Hello from the Other Side Part 2-Getting Settled!

Getting settled. Now that is a statement in itself! You never really realize what you need until you need it.
After arriving in Seoul, our first few weeks passed us by in a blur of paper work and countless amount of walking! (It's a good thing I had a few lbs to lose!) Our apartment is FABULOUS!!!! The hubs really did a good job on picking it out. It has 4 bedrooms and 2 spacious bathrooms. The entire place is much larger than our home at Fort Rucker! I do miss having an outside space.....but our new place over looks a fantastic mountain/nature trail and boasts several playgrounds, a badminton court, skating rink (outdoor) and a babbling mountain stream that winds through the property for the kids to play in..... so I guess beggers can't be choosers! :) As far as inside goes...Our entire apartment has great hardwood floors and quartz tile through out. The kitchen boasts fantastic black quartz counter tops and a stainless steel microwave/oven/broiler combo! Our living room has a panoramic view of the mountain with an entire wall of floor to ceiling windows. The best part is (drum roll please) our master suite! It has a huge wall to wall closet with great built-ins and a space for a tv. (Although according to my husband that will not make it into our room :/) My closet, however, is WAY BETTER! It is a walk in style with several built-in shelves and drawers for clothing and even an accessories organizer and to top it off, my closet boasts floor to ceiling run-way lighting! As great as that is, our master bathroom is the crowning jewel of the entire place! It has a glass enclosed shower AND soaking tub. The shower section of the en closer is outfitted with a rain fall shower head, and separate showering attachment, and 3 body jets. Large ceramic tile through out completes the modern look of the room. There are a few more cool things about the house that the hubs really likes. In floor heating, central vacuuming system, and built-in air purification system are a few, but the real reason he picked this house is the "smart house feature". The entire place is controlled through a central computer system and boasts not only internet controlled lighting and security features but an intercom system that can even be accessed through the bathroom! <----Pictures to follow as soon as I can get everything organized!

Living in Korea, How is it?

It is great! The Asian culture boasts the best sense of modern design and infrastructure in the world! The best part is their attention to detail. Everything from cabinets and appliances to side walks and retaining walls are calculated to perfection to meet not only practical needs but are aesthetically pleasing as well. Everywhere you look is a piece of art. It is literally like walking around in a painting. For example: The Korean highways and freeways are often enclosed tunnels to reduce the sound of traffic. These tunnels are not always just concrete but well constructed fiberglass structures that range in color from green to blue. A perfect mix of design and practicality! Another great example are the bridges and walkways. They are often lit with alternating colored LED lights in the evening giving off a great light not only to help you see but pleasing to look at as well! Form meets function at it's best!

The shopping is beyond believable! Major designers like Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci are ever present and quite affordable as well as lesser known Asian designers that boast fantastic show pieces at knockdown prices. Women here embrace style and femininity with ease and seize every opportunity to dress to the nines. Although most Asian fashion is built for those with out curves so sizing is a real puzzle but fun to say the least!

The food is often questionable but for the most part delicious. More to come after I have taken the Korean food tour provided by ACS (Army Community Service) to better acquaint myself with the local fare.

The hubs and I are getting the opportunity to go out and explore sans children (Thanks Majean!!) this weekend so look for some cool pictures and interesting stories about our hi-jinks in the Soul of Asia!

Ta-Ta!

Hello From the Other Side!! Part 1- The Plane Ride that Would Never End!!!

An nyong ha sye yo? (Hello! How are you?) So much has happened in the short time that I have been here in "The Land of the Morning Calm" that I have barely had time to stop and process it all! But, as I sit here tonight while the kids are sleeping with a generous helping of half eaten spaghetti and broccoli on my floor (Thank you Hazel!!), I thought I would take a moment to update you on our progress. Using the standard rule of "the best place to start is at the beginning", the plane trip here is where I shall begin.

I packed, I planned, I re-packed and after much thought and sleep loss over the situation I finally decided that the best way to tackle this trip sans husband would be to be as organized and calm as possible. So, with the advice of "be like a duck on water", I set off to Korea bright and early (with the help of my father-in-law and a few kind words from both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law). 8 bags, 1 car seat, 1 stroller, 2 carry-ons, and 1 diaper bag later, I was whisked away to the Atlanta air port in the blink of an eye. The security process was fairly painless in Houston. I was pleasantly surprised and relieved! This was both a blessing and an omen of things to come....thus the old saying of "never judge a book by it's cover" comes to mind as I reflect back the sequence of events!

I landed in Atlanta and quickly set off to meet my mom, sister, and oldest daughter Abi for a quick lunch and a last good bye before I left the good ole' USA. It was extremely comforting to see them. I was anxious to just get the heck out of there and get my journey started but, taking time to see them really made the difference. It allowed me to reflect on everything and assure them that even though I was going to be on the other side of the world, I was still just a phone call/e-mail/fb chat away.

After those last tears and good byes, the girls and I were finally on our way to Seoul! THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFE TIME WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN!!!!! Little did I know that an 18 hour plane ride with an almost 1 year old and a VERY rambunctious 3 year old would not be pleasant.....no matter how many games, toys, movies etc. that I brought for their entertainment. :/ The first 9 hours passed in a blur of crying ( just Hazel and Alex at this point), tossed toys , and countless trips up and down the aisles for exercise and bathroom trips. As I sat there bouncing Hazel on my knee while watching Nanny MacPhee Returns for the 3rd time, I thought to myself "Where can I get one of those magic sticks? and Why exactly don't they offer day care on international flights?" I vowed right then and there that the next time we make an international trip my husband WILL be present and sleeping aids for all will be passed out at meal times!

The next 9 hours went much more smoothly. After a quick meal of beef teriyaki, rice, steamed veggies, and some sort of cake (? I really don't know what kind but it was sweet and filling and a nice way to end the meal!), the girls snuggled in and slept (sort of peacefully with the exception of a few bathroom breaks and brief awakenings to reposition themselves), but darn it! I was WIDE awake! As tired as I was I could not sleep a bit! I literally felt like I was going to jump out of my seat!!! It was a good thing the air line had individual t.v. screens for every seat with a selection of movies and tv shows to watch. I think I watched just about every one of them (which was kind of great for me since my hubby is vehemently against all movie theaters condemning them as a waste of money and time :/)

We arrived fairly unscathed and mostly sane in Seoul around 6pm local time. Customs and Immigration went smoothly, however you do have to collect all of your luggage first and transport it yourself to customs for it to be scanned. (I knew I should have listened when the hubs said to pack light!!!) Boy was that a sight! It took 2 luggage carts slammed full to get my luggage and us to the right gate for inspections! I had to beg and plead with a security guard to help me push the carts and the stroller to my destination! Thank goodness the Korean people are so helpful! They literally will go out of their way to help a stranger in need no matter where they are! I could definitely get used to this! The hubs picked us up and we were off to our new home for a much needed shower/bath and dinner before we went to sleep! All in all we were happy to be together and ready to face our first official adventure as a family head on.

So, what have I learned?
1.)Never pack any more than you can carry by yourself.
2.)Children, while they are a precious gift from God, will quickly find what ever weakness you have and use it against you.
3.) Sleep is the best medicine known to man.

What are my first impressions of Korea?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! It is very beautiful, historic, and peaceful. Although the Korean culture does not appreciate the finer qualities of air conditioning like many Americans.

What is the weather like here?
One word: HOT! I thought I would be just fine having lived in both south Alabama and Houston, TX. Nothing could have prepared me for this!

Many more things to come and many more things to see. For now, let the games begin!

An nyǒnghi ka seyo! (Good Bye!)

WHERE the heck is my easy button?????

Well trucks are packed, goods are shipped, and here I sit on this lovely Independence Day listening to the quiet of my in-law's home. Let me fill you in on what has been happening here since my last post. After "clearing post" ( fancy Army term for tying up loose ends, cleaning house, and lots of paper work so you can leave) we crammed ourselves into the car with as much stuff as we could fit (our dogs, cat, fish, and children included!), shipped the rest, and off we went on our adventure west to the Lone Star state where we will be staying until our housing is set up in Korea and the Army calls us in! Along the way we had a few hiccups, mostly the screaming children kind, but we survived mostly unscathed! We may have lost a few of our marbles but the majority are still there and we did live to see another day. We arrived in good old Highlands, TX (Home to my husband's parents, more affectionately known as Grandma and Pop) some time in the wee hours of the morning on the 20th of June and immediately (by immediately I mean 2 potty breaks and a diaper change later) crashed in our respective rooms until later that morning.

2 weeks later, here we are and I am just as stressed as the day I left Ft. Rucker. I keep saying to myself "Where the heck is my easy button?" and "Why hasn't someone written a how-to pamphlet on this?" oh and I can't forget "Did I sign up for this?" and lastly " WHO do I have to speak to, to get some FREAKIN sweet tea around here?????" If it weren't for Gregg's (my father-in-law) constant effort to keep the tea pitcher full at home, I think I would have withered away by now! If that weren't enough, the Army has informed us that we will be traveling separately. Yes, separately! My husband leaves for Seoul on Wednesday and the girls and I will join him later this month. Oh and the animals get to join us in September. So I am the lucky one that gets to make an international plane trip with a 3 year old and a 10 month old. That is not my idea of F-U-N! Hopefully the portable DVD player and the multitude of Barney DVDs I packed will help.

Up until now the weight of what is actually happening to our little family has not been hard to bare. But I today it occurred to me what I am actually about to do! A feeling of weariness and excitement all mixed in have over taken my senses. I can barely concentrate. It's kind of like Christmas morning and the first day of school all jumbled up. I mean I am excited to see the new and interesting things that that I will experience and the new people that I will meet, but at the same time I am terrified to be somewhere where I know absolutely no one and know nothing about the area (not to mention the GIGANTIC language barrier). I guess it is a blessing that Chris will go there first and set everything up (housing included) so when we arrive we just have to drop our bags and start living.

So, in a way I am experiencing something similar to what our founding father's did. They started out strangers in a new land too! They were afraid but they put on their big girl pants and kicked some butt and took names! In the spirit of Independence Day, I too will do the same! So, South Korea, listen up! I have a few words to say to you. My name is Susan and I will here by conquer you in the name of fried chicken, grits and sweet tea! Look out because here I come!!

Just a lil' dirt on me!

Simply Southern. Those two words describe me to a T! Well.....maybe I should clarify. I am not one of those front porch hill billies with a flea bitten dog named Blue. Picture Scarlet O'Hara....only with a petite 4'11 frame and an infectiously sweet attitude that would give your Grandma-ma's sweet tea a run for it's money! Well maybe not exactly that, but you get the picture!

I am a proud Army wife and Mom of 3 beautiful little girls. Like every other Southern girl, sweet tea is my drink of choice and nothing tops a good slice of pecan pie (other than whipped cream of course!) . I love to cook and read and of course FEED PEOPLE! It is a trait I learned from my Grandma. Just about everybody that walked through her front door left with a full belly!

I married my husband in 2004 and just 6 short years, 3 kids , an Afgan deployment, 2 dogs and a cat later here we are! Until recently, the Army has taken us on a state-side (or conus as they say) adventure from Fort Bragg, NC down to good ole Fort Rucker, AL. Now, on the heels of our 2 year break from deployments, we find out we are Korea bound!!! Yes I said KOREA!! Seoul, Korea specifically! We are talking smack dab in the middle of Asia! Now I like rice as much as the next person but this is a little ridiculous! I mean I have never even been out of the South East much less the country! So with passport in hand, and a little bit of my Grandma's courage, I am about to embark on the most exciting and scary adventure of my life with kids and animals in tow!

And so, as I sit here in my hotel room, surrounded by suitcases and children, the idea occurred to me to write it all down. What better way to preserve this 3 YEAR adventure than to record it here in the immortal place that is the internet! So fasten your seat belts and get ready to experience what is sure to be a great ride with some southern flair!