It's That Time Again.

Hey everyone,

                It’s that time again. I’m living out of my backpack. I overslept for my early morning flight yesterday but still made it. I won’t be staying in the same bed for more than three nights in a row for a couple of weeks. I'm armed with an ample supply of emergency granola bars hidden throughout all of my bags. And once I have a place to stay for the night and know where I'm going to get my daily coffee, my day will be made. It’s time to start traveling again.               

Today marks an official year since I took off from South Korea for a year of adventure around the world. In the past year I was lucky enough to travel to 25 different countries. Two I had been to before, the rest I hadn’t been to but only read about. Three countries I spent less than a day in, but two I spent two months in. There will never be enough time to spend exploring a new country, therefore I’m grateful for the precious little time I was able to have in each new place, because I still learned more than I would have from not going. I’m often asked which has been my favorite country over the past few years of traveling, and I always reply that I can’t answer that straightaway. I have to qualify it more, because I can’t possibly choose a favorite. For best food, prices, and beaches I’d say Thailand is my favorite. For history and intrigue, China was one of my favorites. For learning about and experiencing modern history in the making, South Africa was my favorite. For atmosphere and cultural vibe, Brazil was my favorite. The list goes on. 

Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I feel like I can't truly comprehend how much I've done in the past year because I haven't had much time to reflect, but looking back on each place, I realized that my primary motivation for traveling has been, and still will be, to learn. As long as I keep learning, it’s worth the time, the money, and the inevitable rough patches. Some of my most spine tingling moments of the past year have been when I’ve seen for my own eyes things I’ve only heard about and never fully understood until then, such as in the China National Museum, when I saw the posters of Mao and his Communist propaganda statements, as part of a national ideology that has been responsible for the death of millions of innocent lives in China. Or sitting down on a bench at the Vietnam War Memorial Museum with tears streaming down my face as I realized how much I never knew about my own country and its role in the effort to contain Communism.  Or taking a boat to Robben Island, and seeing Nelson Mandela’s former prison cell as he lay ill in a hospital not too far from where I had been staying. These moments have changed me, and changed the way I view the world as I learn the significance of each place.

The Great Wall of China, China

And now, as I prepare for yet another adventure, I can officially look back and say “I did it.” I did what I set out to do last August: to travel around the world for a year. It has been an incredible journey, and I still can’t quite believe it’s all really happened. I’ve seen so much, learned so much, and experienced so much more than I ever expected. It’s a little sad to think that I’ll likely never be able to travel freely for a year again, but at the same time that’s what made this year so special – now that I’ve done it, I’m ready to move on and start a new adventure, after taking some much needed time on my own at home in Minnesota the past two months. I’ve caught up with lifelong friends, reunited with my extended family members, met up with people I hadn’t seen since before I left for South Korea, took a road trip to Wisconsin, and had some time to myself to enjoy living in downtown Minneapolis. I landed safe and sound in Colorado yesterday morning, where I will be for the next week, then a quick stop in Chicago, a visit to Prague, and even a layover’s worth of an afternoon in Stockholm en route to Moscow, where I will arrive on September 1^st to begin a 9 month teaching contract. I’m very excited for the new experiences Russia will bring…and I’m pretty excited to see a paycheck again. So that’s what I’m up to next. As always, I’ll be connected via e-mail and Facebook, and I’d love to hear from you. Even if it’s just because you were thinking of me on a cold Minnesota winter day and took comfort in the fact that I was probably colder than you were, so things could have been worse.  I’ll still appreciate the thought.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

But before I close, I have to qualify something. I can’t actually look back and say “I did it. I traveled the world for a year,” because although I was the one who made all my flights (okay, most of them) and survived overnight bus rides and got to where I needed to be in the end, it wasn’t an individual effort. I was able to travel the way I did thanks to the pure kindness, generosity, and hospitality of so, so many people. From the people who graciously opened their homes to me, like Steve and Mary, Megan in Shanghai, all of my ‘second families’ and friends back in the United States, my aunt and uncle during our vacation in Costa Rica, Rosy in Chilamate, Chelsea in New York City, Jason and Katie’s families in South Africa, and even my friends and family back in Minnesota and Wisconsin who graciously hosted me as I made my rounds. But it’s not only thanks to them, it’s thanks to all the helpful people who gave me a smile, or treated me with kindness during a frustrating time. From the little old ladies who couldn’t speak English but were able to point me in the right direction to the people who took the time to draw out a little map on a random piece of paper to show me where to go. From the bus drivers who remembered where I had asked to go to and alerted me when we’d reached my destination to the people at the train stations who helped me get on the right train. From my travel companions Sara, Roxy, Cecilia, Jen, and Kate to all the friendly people I met along the way, who invited me to share a meal, take a picture, or explore a new city with them. From the elderly Australian man who walked with me for a half and hour to keep me company and show me the right way to the airport in Sydney to Ken and Susan, the Canadian couple who offered me their cell phone for a quick call, then bought me my first American meal during a layover on my way home. And of course, to the consistent support of my family, who have never done anything but encourage me and believe in me. To all these people and so many more, I owe a lifetime of gratitude and as always, I only hope that in the future I can be ‘that person’ who helped someone else along their way or offered them a place to stay if they were passing through. If traveling has taught me anything, I think the most important lesson I’ve learned is that people are the same all around the world. And most people are pretty great.

Machu Picchu, Peru

So with that, take a few minutes to think about and thank all of the wonderful people in your lives that have helped you along the way, who have shown you the right way when you were lost, or simply just given you a smile when you needed it the most. Then, try to be ‘that person’ for someone else. Because with people like that in our lives and a dream in our minds, we can do anything. 

To all of those that I was able to see back home this summer, each minute of your time was so precious to me and I thank you for it. To the rest of you, think about booking that ticket to Moscow! Maybe avoid the winter. But if not, best wishes for the last few weeks of summer and hopefully I’ll be back in action next year for graduate school – location pending on how well I complete my applications this winter. Take care, and feel free to check out the following pictures – some of my favorites from the past year of travelling.

Leaf Lake, Minnesota, USA

Hoi An, Vietnam

Koh Chang, Thailand

Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

Shanghai, China

Koh Chang, Thailand

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Playa Ballena, Costa Rica

La Fortuna, Costa Rica

New York City, New York, USA

Camps Bay, South Africa

Hout Bay, South Africa

Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

The Bund, Shanghai, China

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Banyan, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Bali, Indonesia

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Sydney, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Nadi, Fiji

Trip of a Lifetime

Hey everyone!

Yes, that's right - I made it back home successfully! I didn't get sick ( just a minor cold), nothing got stolen, I didn't get horribly lost (I mean, I always get lost, but nothing too alarming), no injuries, nothing broken, and only one casualty: the loss of my green UWGB workout shorts that I brought to sleep in. I believe they're somewhere in my hostel in Nepal - sad. Oh, and I got a wicked sunburn on my back from my beach day in Goa (yes Mom, I used sunscreen...but I must have missed some spots because I was feeling it for days.) But all in all, my trip was a wonderful experience and I feel so fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to travel there.

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I took lots of pictures and I have lots of stories. The bad news is that I would have to type for two days straight to post everything, so I'm going to have to do quite a bit of consolidating. I'll write country by country - I'm settling in for my third day of deskwarming (the part of my amazing job where I just have to show up and sit here - I can do whatever I want (under the pretense that I'm 'preparing lessons') and they even let me leave early.) So I'm kind of off the hook for today then - no pictures yet, but if you are on Facebook you can see my albums that I just uploaded.

So, if you'll allow me to prelude my individual country posts, let me tell you a little bit about my overall experience. Do you remember when I quoted my Lonely Planet book to say "Nothing can fully prepare you for India, but perhaps the one thing that best encapsulates this extraordinary country is its ability to inspire, frustrate, thrill and counfound all at once?" This couldn't have been more on the money, and it hold true for Nepal and Sri Lanka as well. I had never seen such abject poverty, insane living conditions, and ways of life before, except on television. I wasn't prepared for the noise, the crazy busy streets, the cows that ruled the road, the people everywhere, or the stares. Ohh the stares. Let me put it this way: remember when I said Koreans are really good at staring? Well, they could take lessons from the majority of the South Asian men. These guys are pros. I was stared at from top to bottom my entire trip, and by the end of it I was so ready to be left alone. I actually embraced Korean staring when I came back on Sunday, because Korean staring is purely out of curiousity. The South Asian staring was much different, and it made me feel much more uncomfortable. When you see my pictures you'll notice I wore a scarf and pants almost everywhere, even when it was hot out. There was a reason. They not only stared (of course, most of it was simply out of curiousity, but the rest of it was definitely not), but most tried to chat me up, and most for the purpose of selling me something, whether it be a shopkeeper, a taxi driver, a restaurant owner, or a 'guide' offering to show me around. Oofda. I quickly learned and mastered what I like to call my 'tough face.' Look straight ahead, walk fast and confidently, avoid eye contact, and say "no thank you" with a polite smile to everyone who called out "yes, hello madam, have a look?" or "where are you going madam, taxi?" or "yes madam, I give you good price, or "Madam, what country from you?" Of course, this was only in extreme cases - in some areas and cities I was able to stroll more casually and act much friendlier, (no one likes looking like Victoria Beckham all the time) but most of the time when I was out on the streets (they never seemed to understand that most travelers prefer walking everywhere - if I want a taxi I'll find one myself, thank you very much) I had to put on my tough face. It was hard, it made me feel like a horrible person, and I hated being marked as a money machine tourist. That was the frustrating part.

However, the thrilling part came hand in hand with the frustrations. From the moment I touched down in Nepal, I enjoyed the thrill of simply being in the country and seeing a place I have only ever read about or seen on television. India was an electrifying experience, and Sri Lanka was beautiful everywhere you looked. Singapore was awesome too, and my time in all four countries was heightened by the fact that I was actually there, walking around on the streets, eating the food, sweating in the heat, and taking in the experience. I saw so many beautiful sights, got to know some of the local people in each area, and learned so so much about each place while I was there. One added bonus of my trip that I hadn't counted on was finding a pleasing variety of used bookstores, mostly in English. A lot of them were tourist traded, but there were also a lot of local publications. Add these books to the hours and hours of public transportation that I rode on, and imagine how happy I was :) I bought books about Nepali history and culture in Nepal, traded them for ones about India in India, and about Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. In Singapore I traded some books (that were quite heavy to keep carrying around) for a large book on the history of Singapore. As a result, I was able to read about Tibetan Buddhism while in Nepal the day after I visited a Tibetan monastery, I read the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabarata while on trains in India, and I read about the recent civil war and ethnic fighting in Sri Lanka while IN Sri Lanka, etc. There's no better way to learn than experience, and by actually being there my reading came alive, and I was able to see firsthand what I was reading and learning about. I actually kept track: I read and traded 13 books on my 3 week trip. I was so distraught at not being able to buy the cheap used books and bring back with me - I just didn't have the room. There's an amazing bookstore in Kathmandu I would consider returning to just for their dirt cheap books that I just can't get in Korea or America.

So that was fun. When I wasn't walking around and exploring, meeting people, or on a train or a bus, I was taking breaks at coffee shops (not very many of them like in American and Korea) or local restaurants, eating amazing Indian food, reading, and taking notes. I called it my educational vacation, and it was nice to have to down time in between my busy travels. I also had an added incentive to read fast - the more books I finished the more I could trade at the next bookstore. I planned my trip so that I alternated night traveling with staying in one spot for the night. It worked out to five nights sleeping on a bus or a train, five nights staying with host families, and three nights at guesthouses in India. Nepal and Sri Lanka were all guesthouses. That was different to me - my prior backpacking experience was in Europe, where I slept many nights in shared hostel rooms. That concept didn't really catch on in South Asia, as there were mostly just hotels or guesthouses - you had to book a room for yourself, so I didn't end up sharing with anyone. That was fine by me, but it made for a more solitary experience that I expected. However, there were always guests around at the breakfast table or dinner table, and I met other travellers quite easily throughout my trip.

I'll save the rest of my details for my country posts. But before I sign off here, I have to talk about the most significant part of my trip and what I took away from it. My prior travel experiences have been limited to Mexico on a beach resort, the Caribbean on a cruise, the US, Western Europe, and South Korea. In other words, I have only traveled in affluent countries, and while there have been instances of poverty here and there, I had never seen or even imagined anything like South Asia. I saw the slums of people living in makeshift houses out of metal or wood or tree branches. I saw women and children working in the fields, carrying water in buckets from the local well or spring, washing clothes in the river, washing themselves in the river or public water spouts. I saw cows and other animals wandering everywhere, on the streets in front of the homes, with no one cleaning up after then. I saw piles upon piles of garbage in rivers, ditches, and the streets. I felt like I had been transported back to the Middle Ages, but then I would turn the corner and find a cell phone store. The contrast between tradition and modernity, between poverty and affluence, between sanitary and unsanitary conditions was overwhelming. What I quickly began to realize, and even more so than ever before, was how lucky I have been in the past to have grown up in a good environment, with so many things I took for granted such as adequate health and dental care, a clean, safe neighborhood, and especially a good education. Of course, people in Nepal and India and Sri Lanka have these things too, especially in the big cities, but these people are harder to find, especially to the average tourist. In South Asia, the poverty is manifest and unavoidable, from the people in the streets trying to sell you endless things, to the children who knock on your car door at a traffic light begging for money, to the slum houses set up along the train tracks, drying their clothes on the empty tracks.

This part was hard to see and take in, and I didn't feel it was right to take pictures of such conditions, so you won't see any of it - you'll just see the impressive sights and splendors of South Asia, which deserve mention and praise as much as the poverty deserves addressing. My trip really put how fortunate I have been and am in life, and how much I have really taken for granted in perspective. In the past few days I have found myself even appreciating Korea much more than I did before, for its clean, quiet streets, its people that leave me alone and don't seem to see me as an ATM when I'm simply walking down the streets, and for its familiar modernity. I still have a lot to learn about life and the world around me, but I think going to South Asia was a beginner's crash course into the reality of the world, and how the western world that I grew up in is absolutely nothing like many other millions of people who share the planet with us. I only hope that my learning and experiencing more about these problems of inadequate health care, education, and overall quality of life in countries such as Nepal (one of the poorest countries in the world) will lead to learning more about what the solutions might be.

One last mention: if you're reading this and thinking, wow, what horrible places to see and visit - you're terribly wrong. I mention the hard parts only because they are too obvious to ignore. Yes, it's hard, and yes, it would be nice to pretend it just doesn't exist, but you just can't. However, my experience as a tourist would probably have been limited to just this - the shock at seeing the povery and the amazement at seeing sights such as the Taj Mahal and the beaches of Goa. However, I was incredibly lucky to have two family stays, thanks to my mom's friend Shanthi, who seems to have relatives and friends all over the world willing to help me out through my travels. When I stayed with these two families (it actually ended up being three due to a train station miscommunication, so I was a last minute guest until my host could come pick me up) I was treated with so much kindness and hospitality, and their families were so welcoming and gracious towards me - what an amazing treat after living on the road for a couple of weeks, being treated purely as a tourist. With these families I was able to talk to them about India's current situation, learn more about why India is the way it is, learn how people feel about India and how they try to help, and, one of the best parts, eat homecooked Indian food. Both of the moms took time out of their days to take me around the cities (New Delhi and Mumbai) and I really felt like I got such an insider's perspective, worth more than a dozen guidebooks. Something has to be said for the resiliance and kindness of the Indian people - they wouldn't be such a strong nation without the power of their hearts, and to meet them and talk with them provided inspiration for me for the future of such a beautiful country.

So, when traveling one has to take in the good with the bad, and hopefully take something valuable away from both. In this regard, my trip was a huge success. Was I inspired? Yes. Frustrated? Oh, yeah. Thrilled? Immensely. Confounded? Every minute! Thanks Lonely Planet - you hit the nail on the head. Fun fact: travelers and Indians alike call Lonely Planet India "The Bible" since so many tourists tote it around. I had Lonely Planet, but since I downloaded the PDFs I just printed off the maps and took notes in my notebook - a 'covert' Lonely Planet, if you will. I hope you are all having a great week! I'll write more about Nepal next and show you some pictures. Love you and miss you all!

Happy New Year!

Wow, I bet you miss me - I think my last post was sometime last year. I hope the New Year is finding you all warm and cozy as you cross through various stages of winter hibernation, especially in the Midwest. Luckily, your hibernating abilities have been greatly aided by your recent consumption of all the delicious holiday treats that passed your way...at least, that's usually how it works for me.

Before you begin reading I must warn you: the following blog entry contains lots of snow pictures. I'm sure those of you who have been living in record breaking snowdumps are pretty sick of the snow, so if you don't think you can handle another image of snow - stop reading. If you're willing to brave it and you have a warm blanket nearby, you may continue reading.

For the past four years New Year's has marked the beginning of my annual Florida training trip for the university swim team - ten days of sleep, eat, swim, eat/beach/sleep (either simultaneously or some combination of the three within a short time period), swim, eat, sleep, repeat. Insert random games of shuffleboard or cards (all we have energy for after swimming four hours a day), add some wicked sunburns to those of us whose midwestern skin has turned nearly translucent by January, and of course, add some pain medication and/or ice to help alleviate the intense pain our muscles have to endure, and you have a pretty complete picture of my usual January.

My situation is drastically different this year. I'm living in a moderately cold climate (around 30 degrees, warmer in the day and colder at night) with some snow to look at and enough ice to make the roads a bit slippery - a strange change from the January tundra weather in Wisconsin and Minnesota. No swimming, no beach, no pain. This was my walk to school from the bus stop on Thursday morning (which I had to walk back home on a half hour later because we found out it was a snow day) Instead of a break from schoolwork during which I usually tackle a long, difficult novel that I actually have time to read (Tolstoy was usually my winter break author of choice,) I am working harder than ever now, as I have to prepare for four hours of English camp a day, five days a week. Last, instead of stocking up and eating staple swimmer foods: cereal, pasta, sandwiches, and (my personal favorite) Goldfish crackers to keep up energy and fuel for the thousands of meters I usually have to swim, I'm indulging in my new favorite Korean foods: kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage), kimbap (rice wraps), and jjigaes (soups). Said foods usually run for 2 to 3 dollars for a filling meal of rice, vegetables, and soup - the perfect meal on a cold winter day. My friends and I, who were tending to favor the western restaurants when we first arrived in Korea since we eat Korean every day at school, are now choosing Korean restaurants to eat at...they are cheap, delicious, and incredibly flavorful.

My last post about Christmas was much later than I usually write - the reason I was so late on that was because of the aforementioned English camp. Even though the school year technically ended on Christmas Eve (their school year runs from March to December, with a long winter break and short summer break compared to our year from September to May, with a short winter break, spring break, and long summer break) most students attend some form of 'winter camp,' be it math or science or English, for about 3 to 4 hours a day, usually only for one to three weeks. I tend to think of them as 'enrichment classes,' as there is no set curriculum, and the main objective is to just keep exposing them to English through reading, speaking, listening, and writing, but in a more fun way than a typical class lesson.

As a result, I've been racking my brain trying to think of how to entertain the same 12 kids, (2 diferent levels) for four hours, 5 days a week for three weeks - about 20 lessons a week, compared to the usual 10 I have to prepare (minus my usual prep hours!) This past week I was prepared for each lesson, but only on a day by day basis - I came home and immediately started working on the next day's lessons, usually waking up early to finish them after spending five to six hours a day preparing. My life was consumed by winter camp. However, due to the two snow days that I lucked out with last Thursday and Friday, I am now prepared through most of the upcoming week, and I can plan the rest of the lessons at a more leisurely pace. The camp theme is 'Around the World' - we are reading an abridged version of The Adventures of Sinbad chapter by chapter each day, and then 'traveling' to a different country each day, which the vocabulary/activities/readings are centered around. It's been fun, but again, a lot of work.

I only have two more weeks of camp at my main school now, and then I spend seven days at my other school (for which I can use the same lessons since it is a different group of kids) before finally leaving on my vacation! I haven't had one (well, besides my recent snow day four day weekend) since September - I'm definitely ready! After working out my camp schedule with my two schools (a longer process than you might think - Koreans tend to not have schedules ready and made far in advance like we're used to - there are a lot of last minute changes) I booked my tickets, got my visas in order, and have been travel planning ever since. I'm going to three different countries: Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, and then I have a 19 hour layover in Singapore on my way home, during which I'll be able to leave the airport and do a little exploring. There are endless amazing sights to see in all three countries, and a month doesn't seem to be enough to cover just one, let alone three, but I figured I'd rather go and get a taste than not go at all. I'll post more about my itinerary as the time gets closer, but for now the thought that in less than four weeks I'll be taking off for Nepal is enough to keep me braving the winter cold (I know, I know, I have nothing to complain about compared to most of you guys back home) and not lamenting the fact that I'm not in Florida right now.

My 'snow days' were a joke by Midwestern standards - about three inches of snow on the ground, but due to the lack of salt on the roads and the apparent lack of snowplows (I hear they have them here...but I haven't seen one) the roads weren't in great condition. As my school is out in the country, (the picture to the right was outside the front door of the school) it was hard enough for us teachers to get out there on the bus, but a lot of the students had a hard time getting there as well, so school was cancelled. I spent the day happily working away at one of my favorite coffee shops downtown (pictured), watching the snow come down outside the windows and laughing at all the people walking by carrying umbrellas for the snow.

On Thursday night I found out that the next day would be a snow day as well, as there was a bona fide snowstorm going on - big thick flakes falling all day and all night, (I took this while waiting at the bus stop on Thurday night) all over the area, so I planned to sleep in a bit and hang around on Friday morning before heading out to Mokpo, where the New Year's Eve festivities were planned to commence. However, after corresponding with Sara that morning it turned out she couldn't get to Mokpo that night due to the buses having a hard time getting in and out of her little country town because of the snow. Unsure of how the night was going to end up, by the time I got to the bus station I found out that the buses were, however, running to Jangheung from Gwangju, so we decided I should just head there first and then see if we could get out to Mokpo if the roads were more clear later in the afternoon.

After a longer than usual bus ride that I spent most of looking out the window at the pretty snow and mountains, once I got to Jangheung it turned out the Mokpo line was closed for the rest of the day, so we decided not to waste time by going back to Gwangju and then Mokpo, as we woudn't get there until close to 9 or 10, and instead just make the most of our New Year's Eve in Jangheung. Sara made a delicious pasta dinner for me and our friend Cassie, who also lived in Jangheung, which we enjoyed with 1 dollar bottles of sparkling wine. After relaxing and chatting on the cozy warm floor (I like to think that hanging out at Sara's place in the winter is best compared to hanging out in the Arctic Circle, but at least she has heated floors) we toasted in the New Year outside in the snow (our grand plan ended up lasting about one minute - it involved running outside, yelling Happy New Year at midnight, and then immediately running back in due to the cold) and then decided to celebrate by going out for our new favorite...Korean food. Yes, it was 1 in the morning, and yes, it was delicious.

The next day we lazed around in our pajamas and worked on booking tickets and planning for our upcoming trips (she's going to Indonesia and Southeast Asia), watched a movie, and then went for a walk to take some pictures of the beautiful snow covered scenery in Jangheung. I thought about where I was at this point last year (in Green Bay ready to leave for Florida, with two months left of swimming after my fourteen years of training, and only one semester left of college.) I applied to work in Korea right before leaving for Florida, knowing that I wanted to work overseas after graduation, but having no idea where I would end up and how amazing it would end up being.

As I headed home that day and gazed out the bus window at the dazzling snow, I thought about how comfortable I am with my current life - teaching, traveling, riding buses everywhere, eating with chopsticks every day, reading whatever I want instead of what I needed to write my next paper on, and planning dozens of upcoming trips. It's exactly what I imagined my life to be while living overseas - but I realized that what I hadn't counted on were all the great experiences I would have due to all of the great people I've met and become friends with in just a short time. No matter where in the world you are, you can almost always have the essentials - food, water, shelter, clothes - but it's not until you interact with the people - local or fellow travelers - and you share experiences with them, either at work, volunteering, or even just out to eat for a meal, that you will really truly experience a new place, and nine times out of ten you will enjoy it that much more. I can read books anywhere, I can sleep in hostels all around the world, I can take as many pictures as I want to, but how many times am I able to pay three dollars to eat a steaming hot bowl of kimchi jjigae and rice with my friends at 1 AM on New Year's Day? Or eat Korean pizza with corn as a staple topping (don't ask me why - they think we do that on pizza, apparently) with my friends for Christmas dinner?

These experiences and many, many more, are what made my 2010 such a great year - I can't wait to see what 2011 will bring! Much love to all my family and friends who make me count my blessings each and every day for being in my life. I hope you all had a great holiday season and have a fantastic start to your New Year!