Expat Diaries-Signs You've Lived in Asia

It's that time again! Link up your expat/travel stories below and make sure to stop by some other bloggers and say hi! We also have a very special co-host with us this month, Nicole from Treasure Tromp so be sure to show her some love as well! Thanks to everyone for linking up and spreading the word! We have had so much fun getting to know you all!

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Have you ever lived abroad and realized that you've developed tell tale signs that you've been out of your home country for awhile? I was skyping with a good friend of mine back home the other day when all of a sudden, she started to giggle over something I said. You see, when you live overseas for a certain amount of time, you're lingo beings to...change. College turns into University, air conditioners are now air cons. We've also started using the Korean word 'mogi' for mosquito in our household. But that's a whole other type of confusing that we will impart upon our children.

This whole conversation got me thinking about how else we'll stick out when we return back home and what are some tell tale signs that show that a person has lived in Asia for a little too long.

.You've mastered the art of chopsticks. Just call me the Mr. Miyagi of chopsticks.

.You consider squatty potties you thigh workout for the day.

.It looks as if you're preparing for the apocalypse when you visit Walmart back home. Because of course, not just one bag of peanut butter m&ms will do, you need five. When we visited back home, the lady at the cash register gave us more than a few weird looks as half a dozen deodorants, six containers of oatmeal and various vitamins and medicines pass her checkout line.

.No shower curtain in the bathroom? No problem. And let's face it ladies, the toilet is the perfect height to rest your leg while shaving anyway.

.You think it's gross when people don't take off their shoes when entering a house.

.You can't have a conversation without pausing to think of the correct word. When your job is to try and simplify the English language as much as possible, your vocabulary tends to go out the window.

.You can't wrap your head around a car that can comfortably fit people in the back seat. Our current car you have to sit sideways since there's not enough room for your knees to sit facing forward.

.You have to roll up all of your pants and pass them off as cropped pants because let's face it, that's as long as you can find them

.You bow...to everyone.

.You could have a degree in the art of charades. Ever had to play charades to find out where the lady doctor is? Pray you never have to.

.You don't understand what people do with homes more than 1,000 sq. ft...but you're still a little jealous of them anyway.

Are there any other signs that I've missed? Have you ever lived abroad and felt a little different when talking with people back home?

Budgeting and the Envelope System

I'm one of the weird ones that absolutely loves to budget and one of my favorite budgeting tools has been the envelope system. I love budgeting because I love seeing how if we stick to this amount of spending, how much we can save by a certain date. Which inevitably leads to the discussion with my husband about where we are going to travel with said savings. Because one of the main reasons why my husband and I got serious about budgeting is because the better we budget, the more we can travel, the more we can do and the more often we can go.

There's been a lot of buzz about the envelope system recently and I've gotten a few emails asking about it so I thought I would take this opportunity to tell a bit about it and why we love it so much. I'm also teaming up with Nicole from The Treasure Tromp where she's telling her experience with starting to use the envelope system. So be sure to check out her page and read about her experience!

So let's get into it.

Background History
The envelope system is strongly promoted by Dave Ramsey who is a financial guru of sorts and also runs the Financial Peace University; a great place to start if you're serious about getting on a budget. As with all advice, take everything with a grain of salt. This is what works for us; but take the time to research and try some different methods to find what works best for you. Jeremy and I started using the envelope system shortly after we were married about three years ago and after a few months of trial and error, we found a system we were happy with and have been doing it ever since.

What is it
The envelope system is a budgeting tool where you calculate how much you spend each month and divide it into categorized envelopes. For example, you decide how much you want to spend on groceries, take out that amount of cash and stick it in an envelope titled 'groceries'. Then, for that month, you only use the cash that is in the enveope. Once the money is gone, it's gone. You have to wait till the next month to spend any more.

How we use it
-We have figured out how much we spend in a month and divide it into a different envelope for the following categories: entertainment, groceries, household, Jeremy's spending and my spending. Choose which areas you want to include.

-We decided that we wanted to put each of our personal spending in there for several reasons. I always hated the thought of having to discuss personal purchases with each other. If we split up our spending, there's no discussion necessary. If he wants to buy something expensive, and he has the money saved up in his personal spending, he can go buy it. No questions asked. And vice versa. We don't care what the other one spends because it doesn't come out of our mutual spending account and it doesn't hurt our savings for that month.

Why we love it
-When we spend money with our credit or debit card, we would lose track of what we were spending and found that we bought more because we didn't have a visible limit like we would if we only brought cash with us.

-We have found we have saved more money because it is a constant and visual reminder of how much money we have to spend that month

-Budgets don't have to be constricting guys. If it's done well, and done to fit your lifestyle, it can be rewarding. Like when we cook at home more during a month and realize at the end that we still have a ton in entertainment money. Whoop! Date night!

Trouble Shooting
-So let's say you're on your way home from work and want to stop to get some groceries. But oh no! your envelopes are at home. Don't worry about it. When this happens we just use our debit card at the grocery store. We have another envelope titled 'Deposit'. This is used when we receive cash for any reason OR if we use our debit card. We pull the money out of the envelope we spent from and put it into deposit to take to the bank later on.

-You like to keep cash in your wallet for emergencies or unforeseen spending. This is also perfectly ok! We usually keep around $20 in our wallets at all times. This does not come out of any of the envelopes, just our mutual spending account. If we use that money from one of the categories, when we get home, we simply pull money out of that envelope and use it to reimburse the money kept in our wallets. 

-Now this one, not everyone will agree with but it works for us. If we have a really big personal purchase (for example, my husband bought his own dirt bike a few months back) and we don't have the money in our personal accounts at the moment, we allow ourselves to take 'loans' of sorts. So for the next few months following his purchase, his spending money was cut until his bike was paid off. 

I am by no means a budget expert. This is what we use and what works for us. So tell me, what is your best kept secret for budgeting? Have you tried the envelope system?

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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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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Expat Diaries-Life and Perspectives in Korea

I decided for this month's Expat Diaries, I would step back in time and talk about when we first came over to Korea and how moving overseas has changed us. Link up your travel/expat stories below and get to know some of the other lovely bloggers!

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I still remember the moment my husband and I decided to move abroad. I had texted him to tell him that instead of settling in our hometown after the wedding, I wanted to live abroad and travel the world. He texted back saying he already knew of a job opportunity working as ESL teachers in South Korea. So while I planned the wedding, he set to work on the piles of paperwork needed in order to work abroad. Within four months, we were on a plane for half way around the world. The draw of traveling and experiencing different cultures all while being able to save money is what led us to hop on that plane with our lives in four small bags and not look back. Within the first six months of living in Korea, we had already decided one year was not long enough. We made plans to find jobs for a second and even a third year.

People always ask us how it feels to live in a different country. Don’t we miss home? Is it hard? Truth be told, it goes in cycles. At first, everything is a novelty. We walked around our small town for the first month with our eyes wide open, taking in all the strange sights and smells. Gawking in the fish market and getting confused at all of the signs written in Korean, a language that might as well been hieroglyphics. Then, it changes. You get sick of playing charades every time you want something to eat; you get annoyed at the pointing and the stares. You start to wonder why you came at all and daydream by looking at apartment ads posted back stateside (true story). And if you can make it through that, you graduate to the final stage…normalcy. Even the most bizarre, strange and annoying things seem like a walk in the park. Things that once made you want to pack your bags and leave, make you laugh and shake your head. The country you once thought of as so bizarre and foreign now feels like home (or as much as it can in a country where you'll always be looked at as an outsider).

My husband and I always speak about how life will be so different when we return back to the states. Living overseas not only changes the way you look at life, but also how you live life. So how has it changed us?

1. As you can imagine, Korean cuisine is drastically different from in the States. There is of course a lot of rice, a lot of fresh vegetables and a lot of spice. I am an absolute wimp when it comes to spice, so I hardly ate when we first moved here. But as the months wore on, I found myself adding more and more spicy sauce to my meals and even (gasp) craving Korean dishes. Living here has changed what we eat and has made us choose what we eat more carefully. We have found ourselves naturally eating less processed foods, more fresh produce and a more varied selection of dishes. When we move back home we’ll think more about what we are putting into our bodies and try to keep the habit of choosing to eat better foods for our bodies (even though for a while we’ll be downing every burger we come across).

2. Patience is not a virtue I excel at. But when you’re teaching young children a language they do not yet know and you have to explain what to do three times, in three distinctly different ways; patience eventually becomes one of your strong skills.

Even this simple art project took me a few times to explain

3. Living overseas and traveling as much as we do has made us much more open-minded to those around us and the different cultures of the world. And while this has made a huge impact in our own lives, it has also made us realize that we would like to raise our kids in the future with this same mentality.

4. One of the biggest things that living in Korea has shown us is how we treat foreigners in our own country. We feel so incredibly blessed to live in a country where, even though we know very little of the language, we have never had a negative or rude experience while living here due to language barriers. Everyone is so patient with us while we try to describe what we are looking for or what we need. Living in a different country is difficult as is, and I hope we can show the same patience to foreigners when we move back home. Now that we are able to understand what it feels like to be on the other side.

Traveling and living abroad is all about adaptation, developing the skill to laugh in any situation and most of all, to be humble. You learn to be flexible and work around the inevitable obstacles that will get in your way. You learn to laugh when the obvious cultural differences stare you in the face. For example, you have to laugh when the cook comes out of the kitchen and tells you to shush because you are the typical loud American, you have to laugh when your children try to grab your boobs in class, and you especially have to laugh when your boss tells you that you look tired and sick when really you feel fine. But most important of all of these, is to be humble. We as expats are bound to make mistakes and bound to step over a cultural line at some point. It is during those times that we have to be gracious and humble enough to take help from those around you and apologize.

I apologize that since we're leaving on a jet plane in a matter of hours, I won't be able to hop around to your blogs as usual. I assure you though that I look forward to reading them when we get back! Thanks everyone for linking up with us!

What's in a Name?

With the recent births of what feels like every single person on Facebook's baby, it's got me thinking a bit about baby names. And as you all know, the first name must correlate well with the last name. The girls at least have it easy and can marry out of it, but pick a bad name for the boy? And they're doomed for life. With the last name 'Diamond' I've got it harder than most people think. No, we're not related to Neil and you'd be surprised how many times I've been asked that question.

By the way, this is my old student Tim, pretty much the cutest kid you'll ever meet. 

In my graduating year of college, my final assignment was to make a website with my portfolio. The address was to be our full name. With the concern of a teacher, I had to search my name in every search engine imaginable. Because apparently, Chelsea Diamond sounds like a stripper. Lucky me. Thankfully, only the Chelsea soccer team and actual diamonds showed up. That's when my hunt for the perfect baby name began.

But so far, the names we like (for example, Ruby and Charlie) make them sounds like a stripper or a 1920's car salesmen. That's a big fat no. I'd really like my children to be messed up because of our own incompetence as parents and not because of the name we give them.

However, we do have that option of just being really mean and going ahead and giving them an obviously cliche name. Some of our favorites?
-Grey Diamond
-Crystal Clear Diamond
-Crystal Ruby Diamond (might as well go ahead and add a Sapphire somewhere in there as well)

But no matter what we choose, I know that it can't compare to some of the English names my Korean students have picked out over the years. My favorites of those? I've had a:
-Chocolate                                 -Strawberry
-Lyon                                         -Alva
-Zinee                                        -Tree
-Pamela (this would be ok except for the fact that it was a little boy)
-Pedro (this may just be my favorite of all time)
-Claude (but of course pronounced 'Cloud')

What do you think? Cloud Lyon Diamond? Or what about just Chocolate Diamond? Needless to say... the search continues.

Linking up with Ashley, Jean, Lauren, Kerry, Chrissy, Kenzie, Lisette

The New Norm Part IV

Sometimes living in a different country you forget that some of the very odd and different things around you are in fact...odd and different, they instead become a 'new norm' of sorts. So here are a few things that when I first came to Korea seemed odd but now are overlooked.

.Yes. McDonalds delivers. And by the way their delivery men drive, I can't imagine it taking more than a few minutes to get your order from across town. 

.We found out the hard way what happens when they overbook the bus. They have small stools in the overhead compartments that you sit on in the middle of the aisle. Thank goodness it was only an hour ride to where we were going.

.Street food is something that I never really experienced in the states but have grown to love since living in Korea. Breakfast, lunch or dinner people crowd around these stalls on the street to eat just about any Korean dish. Below you can see gimbap, ddeokbokki (rice cake in red spicy sauce...delicious!) and odeng (fish paste on a stick...no thank you).

.I have never seen people take the dentist's advice to brush your teeth after every meal so seriously until I moved to Korea. In every bathroom at work you can see everyone's individual cups and toothbrushes. During lunch time you can see workers walking the halls while brushing their teeth. Dentists everywhere would be so proud. 

.This one really caught me off guard when we first moved to Korea. Growing up, this symbol meant one thing and one thing only. And you certainly wouldn't find it plastered on buildings, or people with necklaces and rings with it. Guess my history lesson was lacking because number one, the symbol is backwards from what the Germans used and two, it's the traditional Buddhist symbol for a temple. I've grown used to it now but there are times where I still see it and it catches me off guard.

Have you ever stepped back and realized some of the very 'bizarre' things about the culture you live in? 

For more installments of this series, check these out:

Part I

Part II

Part III

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

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About Kayleigh: Wanderer at heart with a gypsy soul. Lover of coffee, books, wine and Sex and the City. Dating the love of my life with the sexiest smile. This blog is about my travels, life and trying to make my own mark in this world. I love adventure and am happiest when I own nothing but what fits in a suitcase, having no plans but to discover new places and make lots of lasting memories.

Her favorite trip: Italy would be my number one favourite place that I have been to so far. I love the coffee, pasta and gelato. Its so magical and has so much history.

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Thrift-a-Holic

I tend to meet people in somewhat random ways. Like the couple that I met in a grocery store. Or the fact that I met my husband through Facebook. Well, I did it again. When I told Jeremy that I wanted to meet up with Crystal from Seoul Sold when we went to Seoul for the weekend, he gave me the side eye. You know, the one that your loved ones give you when they think you might have lost it. He asked me if I actually knew her. Well...kind of. Knowing someone in the blogging world is just as good right?....I was actually relieved to hear that she had the same conversation with her husband. All through breakfast she kept tapping him on the shoulder saying 'See, I told you they would be normal'. Glad we passed the test!

Uh-mazing fresh squeezed lemonade mixed with Sprite

I guess outside the blogging world it's just not that common to meet up with perfect strangers and have them for breakfast in your home. Odd. I'm glad neither Crystal or I had any qualms about it because we had such a blast! Jeremy and I headed up to Seoul Friday night with some good friends of ours Erin and Ryan (the couple that we stalked met in the grocery store) only to find out that the guest house we were staying at gave one of our rooms away. Thankfully we had stand up husbands who offered to take the shared dorm room while Erin and I slept quite comfortably in the double room (sorry boys!). Either way, the All-American breakfast that Crystal made for us the next morning at her place more than made up for it! I think my favorite part was actually that she had the liquid coffee mate creamer from the shop on the Army Base where she lives. That stuff is impossible to find anywhere in Korea! When I get back home, I'm going to be that weird person proudly displaying every.single.flavor of coffee mate in my fridge. Please and thank you.

After breakfast the girls headed out for a morning of thrift shopping. This is something that I would frequent back home but since moving in Korea, I have had no idea where to go. Thrift stores aren't common here since there is a stigma of used items having the spirit of the previous owner. That's part of the reason why practically new furniture can be found lying on the side of the street (lucky for us). Luckily this isn't true for everyone because once you do find the thrifting areas, it's a gold mine!

Crystal was kind enough to show Erin and me some spots she often goes and introduced us to the ladies she knows that run it. All three of us made out with excellent finds. Me, with three skirts and two dresses for just $36! That's what I love about thrifting, you can get unique, well made pieces for a fraction of the cost in the stores! And all the stuff I found were similar to the retro clothing styles that you find in the stores now. I love finding new ways to save money and find cute clothes (that actually fit!) while living abroad.

Searching through the many bags of clothes

I had such a great time with Crystal shopping and getting to know her better. She's just as sweet in person as she is on her blog! I just wish she was sticking around in Seoul longer but sadly, this sweet girl is heading back to the states soon. If you haven't already, go check out her blog and her Etsy store. She has some adorable pieces for sale that she found in the markets that we went to!

I realize the above photo has nothing to do with thrifting but it's my favorite from the weekend. After thrifting she took us to food alley which is just cart and stall right after each other of different types of Korean food. She had us try 'drug kimbap' (kimbap with a spicy mustard sauce) which may just be the most amazing thing I've ever tasted, it definitely lives up to it's name because that stuff is addictive!

Oh and just as an added bonus, Crystal was kind enough to answer some questions for me on tips and tricks of rummaging through heaping piles of clothes while thrift shopping!

How is thrift shopping different in Seoul compared to the States?

Thrift shopping in Seoul is like a marathon vs. the states. When I go shopping in Seoul, I pretty much have to block off the better part of a day so that I can make sure that I have the time to investigate all the nooks and crannies of the markets that I visit. In America if you don’t have a care you are kind of SOL when you want to go shopping because you have to consider how will you get around and transport all your loot home, but Korea’s amazing transit system let’s me go wherever I want to shop in an instant. In addition to the great transit system I feel like things are not as centrally located in America like in Korea and so any shopping, and thrifting for that matter has a ‘shop till you drop’ feel because there is always ONE more stall that you want to get to.

How can you tell if something will be a good match for your Etsy shop?

I try to think about if I would like it and then I try to take myself out of my own personal tastes to really see the garment. Just because neon florals are not my thing doesn’t mean that it’s not on someone else’s must-have list and I think picking a well made, visually interesting, and detailed garment is the key to keeping the shop interesting. I’ve also tried to make note of what kind of items seem to go quickly and whenever I come across them I make sure to snap them right up!

What are some tips of the trade for thrift shopping?

I would advise anyone who wants to thrift seriously to have realistic expectations of what the trip will be like and what you might find. A lot of people go into thrift shopping like they are shopping in a chain store or boutique and that is just not the case. Thrifted clothing will have imperfections and often times will have show it’s age so when you consider a thrifted or vintage item you can’t expect a perfect item. Keep an eye out for something special that shines despite it’s age because with persistence and patience anyone can create an affordable and unique closet.

How can you tell if something will fit without trying it on?

I’ve gotten really good at eyeballing my size and can usually tell if something will fit without even measuring it, but that wasn’t the case when I first moved to Korea. Here are two tricks that I rely on to make sure that I get the perfect fit:

1. Keep a tape measure handy because measuring the bust and waist of an item is much simpler than trying to pull it on over your clothes.

2. I know the size of my neck. I know it sounds weird, but it’s a really common trick to getting a quick measurement on an item’s waistline. What you do is measure the total circumference of your neck, and make sure to memorize the magic number! Once you know this magic number, double it, and compare it to your actual waist measurement. Is the number you got from your neck spot on or is it an inch or two off? Next, take the item in question and wrap the waistband around your neck. If your neck measurement turned out to be smaller than your waist and the garment in question won’t even go around your neck then you can safely put it back. Using your neck as a measuring tool is a good base measurement that can allow you to make a snap decision if your tape measure isn’t around.

Any other bloggers out there have to convince your husband's that meeting up with bloggers you only know online is totally normal?

A Sweeter Life+Guest Post for Lost in Travels!

Korea has some of the most beautifully decorated, terrible tasting cupcakes I have ever tried. They're dry and not very sweet but hey! at least they look good! Well, a few weeks ago, my sweet friend, Amber, took me to decorate these aforementioned cupcakes for my birthday. There's a cupcake shop just down the street from her apartment where the owner teaches classes on the basics of decorating cupcakes.

I should probably note here that Amber is a natural at all things DIY. You know those people that make it look effortless enough that you think you can try but then it just ends up looking like a Pinterest fail? Yea, she's one of those.

Before we went, I was pumped, I was excited, I felt like all of my childhood dreams of becoming a baker were coming true. Although I'll be honest, I think I only wanted to be a baker so I had an excuse to 'taste-test' (aka stick my finger in the batter bowl) sweets all day.

The first thing she had us try were 'simple' frosting flowers which she would put into the freezer to harden and then we could layer them on top of the other frosting creations. She swirled the paper around, so effortlessly, making mock flowers that looked like they came straight out of Real Simple Magazine. My friend, aka Betty Crocker, followed her lead and produced several symmetrical flowers in a row. Me? It looked like a kid's finger painting session. And from a kid that was feeling free to 'express' themselves.

Our teacher kept giggling at my poor attempts and even held my hand to show me how to do it. When even that didn't turn out so well (ok, there was one that she turned her head to the side at and mentioned that it wasn't bad) she moved on to easier techniques.

We practiced on the bottom of measuring cups before moving on to the real deal.

These easier techniques I caught onto just a tad bit quicker and thankfully was able to make a few half decent ones.

I think form now on I'll leave the decorating to the professionals. But I've got to say that I have a ton more respect for these bakers!

How is everyone else at decorating? Am I the only one who will be buying my child's birthday cake at the bakery every year?

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Attention! Attention! We're heading out of town for the first week in August and I'm looking for some people to guest post for me while we're gone! I have just three spots available for purchase on my sponsor page. Guest posts would have to be turned in by the 21st of this month. Each is just $15 and includes a 250 X 250 sized ad on my sidebar for a month. It's first come, first serve so reserve your spot today!

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

A Birthday Surprise 6 Months in the Making

Don't you just love his wrapping job?

Both hubs and I are horrible at surprises. If we get something we usually spill the beans within 48 hours because we just can't contain our excitement. That's why I was so shocked to find out that he had been planning a surprise for my birthday for over 6 months!

Probably about a month ago, I suggested that we take a spontaneous trip overseas in June. We had a holiday on a Thursday and we don't have our regular classes on Fridays. I just work a few hours at an academy that I can easily make up classes for and hubs just teaches an intensive class every other week. Perfect opportunity for a getaway right? He wasn't against the idea but he didn't seem as thrilled about it as I was. Little did I know, he had already bought tickets to the Philippines for that weekend back in December.

In the weeks leading up to his reveal, I sensed something was going on, that he had something up his sleeve but I tried as hard as I could to ignore it so I wouldn't be disappointed if I was wrong. I even tried flat out asking him if he had something planned but even through his nervous laughter, he convinced me he had nothing to hide. I'm not sure what changed, or if he was just that good at throwing me off (he even had our bosses in on it, telling me lies to distract me) but by Tuesday afternoon, just two days before we would leave, I was certain nothing was going on and I had imagined the whole thing. I was convinced that we were going to Seoul that weekend (his cover up destination) and was looking forward to getting out of town. 

Thursday morning we woke up late with the plans of a big American style breakfast of french toast and bacon(bacon being a delicacy in our house because of it's high price here in Korea) and maybe heading to a nearby town to explore for the day. Hubs woke me up that morning and asked if I wanted my birthday present early. He plays this game every year, too excited to wait any longer, and I tell him every year that he needs to wait for the actual day. I told him no as usual but he was extra persistent this time. I gave in and he bounded out of the room and came back with a large wrapped box in hand. Inside, taped to the bottom, were two round trip tickets to Cebu, Philippines. Our plan was to fly out that night and spend three days basking in the sun in the secluded town of Moalboal. I think it's goes without saying that I am blessed beyond belief and this birthday is one for the books.

Linking up with Rolled Up Pretty and Shanna 

Quarter of a Century

This weekend I turned a quarter of a century. When it's put like that, it's a whole lot more panic-inducing that saying I'm turning 25. And don't get me started on the fact that here in Korea, I'm considered 26. 

photo courtesy of dots.i.am photography

When we decided to move abroad, one of the major pulls besides being able to travel, was to completely immerse ourselves in a different culture. And immerse we did. When we first came over, we didn't know a word of Korean, didn't know a soul here and had never even tasted Korean food before. While we had lessons in the expected areas like patience, understanding and a whole new appreciation of the world and people around us; we also learned a few other things we weren't quite expecting. So today, instead of going through what I've learned in these 25 years of being alive, I've decided to highlight some things that Korea has taught me in these past two years.

.stay out of the sun- Koreans are infamous for staying out of the sun, even carrying umbrellas around and wearing long sleeves in the summer time in order to keep a pale complexion. A vast difference from the land of suntanning oil and tanning beds (try explaining that to students who buy makeup with 'whiteners' in it). I can honestly say that my naturally pale skin doesn't bother me like it did back home and it's probably for the better.  

.don't work too hard- I teach students who come into work at 7am and sometimes don't leave until well past 10pm. They sacrifice personal time and time with family for work functions and deadlines. More than anything, I want to try and find a way to spend as much time with friends and family as possible and work to live, not the other way around. 

.I really can cook- Living in Korea, there is a more limited supply of ingredients compared to the states. It can be quite challenging to try to find something to cook when the majority of the recipes call for ingredients that I either can't find here or cost triple the price (many of my pinterest food pins are quickly passed up after reading the needed ingredients). I've learned different substitutes for these occasions but more than that I've been more adventurous in cooking. If I can't buy things that I want such as tortillas, cinnamon rolls, or fresh herb bread, I make it. I don't think I ever would have tried to make those things back home when it's so easy and affordable to go to the store and buy them. 

.always always bring extra toilet paper- Many public Korean rest rooms do not have toilet paper. I unfortunately had to learn this the hard way(unfortunately, subway maps aren't ideal in this situation but it's all I had) and always make sure I care tissue with me wherever I go; even when traveling to different countries where I once had to pay for tissue before I went it. 

.I can use chopsticks better than ever- It's odd but using chopsticks is surprisingly easy and normal compared to when we first arrived and I thought I would always be clumsy and continuously dropping my food (many times in restaurants when the waitress see foreigners, they bring out the forks from the back). I'm not quite to the 'karate kid catching flies' phase yet but let's just say I don't leave a restaurant hungry anymore.

I quickly found out their secret when I first came over. I wondered how they taught their kids to eat with chopsticks until I saw these trainer versions in the store. Yes, I will be stocking up on these before I leave. 

via

.squatty potties aren't all the bad- I know, I know. They're gross, they're hard to use, but once you get the hang of them? They're actually not that bad. But yes, I still prefer Western toilets.

.bigger is not always better-I've written about this one before but we've gotten use to a lot of things being smaller here in Asia. Smaller apartments, smaller portions, smaller cars. Now when we watch House Hunters, we always end up yelling at the screen asking what they would do with all that space and wonder why everyone complains that 'it's too small'. It's safe to say that when we move back, we'll be that odd couple with our small cars, in our small house, eating our small meals. 

.I actually am capable of working when I'm sick- I miss sick days. I miss being able to call in to work for a ‘personal health day’ (you know you do it too). Unfortunately, even though we technically have sick days, we are still expected to show up to work no matter what and show that we are ‘diligent’. That word will forever have a new meaning in my head. In the last two years my husband and I have only taken one sick day and worked through colds, loss of our voices, food poisoning and flus. All the while being thanked by our bosses for still showing up to work and being ‘diligent’. As annoying as it is sometimes to still have to work when you should be in bed, it makes you realize what all you can successfully work through. There are many times that I have thought ‘I wish I could call in’ but once I got to work, I found out that I could really work just fine. And even if this new work mentality doesn’t follow us back to the states, I will still have my almost perfect attendance to brag about.

Korea has definitely left it's mark on me and changed me a lot in the past two years. I can't wait for what new adventures come next!