This Man of Mine

I have to take a moment and give credit where credit is due. Because this man of mine does a whole lot more than I could ever ask or give him credit for. 

So in celebration of what he calls his 'funeral' of turning 30 (even though we all know he'll forever act like he's in his 20's) I am making this post an ode to the birthday boy. The man behind the blog who doesn't get the spotlight nearly enough. 

So here's to the the man who....

has awesome photos like this from when he was little. Seriously, anytime I'm having a bad day, this photo instantly makes me feel better. 

forever changed my mind about redheads. I mean come on, how can you not think that red headed little cowboy is adorable?!

is patient with me in working on my fears. He's actually holding my hand so I don't go back up!

edits and shoots all of our photos. That's right. Every photo on here that doesn't look like it was taken with a phone (I take full credit for those) was produced by him. I couldn't ask for a better blogging partner.

always knows just how to make me smile.

gets up early every.single.morning to make us breakfast so I can take my time getting ready for work.

lets kids dress him up and who made my heart melt when we were kindi teachers and he would make up stories and tell them everyday in class.

is a daredevil extraordinaire. And even though I have had to close up, clean up and take care of more wounds than I care to count, I can never say that life with him is boring.

So, to the man who is above and beyond what I ever could have hope for...

30 has never looked so good.

No Technology Weekend

Do you ever feel like you just need a break from technology? Living as expats, technology has been our saving grace. It helps us keep in touch with loved ones around the world, connects us to other expats and makes our lives easier and more convenient. But does technology and social media ever just get to be...too much? We started to notice that at restaurants, work and even get togethers with friends, people were hooked to their phones, constantly wanting to be connected. Don't get me wrong, I love technology. Perhaps a little too much (just ask my husband).

But there comes a time every now and again for the need to shut down, disconnect, and recharge. This is when we call for a 'no technology weekend'. We shut off our cell phones, turn off the TV and shut down the computers for a weekend. Extreme, yes. Challenging, sometimes. But so rewarding in the end. It's the perfect opportunity for us to recharge and reconnect with each other and those around us.

So what ever do we do for two whole days unhooked from technology? Here are some of our favorite ideas:

.Go camping, even if it's too cold to go outside, set up the tent indoors and roast marshmallows over candles.

.Pack a picnic and go to a park, beach or even stay inside. 

.Grab a hammock and go read a book-Sherlock Holmes is always a hit with my husband.

.Go down to your local animal shelter. Often times they allow people to take the animals out of their cages and take them for walks and play with them.
.Find a dance class, many large cities hold them outdoors during the summer. (oh and by the by I used to dye my hair brown. I've had brown, red and platinum blonde with purple. It's safe to say that I'm done with my dying days)

.Find a new recipe and cook something together.

.Head down to your local pub and play some bar games or pool. 

.Get some culture at your local museum, zoo, or aquarium. Most cities have days of the week that are either free or offer discounted ticket prices.

.Take a bike ride to your favorite restaurant, park, or waterfront.

.Play tourist in your own city. So many times when we live in a city for so long, we forget the attractions that people come there to see. 

.Walk around a neighborhood looking at houses or find an open house to walk through together.
.Head down to the local waterfront or lake and grab some kayaks.

 .Act like kids again and grab some board games.

.Grab a blanket and go find the best place to see stars.

.Drive to your local bookstore and grab travel magazines, house magazines, anything that you guys  have in common and look through them together.

.Get outside and go on a hike.

So would you ever try a weekend with no technology? Tell me how it went!

This post was originally used as a guest post on The Bradley's

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And now onto one of my lovely sponsors this month. Be sure to check her out and say hi!

About Carrie: Hi Lost in Travels Readers! My name is Carrie and I blog over at Lego House. My blog is a lifestyle blog which I started right after I moved back to the U.S. from Thailand (where I had lived for six years) and right before I started my freshmen year of college. I blog about my college experiences, my family, my friends, and all of my travel adventures!

What she can't travel without: I can't travel without my phone, lip blam, socks, and my hair brush.

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A Very Diamond Wedding

When Jeremy and I were married over two years ago we not only hired a photographer but also a videographer. I wasn't too keen on the idea and thought that it might have been a waste of our wedding budget. But after seeing the finished product, I couldn't be more excited that he talked me into it. So why did it take over two years for us to see our wedding video? Instead of paying to have the videographer edit it for us, we just had him give us the raw video and Jeremy did all the work. Life and travels have gotten in the way these past few years but I've tried to be patient while he made it perfect for us. So without further ado, we have our wedding video. And let me tell you, it was worth the wait. 

Our Wedding! from Lost.in.Travels on Vimeo.

A Place I Call Home

Living as an expat, far from all things once familiar, is sometimes a surreal experience. Since leaving the states just over two years ago, there has been tragedy upon tragedy that we don't find out about until we wake up and check our Twitter or Facebook the next day. All of these experiences have been heartbreaking but they don't feel 'real' in a sense since we're so far away. All we have are second hand accounts from social media and news sites to find out the latest news from back home.

But with the recent tragedies in Oklahoma, it hit close to home. Just two hours from where both of our families and all of our friends live, I can't help but think about how this time is different. This time it was too close for comfort. But on top of all of these feelings, I have an overwhelming sense of pride of my country and my state with how we bond together to help each other out in the midst of chaos and heartache.

So today I focus on the good, the positive, and strive to think that above it all, there is still good in this messed up world of ours. Today I am thankful for:

Families being safe and sound

Romantic gestures

My sister and her ability to make me laugh at anything

Friends both old and new

For parents being able to come and visit

 For this guy, plain and simple

This fur ball 

Lazy weekends spent in hammocks

And this beautiful country that we get to call home

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the tornadoes this week. I am proud to be an Okie. 'I've never been to heaven, but I've been to Oklahoma.'

Linking up with Lisette, Rolled Up Pretty and Shanna

 

Lessons Learned

My siblings and me with all the glory of braces

Death is a funny thing. Today marks eight years since we got the phone call from the Austin police station, eight years since I saw my dad cry for the second time in my life, and eight years since I was permanently known to everyone in our small town as 'the girl who lost her brother'. There are some days when my brother's memory is just as vivid as if I just had that last lunch with him yesterday. The one where he hugged me tight and told me that he would see me again soon. And then there are times when I am talking with someone about him and I cannot for the life of me remember the simplest details about him like what his laugh sounded like or what his cologne smelled like that he had worn for years before the accident. It's funny how time slips away from us and with it, memories.

I guess I write this today not only to remember him but also to note how quickly time goes by. While a part of me wants so badly to remember every detail, there's another part that's relieved that I don't. It has enabled me to remember him and what he taught me, but not be able to hold on so close that it stops me from continuing forward. This experience has taught me three very important lessons in life in which I hold very near and dear:

1. Get out of your comfort zone. There are friends and family back home that think we're crazy for living so close to North Korea. But never in my wildest dreams would I think that my brother would be killed in a windsurfing accident, a hobby that he had done for over 10 years. My point is, we never know what will happen or what dangers we will encounter; so I've learned that fearing the unknown and the possible danger that lies ahead, cannot come between us and living our lives. As Beth Moore once said, 'We can be surrounded by our comfort zone. Sitting on our couch watching TV...and choke on a sandwich.' Don't miss out on all that life has to offer because of fear.

2. You're never alone. I can't tell you how many other people I have met since the accident with similar stories to mine. As much as I hate for others to have experienced the same thing I have, it's so comforting to hear their stories and know that I am not alone. Growing up, you hear stories and always think 'oh, that will never happen to me'. But in my case, it did. And while there is a lot of pain involved, I am so thankful for the support and love I have found in friends, family and even perfect strangers.

3. You are stronger than you think. Losing my brother was one of the most difficult times in my life. It was trying in ways that I never imagined. It tore my family apart and then rebuilt it to be more tight knit than before. During it, I thought it was the end of the world. But I got through it. And now because of that, when I face a difficult time in my life, I look back on that day and think 'I made it through that. I can certainly make it through this.'

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Linking up with Lisette

Korea Bound

I'm so thankful that my parents were able to come and visit us here in Korea. This is actually their second time here and even though we're miles away, it always feels like a little piece of home when they come to visit. The first time they came to visit, I was so nervous they would take one look around and wonder what the heck we were doing here. Korea isn't exactly tourist attraction capitol of the world. So I was pleasantly surprised when they ended up loving it so much that they decided to come a second time (us being here might have had something to do with it also). They even came prepared with a list of things they wanted to see and places they wanted to go during their visit. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see everything on their list mostly due to weather, time, or the fact that cherry blossoms are fickle flowers that disappeared a mere days before they arrived.

While they were here, we:

Found Christmas in April. At least half of that were things for us. It's hard to find things here so we have to take full advantage when someone comes to visit! You've been warned!

There were a few more surprises for us in those bags. We'll never turn down free American goodness. 

Showed them around our workplace (at least the areas that we were allowed to show them) and the massive ships and platforms that our students build. 

 Ate way too much Korea barbecue

 Did a little ziplining through the bamboo forest

 Got a geography lesson on top of a mountain

 Walked along a 'bamboo acupuncture' path. Still have no idea what that means but I do know that it's painful!

Rented bikes and road through fields of flowers in Gyeongju

Ate our fair share of Indian food. Much to my mom's despise (she can't handle the heat...yet)

Found the last few cherry blossoms still in bloom on the island.

Found a hiking trail that wasn't straight up hill (it's extremely rare in Korea to find a trail that doesn't resemble a stair stepper) so we took full advantage of it.

Shopped too much for the boys liking. They're good sports anyway. 

Actually found a legit brunch spot in Busan! We ate our fair share of french toast and eggs benedict. I sooo miss breakfast restaurants from the states!

I think one of the most difficult things about being an expat is being far from friends and family. I can get used to not finding my size in clothing (although it's annoying), I've grown accustomed to the food and also to the vast majority of cultural differences. The one thing that will never change as an expat is just how good it is to see loved ones.

PS: I have TWO great giveaways today! First up, head over to Mish's blog for a chance to win a one month in-post ad here on Lost in Travels! And TWO, head over to Melissa's blog where myself and eight other lovely bloggers are giving away over $100 to Victoria's Secret! Now's the time to get ready for swimsuit season! Good Luck!

Linking up with Molly, Meg, Leann, Brooke, Logan, Carissa, Rachel

For When You Can't Be There

My favorite was the Curious George book about adventure, being yourself and never giving up

Being overseas makes getting gifts back home for Christmas a little more difficult. I'm not so much concerned with the older family members (sorry guys) but I do care about getting my niece something nice. Even though she's only a few months old I want to make sure that I remain close to her as she grows up, even with the distance between us. For all I know my niece thinks we live in a third world country or an exotic island destination. Or it could be terrible. She could know the truth that we actually lead pretty normal lives and spend the majority of our days trying to get kids to repeat things like 'How are you?' and 'I have four people in my family.' Then we spend the remainder of class drawing family pictures and voila...lesson plan. But I digress.

This is why I'm so glad that my mom (genius that she is) sent me one of Hallmark's recordable books. It's the perfect gift that my niece can listen to over and over again and hear our voices reading her the story. Then hopefully by the time we get back she'll at least recognize us by our voices.
Sidenote:I went to go mail this and while I was at the post office I decided to write a little note on the first page. And of course, forgetting that it's a recorded book, I opened it right up. And of course, us saying 'Merry Christmas Teagan!' was blasted throughout the post office (warning: this book recording device is loud...Or maybe it's just us). Thankfully, I  managed to cover the speaker before there were too many stares. Although I did manage to catch a glimpse of the clerk laughing and shaking his head at me.

What do you get people that you won't see this Christmas season?

Joshy washy

{you can tell we're related by our identical large noses}

My brother hated the nickname Joshy washy but as his younger sister, it was my duty to torment him with it. As we got older, my brother and I were, for all intensive purposes, clones of one another with the same taste in music, art and hobbies. I think it was because of this bond that he became my biggest cheerleader. He not only had hopes higher than I could dream but he also had all the confidence that I could do anything. Everything a girl needs in a big brother. He was also a thrill seeker extradonaire. Which I am not by any means, but I loved to watch. His favorite hobby was windsurfing and one of my favorite memories was when he started as a young boy and I would join him and ride along on the front of the board. As the years passed, he went from amateur to teaching windsurfing at his university. Seven years ago, while away at grad school, he was killed in a windsurfing accident the day before he was supposed to come home to visit.

You always hear these stories but you never think it will happen to you, and sometimes it still feels like it didn’t happen. People ask me how I got past it and the truth is, I never did. It’s not something you get over or past. It’s something that you live with on a daily basis. The difference is that you make the choice of what you make out of the situation. You can wonder why something happened, you can question it and try to make sense out of it or you can pick yourself back up and keep going. I don’t mourn my brother anymore. These dates are no longer a sob fest in my house; feeling sorry for myself and asking “why me” questions. But I do remember him every day and I think that’s the important part. He was and still is an important part of my life and taught me so much about living life, seeking out adventure and being proud of who I am, inevitable flaws and all. It is these lessons that I will always remember and cherish...and his awesome salsa dancing skills.

Happy birthday bro, you’re still an inspiration.