sweet she is...you'll just have to look at the pictures!
[She's so cute!]
Everyone, including Pastor Joe and Vickie McCormick, drove over to Sub Zero, the local ice cream parlor, where they make the ice cream right in front of your eyes. First, you choose between milk, yogurt or soy milk. Then, you choose a flavor and a topping. The employees get your picked ingredients, add the liquid nitrogen to freeze it in front of your eyes and mix it altogether. You can even order it "extra hard" since they control how frozen your ice cream gets. Mom and I shared vanilla with Heath Bar topping...yum!!!! It was absolutely, positively one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.
[Dad and Pastor Joe catching up]
[Robert and Daniel--with his sling--waiting for their ice cream in anticipation]
[The crew!]
[Mom with Hannah again]
[Her little tiny baby feet]
We stayed there until it closed and even a little after since we were all having such a blast catching up. I ran into an old friend and spent the next hour talking about our lives since traveling together to Costa Rica in 2004! Finally, at around 11:30 p.m., we headed back to the house and knocked out in a matter of seconds.
No one wanted to leave the next morning. We took our precious time packing our things and eating breakfast. In fact, we didn't walk out the door until well past 11 a.m. We were just having too good of a time to end it. Mom kept saying, "Gosh, I don't want to leave" as she got up and then, she would just sit down at another chair. But our next (and last) destination was awaiting us, so despite our every desire to stay and continue chatting, we packed up the van and rounded up the family to say our very last "goodbye" of the trip!
After our most wonderful experience at Yellowstone, we continued heading west towards Riverton, Utah to visit the Peltiers, a family of dear friends who moved to Utah not too long ago. They attended Calvary Chapel East Anaheim and were involved with the Newcomers' Dinner that my parents hosted once or twice a month so I got to know the family well.
Anyway, we were hoping to make it for dinner but we ran a little late and didn't arrive until 7 p.m. Luckily, everyone who went to the Peltiers' were still there when we arrived, so we got to chat for a little bit before they all took off. Meanwhile, I explored their beautiful home and backyard, ooing and awing at their hens and roosters and their amazingly large dog, Cooper. The moment we opened the car door, Daniel, Mary and Robert ran off to play with the Peltier kids. The evening flew by too quickly as we spent time catching up and learning more about their house and neighborhood. Before long, lights were out and everyone was sound asleep, gaining their energy for the next full day.
The following morning, Mom and I went for a jog around the neighborhood. I thought it would be easier to jog since Riverton wasn't so rural and hilly as the previous stops. But the altitude made it too difficult to do any kind of intense running or jogging, so Mom and I decided to walk briskly instead :) It was a great way to start of the morning and enjoy the beautiful mountain views.
When we got back, Hannah was making some potatoes, eggs and bagels for breakfast. We fueled up and then, Mom and I took Daniel and Mary to the doctor's office to check up on their never-ending cough. The diagnosis was simple: allergies from all the traveling. With a new prescription in hand, we made our way back to the house to get ready for the next adventure of the day. When we drove up, the kids (sans Daniel) all ran up to the car yelling, "Daniel just went to the hospital! He jumped off the hill and fell and hurt his arm! He was screaming in pain!" After lots of yelling, we finally got the story straight: Daniel had jumped off of this tiny little hill in the backyard and fell on his right arm. He landed on it and began crying so Dad decided to take him to the hospital just in case.
Meanwhile, everyone else went to some water fall for a picnic. I decided to stay at the house and do some job hunting for Korea. Although I got the job that I interviewed for in New York, I turned it down because they wanted me in Korea by August 17th, giving me only 2 weeks after I return from this road trip. Rather, I decided it was best to look for something that didn't feel so rushed and unorganized. Thus, the search continues.
I had a solid 2 hours to myself before Dad and Daniel returned to the house with...a temporary cast and sling! Daniel fractured his wrist and needed a cast for 4-6 weeks. Although he was absolutely bummed out, I kind of chuckled at the fact that he was the first in the family to break something. It was kind of like a coming-of-age thing. Rather than feeling sorry for him, I was happy he was experiencing it. He probably preferred the sympathy.
The rest of the gang returned shortly after. Robert and Mary felt very sorry for Daniel. At one point, I asked Robert why he was looking so sad (I thought maybe he had gotten in trouble). He said, "I'm just sad for Daniel. It makes me sad he broke his arm." How thoughtful :)
That evening, we went to church with the Peltiers. It was a lot of fun to see the McCormicks again and so many others from CCEA. We didn't even feel like visitors because we knew so many people! It was really quite wonderful.
After the service, I played with Vickie's precious little girl, Hannah Lily McCormick, and rocked her to sleep! I can't even put into words how sweet she is...you'll just have to look at the pictures!
[Mom LOVED Hannah]
[She's so cute!]
Everyone, including Pastor Joe and Vickie McCormick, drove over to Sub Zero, the local ice cream parlor, where they make the ice cream right in front of your eyes. First, you choose between milk, yogurt or soy milk. Then, you choose a flavor and a topping. The employees get your picked ingredients, add the liquid nitrogen to freeze it in front of your eyes and mix it altogether. You can even order it "extra hard" since they control how frozen your ice cream gets. Mom and I shared vanilla with Heath Bar topping...yum!!!! It was absolutely, positively one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.
[Dad and Pastor Joe catching up]
[Robert and Daniel--with his sling--waiting for their ice cream in anticipation]
[The crew!]
[Mom with Hannah again]
[Her little tiny baby feet]
We stayed there until it closed and even a little after since we were all having such a blast catching up. I ran into an old friend and spent the next hour talking about our lives since traveling together to Costa Rica in 2004! Finally, at around 11:30 p.m., we headed back to the house and knocked out in a matter of seconds.
No one wanted to leave the next morning. We took our precious time packing our things and eating breakfast. In fact, we didn't walk out the door until well past 11 a.m. We were just having too good of a time to end it. Mom kept saying, "Gosh, I don't want to leave" as she got up and then, she would just sit down at another chair. But our next (and last) destination was awaiting us, so despite our every desire to stay and continue chatting, we packed up the van and rounded up the family to say our very last "goodbye" of the trip!