Two Peaks in Two Hours
Hiking is a popular sport in Korea, but is much less about the mountain, and more about who you’re with, what you’re wearing, and what to eat. I’m digging back a bit and describing one of my first hikes in Korea last fall. What I expected to be a laid back adventure ended up unfolding in colorful scenes, sort of like a comic book. So, that’s how I’m going to present it to you.
Jolly Times in Jeollanam-Do
Over Korean’s Memorial Day weekend I traveled to the southern province of Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Since the holiday fell on a Friday this year, I was gifted with a rare three-day weekend. I traveled through a tour company with about 50 other foreigners. With the amount of things packed into the trip, three days felt like a week!
Olango, Philippines: "The Most Beautiful Place in the World"
During my winter break in February, and after a visit from my lovely parents, I took a few of my leftover vacation days to make a quick trip to the Philippines. That sentence in itself is already awesome, no? “A quick trip to the Philippines? Sure, I can do that.” Security at Cebu’s airport. The Philippines are composed of 7,000 islands, so planning my trip was no easy feat. It was hard to get started. After careful research, and a lot of blog-reading, I chose a tiny “resort” on the lesser-known… Read More
Welcome to Korea, Mom and Dad!
Mom and Dad on the plane. As an expat living in a country as different and far from my home as Korea is, nothing is more comforting than having visitors. Especially when those visitors are your one and only parents! My adventurous side doesn’t come from nowhere, so I couldn’t wait to introduce my mom and dad to Korean life. Taking after my organized mother, I did a ton of research and composed a very detailed itinerary for their 11 days with me in February. I had planned a lot of sightseeing… Read More
Dinner: It’s Only Mostly Dead
Last weekend I went out with my co-workers for a seafood dinner unlike any I’ve had before. The restaurant was situated right on the beach in the city of Incheon. The ocean provided a beautiful reminder of where the food on our plates had come from, some of it seeming all too recently.I think the main attraction of the night was the squirming “sannakji” – live octopus. Technically it isn’t alive because they remove the brain, but its active body provides some unsettling entertainment: dinner and a show! Similar to a chicken… Read More
Simply Aloha
Contrary to popular belief, “aloha” doesn’t translate to “hello” and “goodbye.” It simply means “love.” That is how I could best describe America’s 50th state: simply love. The Hawaiian people share their own unique culture and language that makes it completely distinct from the rest of the country. I felt totally at ease and content during my 10-day visit; no wonder it’s a top vacation destination. Besides spending every day relaxing on a beach and catching up with my wonderful college friend, Rachel, and her family, one of the best parts of… Read More
Boulder Brewery Bouncing
Since living in Boulder, Colorado, it should come as no surprise that I’ve developed a sincere relationship with craft beer. I’m not sure if I’ve quite reached “hop head” status, but it’s safe to say I’m now a devoted fan of the IPA. My dad has never been prouder! My younger brother is also in the midst of cultivating a beer passion and this Memorial Day, we spent the better part of his visit in a serious beer daze. Each day was spent experimenting with a different local six pack from one… Read More
"When do we eat?"
Hello and welcome to my first-ever blog! I’m excited to finally kick start this long-time aspiration. This project will be as much of an unpredictable journey for me as it is for anyone reading. As my inspirational mother says, “It’s an experience, not a performance.” With that being said, I’m ready to just dive in! This first post is mainly to inaugurate the blog, an “inbloguration” if you will. If you’ve ever seen Dick Tracy starring Warren Beatty and Madonna (1990), you may remember the adorably foul-mouthed orphan, “Kid”, whose most… Read More
Who Eats Better? 