First Night in Our New Home

Well everything went well at the housing office and we were able to get the keys and move in right away! We were both ecstatic as we are not only excited to be in our beautiful new home, but we are both a little weary of living in limbo...he in barracks for the last 11 months, and me in our home alone those 11 months and then with family these last few weeks.

Putting together the futon...thanks Rutty and Gray for your help! :)

It was a crazy busy night tonight finishing all the paperwork at the housing office, packing up Greg's barrack room and all my stuff and the things I shipped him, shopping for and transporting the futon, picking up Ranger from the boarding kennel, hauling all our stuff over in taxi cabs and getting it all upstairs. In the end all the craziness was well worth it...especially to be out of the barracks and be in our own place!

Peaceful togetherness.

We both slept well and feel quite at home here, which is always a good thing. It is pretty warm, even at night, and especially with the humidity, so we positioned the futon directly under the AC unit in the living room, cozied up in the down comforter, snuggled close together and slept like babies. I can't even tell you how wonderful it is to be in our new home together and have our fur babies with us. All the stress and frenzied going-ons over the last few weeks were completely worth it. The feeling of peace and contentment is priceless. I feel like the luckiest and most rich women in the world...I have all I need right here, right now and even though I may miss the states and my family and friends there, being here and being a whole family again feels pretty magical.

City lights at night.

Beautiful morning view.

Our "finds." 

We woke up and didn't have much in the way of breakfast food, so we decided to venture out to the Korean market on the corner and see what we could scrounge up. We were pleasantly surprised at the options available and the quality of the items! Some very American options and some very Korean options, with a nice variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner and cooking/baking supplies. Albeit everything was in Korean, we could still easily enough figure out what was what. We kept it fairly simple with our choices, but were pleased none the less with the ready convenience of such a great little store right by our home! Yay for the simple pleasures in life! lol.

One of many trips with far too much stuff! lol.

After breakfast, we unpacked and organized the things we had packed, shipped, brought with us and squired...all in all, with the things I brought and sent and the things he had from living in his barracks here, we have most the necessities and ahould be able to live without much inconvenience until our household goods get here in a couple months. And we will get temporary furniture early next week, so that will help too. Again, as long as we have the basics, we will be just fine and have loved with a lot less before. Besides, it's always fun to challenge ourselves and find new ways to do things without all our normal conveniences...that's all part of the adventure of living in a foreign country, right? :)

We then headed to the commissary and picked up some more groceries and also a few things at the PX and a few more things from Greg's room. It was all a little hectic since we are having to take taxi cabs everywhere, but all in all, we made it around and back home again. Moving always has its stressful moments, but we don't mind and just laugh at the funny moments and focus on the happiness of being together again.

Happy little family.

Finding Our Home

Even though I only arrived in country yesterday, thanks to my hubby getting everything set up and pre-organized, we were able to do a walk through on a potential apartment for rent. Greg and his sergeant met with the realtor last week and looked at a few different places around town. He decided on the best one and set up for us to do a walk through/inspection today and if the inspection went well, he also set up an appointment with housing to finalize paperwork and sign the lease. I am super excited and very grateful  for all his forethought in getting everything set up! Less time waiting around and being in limbo, is always ideal!

The living room and sunroom/balcony.

 The walk-through went well for the most part. The realtor, landlady, building superintendent and the Army housing rep were all there and speaking a million miles an hour in Korean. A few minor issues were found, but nothing that couldn't be fixed or dealt with in a timely manner. The apartment is beautiful! It is very large, almost 1700 square feet and is very open, bright, well laid out, has beautiful craftsmanship and character and a nice view. It is also in a good part of town and close to all the Army posts here in Daegu, which makes it safe and convenient.

The spacious kitchen!

As a military family living off post in Korea, there are generally three types of houses you can chose from...the first is just that, house or bungalow that is usually one story and is a self standing structure with a small yard of sorts. The second is a "villa" and that is usually similar to a "flat" type apartment you would find in most large cities; your apartment usually takes up the whole floor and the building is generally no more than 6 stories tall. The third option (and what we have) is what they call high-rise apartments. These buildings are usually anywhere from 15-20 stories tall and have multiple buildings in the complex and usually there is only two apartments, per building, per floor. These are nice because they have elevators, have covered/garage parking, lots of courtyard areas and still offer the feeling of seclusion and privacy since you only have one neighbor on the same floor as you. Our building is very nice and is well taken care of.

The dining room.

Honestly, the whole place, inside and out is beautiful. In the states, and in any large city, an apartment like this would most likely cost a few thousand dollars a month, plus utilities. That being said, there is no way we would pay to be in a place like this if we were stateside. Korea is a lot different though, especially if you are military. The realtors and landlords really want to work with you and offer great locations, great apartments and great rates. And of course housing pay from the military generally takes care of the cost of rent and utilities, and if you are savvy with your utility usage, there is the likelihood of putting away some of that money. 

Master bedroom.

As I said, it is close to 1700 square feet, has a mud/entry room, two full baths, 4 bedrooms, a dining room, large modern kitchen, living room, sunroom and laundry/utility room. Everything is very nice, very modern and there are a ton of nice amenities throughout the whole house. So all in all we are getting a beautiful home, at a great price! We are very happy and feel so very blessed with how all this has come together! I'd say the Lord had His hand in all this, as usual and my hubby did a great job picking this place out all on his own! Yay! So super excited to have our own place...and such a beautiful one at that! 

Gorgeous sunroom/balcony.

When waiting for our CS to be approved, I kept telling people that as long as Greg and I are together, I would happily live in a shoe box. And I know in the bottom of my heart, that is completely true...it doesn't matter where we are or what type of place we have, happiness is being with your best friend and we can make a home together in any circumstances. That being said, I will most definitely not argue with living in such a nice apartment! (hehehe) I am very happy and very blessed that we got such a beautiful place and that we are able to move in so quickly. God is good and really does work all things out! :)

Part of the utility room (this is only half, it is twice this size)

Rain! Humidity! Heat! Oh My!

After being here only a couple days, there are already so many things that are different. For all intents and purposes being on post is no different and even though it is rather small, there is still enough here to keep you well fed, well entertained and well supplied. Mostly the things that are different for me are weather related things, learning a few key Korean phrases and learning my way around base.

Umbrellas for all!

Now, I knew the weather would be very different here. It is a subtropical environment and gets a lot of rain, is very humid and very hot. I was expecting all that. And I can deal with all that. We bought an umbrella and rain boots and now look like every other American and Korean National bustling down the street in a sea of umbrellas (mind you, it gets very tight and hard to navigate when on cramped sidewalks lol). It's like the whole cast and crew of Singin' in the Rain has moved to Korea and you just know at any moment, you all might spontaneously burst into song, swing on the lampposts and splash in the puddles...doing our best following in the impeccable grace and style of Mr. Gene Kelly.

However, what I wasn't expecting was the little ways the weather effects things...it makes you always feel a little clammy and sweaty (dare I say slimy? lol). It makes your hair frizzy like a fuzzy bear. It negates any need to regularly use lotion solely for moisturizing purposes (my first day here, I put on my usual amount of super moisturizing lotion and found my extremities to be very slippery and slimy...I wasn't absorbing it like I used to in dry Nevada. Lesson learned...I will save a lot of money on lotion lol). The heat is definitely different here...it's a constant heat that seems to make you alway a bit sweaty and feel the need to cut your hair and after any physical exertion outdoors, you come home, peel your clothes off and try to not be grossed out by the overall sliminess that has taken over your body. Ewww. lol.

So much water!

However, all that is manageable and odd as it sounds, the hardest thing for me to get used to with all the humidity is how it effects paper. It literally makes paper flimsy and (no, I'm not exaggerating) if feels as though it is slightly damp. It is the weirdest thing...I never knew how stiff and straight our paper was in Nevada, but with how dry it is, I think that we probably had the stiffest paper known to man (at least it seems that way in such stark contrast to the flimsy damp paper I am now experiencing). And call me crazy, but it is kind of driving me crazy! I don't know why exactly, but all paper just seems to have lost it's integrity and it's ability to be a functional thing. It makes the edges curl on a lot of pages and is easily effected by creases and wrinkles. Heaven forbid you want to present any sort of professional document for any reason...because all the paper here seems as though you were negligent and a) let it fall in a puddle or b) had it in the bathroom while you were showering. Really, I am not making this up. It is extremely odd and rather vexing. Go ahead, call me crazy, but next time you take a nice, hot, long, steamy shower, take some paper in there with you and after you get out, immediately handle it and that, my friends, is how the paper is here in Korea. True story.

Sunsets, Speeding Cars and the Feeling of Home

City lights.

After being picked up at the airport we had to make our way back to Daegu, which is about a 2.5 hour drive from the Incheon Airport in Seoul. As we drove out of the airport and through the south part of Seoul, the sun was setting in the western sky. It lit up the sky with gorgeous pinks, oranges, blues and grays and I tried to take in as much of the city and country landscapes of this new country before it sunk completely below the horizon. I saw tall, skyscraper-type buildings, city burrows, fields of swampy grass (rice most likely) and lots of foreign signs and vehicles. The cars here are the same as in the US, for the most part, but they definitely do have a few different looking vehicles, such as vans and trucks...they are much smaller and more compact with shortened hoods. All the cars seemed to be being driven extremely fast, including ours and I felt like we were flying down the road as I tried to discern the sights around me as it continued to grow darker. Greg and his sergeant were given permission to pick up myself and the animals and had been given use of one of the vans to get us all home. The poor fur babies were tired and a little anxious, but I also know they were happy to know that they were still with both Greg and I, regardless of the plethora of events they had experienced over the last few weeks.

Surreal cityscape.

The sun eventually set and darkness settled in around us as Greg and his sergeant explained things to me and answered my questions about Korea. As we drove on, the conversation grew quite and excitement died down, my exhaustion started to come over me and I was grateful for the darkness, as it allowed me to curl up and sleep for the remainder of the drive. I know that if it had been light out, I'd have forced myself to stay awake so as not to miss any part of the drive and all the sights of the trip. But thankfully, even this seemed to be planned out perfectly in God's timing, and I was able to sleep most of the drive home and rest knowing that I was finally here and could relax and didn't have to be solely responsible anymore but had others there to help me. The most comforting thing was how Greg would occasionally reach back and hold my hand or squeeze my leg or look back and smile at me, or I'd do the same little things at different times. It was as if, logically, we knew that the other person was really there, but it'd been so long since we had been able to hold hands or be near one another and actually see the other one without an electronic screen of some sort in between us, that we still doubted it to a certain degree. So we'd reach out and make contact with the other one, insuring that they were in fact right there within arms reach. Just know that, and being able to look into their eyes and hold their hand...something happens to your heart and mind...it's hard to explain...best way is that it is a warm, safe, happy, reassuring and loving feeling. It is the feeling of finally being HOME. Even all the way across the world...with each other, we always have the happy knowledge that we are truly home.

Mishaps Avoided and I'm Finally in Korea!

I made it! Finally. After almost 6 months of knowing Greg was being stationed here, 4 months of waiting on our CSP approval and the last few weeks of hectic, frantic packing, moving and preparing, not to mention and helter skelter interim living, I can now say I am in Korea...and I am with my husband! The relief and realization of being here is inexplainable....but a simple and emphatic "YAY!" will suffice for now. :)

I will admit...I am exhausted. And looking back over the last few weeks I am not even sure I can pinpoint certain things, as it all seems so jam-packed, so stressful and one big blur. Getting everything packed up and shipped off, getting the car prepped and transported, making sure the animal's health appointments and paperwork was in order, the packing and repacking of bags, the stress of worrying about my fur-babies having to fly, the stress of getting us all through customs, the sadness of leaving and the excitement of all that lies ahead...it really is dizzying and has left me mentally and physically drained. But, all that, in the end was worth it! To be back together with my husband, to have our fur-babies here with us and to know that we are going to get a normal life back for a few years...well that my friends, greatly outweighs any stress or exhaustion I might have that has wearied me.
For the most part, all went rather smoothly and if we did encounter a problem, it was able to be resoled rather quickly and painlessly. We did have a funny mini disaster with the car...when we left Reno, we stopped to get gas, and out of habit, I topped off the tank. About a half hour into the drive I remembered that I had to have less than 1/4 of a tank of gas or the transportation company would not be able to ship it (I had remembered on the way to the gas station too, but got into my normal routine and just pumped her full of gas). And of course our car is extremely economical and barely used 1/3 of a tank for the whole trip down to the Bay Area. I tried everything I could to waste gas (blasting the AC, driving in a lower gear), and we still had far too much gas! I was pretty stressed and very mad at myself that I hadn't remembered and had made this much more complicated than it needed to be. And then I'd find myself laughing because I'd be praying that somehow the car would use more gas than normal and be at the level I needed it. How many times in your life have you prayed for your car to get bad gas mileage? Ha! Such an ironic situation! Thankfully my dad was able to help me research how we could get the remaining gas out and after a my mom and I made couple trips through the Richmond ghetto from the transportation company to a local mechanic (who drained the gas) and back again, we were able to have the right amount of gas in the car and get it processed and shipped without any further issues. But, I now will always remember to not top off the gas before shipping a vehicle. lol.

Off we go!

The only other issue that happened was Korean Air had to pull some strings to allow me to ship Ranger. See, I booked my flight through Delta and their weight limit for animals as checked baggage is 99 lbs for the kennel and animal combined. However, Korean Air's weight limit is 70 lbs combined. Ranger and his kennel weighed 97 lbs. Yeah...not good. They said they would check their policies and see what they could do. I was so worried and I was having an internal panic attack and thought I was gonna lose my mind...what if I couldn't check him on this flight with me? Mom would have to take him back to Reno and we'd have to pay $1900 to ship him on the pet flight programs and it made me sick at the thought of leaving my baby behind. I needed this to be approved...he HAD to come with me on this flight. We had come too far and done too much to not make it over all at one time and in one piece. We waited about 35 minutes while she was in back calling and finally she came out and after painfully walking me through the differences in Delta and Korean Air's policies (the whole time, I was fighting a flood of tears and screaming in my head "Just tell me already if I can take my baby or not!"), she said they would make an exception and allow him to go at 97 lbs, but I'd have to pay an overweight baggage handling fee. Thank heavens!! Our prayers were answered...God is good indeed! I could deal with putting out a bit more cash to fly him with me...overall it was still only a fraction of the price to fly both he and Toler on that flight with me than it would have been to fly him later alone. And the peace of mind knowing he and my kitty were in the hull of that plane...well that was, as they say...PRICELESS. lol. I still worried after I sent them off through baggage security and I worried the whole flight...were they doing ok? Did they make it on the plane? Am I going to get through customs without an issues?

Thankfully, everything went well and worked out in all regards and I am here now and ready to start on this new journey. And the best part...? Seeing my husband standing outside customs in his uniform waiting for me and our babies with a huge smile on his face. That moment will forever live in my mind and the relief and joy I felt were monumental. Definitely a great way to end the day, and start my life in Korea!

Korean Air..."Excellence in Flight" is not an exaggeration.

Timeless. Classic. Beautiful.
(found this on the internet so you all could see first hand)

Well I have been on my flight for a few hours. And if the rest of Korea is like Korean Airlines, then I am going to be very happy living there! :) "Why is that?", you are probably wondering. Well, first off the whole plane is beautiful-it is very clean, very organized and the color scheme is a pleasing light turquoise and cream with accents in black. The flight attendants are reminiscent of a 1960's stewardess in every way possible. They are clothed in a beautiful color scheme of tan, cream and Korean Air's signature turquoise blue, each in elegant tan knee-length, a-line skirts, fitted blazers and fitted silk blouses, accessorized with simple pearl earrings, plain black heels and the most classic, yet modern, Asian-styled bun ribbons and starched organza ascots. If they have a short hair style, it is tastefully styled, and if they have long hair, it is shaped into a beautiful bun at the nape of their necks. Their make up is perfectly applied and enhances each one's natural beauty. The are truly some of the most feminine and beautiful women I have ever seen. The way they walk, their graces, the smiles on their faces, the giggles between themselves and their passengers as they good-naturedly work to offer every courtesy and their overall demeanor makes them stunning and I find myself intrigued by their timeless graces and beauty. And the thing that is amazing, and mocking me at the same time, was how even after a 12 hour flight and at least a 15 hour day for them, they still look perfect, unaffected, happy and alive. I, on the other hand am finding myself drained and haggard by the minute. lol.

In addition to all that, the service on this flight, well, it is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I am not in First Class, I am not in prestige, I am not even in business prestige...I am just in the normal economy section, but with all the amenities and the service and the perks, it quite literally feels as though I am in first class. And honestly, by any US operated airline, the service I am getting back here would be considered first class...and pretty high first class at that. Let me explain in greater detail...waiting in your seat when you arrive there are the following items: a blanket, a bottle of water, a pillow, headphones, a toiletry bag with toothbrush, toothpaste and slippers and an eye mask. Each seat is much wider than the normal economy seats on US carriers and they each have their own built-in TV console with a remote/game controller. The seats are comfortable and cushiony and seem to lean back further than most seats I'm used to.

Some of the perks! :)

Throughout the flight you are offered beverage service close to 10 times...this includes wine, soda, water, juice, coffee...and it is all free! And I am not exaggerating when I say we have been offered something to drink close to 10 times...they literally come around about every hour to hour and a half. Sometimes they have the beverage carts, other times they are gracefully balancing a tray full of glasses. Oh and let me tell you about the wine glasses...they are the same shape as the clear plastic Solo wine cups, but they are actual real glass. Not plastic. Not paper. But rather quality glass wineglasses. And if you chose coffee as your beverage, the flight attendants have a tray they bring with cups, cream and sugar and in their other hand they have a classy stainless steel coffee pot...they pour your cup of coffee right there into a cup on the tray and let you take it from there, along with your cream and sugar selections. Obviously because it is such a long flight, they serve a meal. But the meal is far beyond anything I have ever had on an airplane and instead would be comparable to dining at a restaurant. And it was more than just one meal...we had two full meals (3 courses each) and 4 different snacks. The meals were delicious! Each was warm, right out of the oven, had quality ingredients and sensational flavors. One was a savory chicken dish. It had fresh chicken meat, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms in a sort of red curry sauce (everything was fresh and tender) and was served with egg fried rice, a side salad, dinner roll, fresh fruit, coffee and wine. The other meal was a traditional Korean beef dish. It had strips of beef, bell peppers, asparagus and mushrooms-again it was all so fresh and so tender! It was served over rice with a side cabbage salad, a dinner roll, carrot cake, coffee and juice. And the silverware is the real thing...no plasticware...actual silverware. The snacks they offer are delicious and not in short supply...everything from pretzels and cookies to brownies and fresh Korean red bean rolls (they smelled delicious!). Alas, now I am thinking I should have tried one, but the lure of a chocolate brownie was too much to suppress. :)

Ribbons.
(found pic online...I am now wishing I had my camera on hand)

All in all, my whole experience with Korean Air has left me feeling very pampered and extremely grateful for being able to travel on such a long trip in such luxury. Funny thing is this flight wasn't any more expensive than a lot of the other flights I priced through numerous US carriers. But I can guarantee that the service on those flights wouldn't even begin to compare...maybe, MAYBE, if I was in first class, but most definitely not in economy. I can't say with certainty as of yet, as I will have to experience more of the Korean culture, but from what I have gathered by being on this airline, is that Koreans have a huge sense of manners, propriety and pride-in everything from how they act, how they dress and how they interact with others. It is very refreshing and makes one feel very honored to be on the receiving end of such kind and genuine behavior. I am getting more and more excited as each hour passes for all that lies ahead of me these next few years!

Leaving All I've Ever Known

Today I leave for Korea. Today I leave for Korea! Today I leave for Korea? I am finally on my way to join my husband! Is it really finally happening? I am so excited to finally be back together again and restart living our lives side by side rather than thousands of miles apart! It has been 10.5 months and we are both so excited and so ready to be together again! It seems almost surreal that this is happening. I have hoped and prayed and longed for this day to come and now that it is here I am overjoyed with the knowledge that in a few short hours, I will once again be in my husband's arms!! At times it seems a bit like I am physically processing through every step of this move, but emotionally and mentally, I am watching from afar, not really comprehending the complexity of all that is transpiring. Even with all the excitement and happiness that this day brings, there is immense sadness and anxiety in my mind and heart. I am heartbroken to be leaving my family, friends, hometown, home country and all the comforts and familiarity of the last 26 years of my life. It is exciting to be starting on this new journey and such a great opportunity, but at the same time, I can't help but feel as though a bit of my heart has been torn out and left behind. I never ever thought it would be so incredibly hard to say goodbye to my family and friends. Each time I hugged and kissed each one of them and received their happy hopes for what lies ahead for us and looked into their tear filled eyes, I wanted to hold onto them forever and not let go. I wanted to take them with me and keep them close so as not to have to really say goodbye. I am a hot mess of emotions right now...I feel empty, exhausted and anxious and as though my heart is torn in two from saying goodbye and leaving everyone and everything I have known and loved my entire life. You would think I would be used to goodbyes by now, since I have said so many to my husband over this last year, but somehow this is a different kind of sadness and loss...when saying goodbye to him I felt as though I was losing my heart, that I couldn't breathe and that I might never be whole again; saying goodbye to my family just makes me feel kind of empty and a bit lost and like I am abandoning a little bit of myself and the life I love. I have always been close to my family and cherish each of them and what we share, but when having to actually hold them in my arms and say goodbye and know that this is going to be the last physical contact with them for the next few years...it has really ripped my heart apart and made me realize even more how very much each one of them means to me. Stepping out on a new adventure like this is definitely exciting, but all the unknowns of this new country and new experience that I will be in for the next couple years is definitely intimidating, stressful and a bit frightening. With everything that is going on, I can't help but feel a bit lost and overwhelmed. I know all will be ok and I will embrace each moment of my trip there and then my new life and with my husband by my side, all will be well. I am just going to sit back and hope for the best and do all I can to have things go smoothly. I am keeping my head up and my hopes high for all that lies ahead. And most importantly, I am keeping my family and friends so very close to my heart, cherishing each hug and remembering each beautiful moment spent with them. One day again soon, I will see them again and we will make a million new beautiful memories. Just know I am taking a little bit of each one of you with me and will always, always, always keep you in my thoughts and heart and hope that you will do the same with me. ♥