Jim & Em: Adventures in Seoul

Hi friends! It is the very last day of 2017 and we just got back from our amazing first trip off island to Seoul, South Korea. It was such a wonderful way to end the year! We got to visit family, explore a new country, and EAT ALL OF THE FOOD! Getting to tour Seoul with people who actually live in the city was great, my brother and sister in law took us to all of the cool touristy places but also the secret little joints that nobody knows about!

We visited temples, museums, shopping districts, and palaces! The bus system and metro were very user friendly and cheap to use, and the people were very nice (except for the old people who try to run you over and the bus drivers that attempt to fling you off the bus every chance they get...)

On our Museum tour day, J and i visited the Korean War Museum and the Korean National Museum. The Korean War museum was beautiful and very interesting to see the Korean perspective on the war. The National Museum had all of the normal anthropological stuff, just with an Asian twist. After visiting the Louvre this fall I think we were a little burnt out on the history but otherwise it was a great museum.

We also got to visit the Jogyesa Buddhist temple which had the most beautiful colors I've seen. It was right smack in the middle of the city but felt like a completely different world! That same day we walked around the art district and saw some great street markets that were full of food, trinkets, and shops! It was a complete sensory overload...but in a good way!

The architecture in the palaces was incredible and it was so interesting to compare the it to Okinawan shrines and castles! Even the dragons and shisas had different characteristics. My favorite part was the sequence of figures on the roofs that protect the buildings from fire! The inclusion of the zodiac and astrological elements was also very neat.

Some things to keep in mind while traveling in Seoul:
-Pick an Airbnb that is near the stuff you want to see (Seoul is huge and spread out!)
-If you are a vegetarian, there are plenty of food options for you so eat up!
-Know what the weather will be like and dress appropriately (it was like 15 degrees...)
-Utilize the public transportation!
-Wear comfy walking shoes because you will be walking all over the place!
-Learn a few key Korean phrases, most young people have some english but not everyone
-Try everything!
-If you know someone who lives in Seoul, ask them for their favorite places

Overall, it was an amazing trip and I feel so lucky that we get the opportunity to travel to all of these amazing places! Here are some photos from our Seoul exploration...hope you enjoy!

Now time to plan our next trip!
Em

How to Move to Another Country

Hello lovely internet fam,
I've been doing an excellent job of neglecting my blog for the last month or so and honestly I have no excuse except for the fact that I've been running around like a psychopath trying to organize my life before moving to the other side of the world. Given the amazing amount of knowledge I have gained over the last six months through both experience and advice from others in the same boat, I've decided to compile a list of things to do before uprooting your life and moving to another country for a few years...

1. Get on Pinterest and make a board dedicated to all of the amazing things there are to do in your new country! That way, when you find yourself blubbering into a glass of wine, you can pull up your Pinterest board and look at beautiful beaches and cool things to do!

2. Take on a new hobby or class that finishes RIGHT BEFORE you leave for said new country. Not only does it distract you in the way that stubbing your toe makes your headache go away, but you may find that this welcome distraction also allows you to get a job in your new country (employment = good, unemployment = bad).

3. Decide to bring all four of your pets with you and spend the six months before your move planning elaborate time schedules around quarantines, vaccination records, and plane tickets. Oh and, pay an excessive amount of money in the process.

4. Somehow wait until the week before your move to sell your car and rent your house out! This way, you have the opportunity to really test your nerve before embarking on your new adventure!

5. Rip the one pair of jeans you left out of your packed goods (that you wont see for a month). Who doesn't want to wear leggings for 6 weeks straight, OR that random pair of overalls you decided to bring in your carry on...just in case!

6. Decide to take a spur of the moment trip to Europe two weeks before your departure date! Sure you will spend a bunch of money and randomly disappear causing family and friends to think you pulled an Irish Goodbye, but can anyone say 'Practice Run'?

7. And lastly, spend all of your free time with family and friends that you won't see for a while! Moving to another country has a lot of crazy ups and downs and the lowest low will be not seeing your tribe regularly BUT the highest high is the amazing opportunity that you get to experience! All of the crazy little things that happen are nothing in the grand scheme of things, and getting to experience another culture first hand is a wonderful adventure.

So, take a deep breath, experience each moment for what it is, and dive in headfirst!

See you on the other side,
Em

July Update

Where is this year going??? How the heck is it already July?? Why do I have so many questions?

Okay, glad I got that out of my system, but seriously. I can't get over how quickly time seems to fly when you have deadlines. I feel so much pressure to spend time with friends and family before we go. So much pressure to make the most of each little minute while also getting a million and one things done to leave. It sometimes feels like I have one foot here and the other already on the other side of the world. 

Living in the moment has been something I've always struggled with, I'm always planning and trying to be prepared for the future. But, if being a military spouse has taught me anything, it's that I am usually not in control and time spent worrying about the future is essentially time wasted. But of course you can't just turn that part of your brain off (no matter how much meditation you do, darn). 

As Hagrid once said, 'what's commin' will come, and we'll meet it when it does.' 

Thanks Hagrid, *insert eye roll here*

This month has been full to the brim! One thing I know I am doing right, in the midst of so much uncertainty, is spending my time doing the important things :) Family dinners, getting to see my sweet hubby on weekends, lots of yoga and reading and learning, mostly just spending good, quality time with my people. I want to take advantage of these things while I can, before we're overseas for the next few years. 

Our niyama focus for the month in my yoga teacher training in santosha, or contentment. This can be such a tough concept to deal with since contentment doesn't always equal satisfaction. Santosha means being okay with where you are in life. Now, that doesn't mean you get to just sit idly by and do nothing with your life! It just means that you focus more on the positives and accept that progress takes time. For example, I woke up this morning and was pretty sore from yoga yesterday. So I accepted the fact that today my practice would be a little slower and more restorative and that's okay!

Maybe I can't book our flights to Japan, find us a place to live, or get any freakin' information out of anybody until like two minutes before were expected to leave, and I have to observe santosha and just let things unfold in their own time and be grateful for what I do have and where I am now. 

Needless to say, this niyama is really hitting home for me right now! Living life with more intention also means being able to accept where you are right now without judgment, because where there is judgment there's no room for gratitude. 

So, for the remainder of the summer I plan on continuing to make the most of my time with friends and family, go on lots of adventures, do lots more yoga (time to get some teaching hours in!), and maintain as much patience and grace as I can! 

Having a sense of humor doesn't hurt either :)

What are some of the ways that you observe santosha in day to day life?

Always more to come...

Em 

5 Things

As some of you know, I am participating in the Jenna Kutcher Instagram challenge which is geared towards streamlining your online presence and cultivating genuine participation within the blogging community. It has been an incredible experience to 'meet' and learn about so many different bloggers from all over the world and their brands! I think we are all aware that social media can be a double edged sword especially when it comes to appreciating and living in the real world in real time without having to whip out our phones every two seconds. This challenge encourages everyone to be their true, genuine, authentic self on social media instead of putting a filter on your life, and embrace others for doing the same. Sure, we all like looking at pretty pictures of tiny puppies in teacups surrounded by a sea of peonies, or a skinny tanned girl doing yoga on a beach in Hawaii while she drinks a gluten free piña colada and the sun sets majestically in the background. BUT! Where is the connection there? Where is the personality, and the depth, and the humanity for the love of god!?!?

I know that I follow a lot of those accounts on Instagram, but for the most part those accounts are what I call 'scrollers' because I look at them and scroll right on by without reading their post or clicking the links or caring what is happening at all. They are JUST pretty pictures. But my favorite accounts, the blogs I've been following for years, are the people who are so genuine in their online presence that you can't help but be like, 'yes! I have felt that same way!'. They are the bloggers who let you know that they are having a bad day because they had to deal with 5 diaper explosions while shopping in Target. They are the ones who are chugging wine while discussing what happened on the Bachelor. They are interested in traveling, learning, bettering our world, and also just going to the grocery store, finding a good deal on Lululemon, and encouraging others to be themselves too.

The disconnect our world faces right now between our online presence and real life is crazy! People feel more isolated and unhappy than ever and it's because we have gotten so far away from reality, or maybe we have just changed what 'reality' means. Regardless, I am trying to be more mindful of living in each moment and using my social media presence as a catalyst for expanding upon that real world experience.

So, now down to the nitty-gritty! Day 3 of the #jkinstachallenge was to pick five major facets of your self and share them on your account. This was tough because I feel like everyone has so many unique, and important things that make up who they are as a person. But when it comes down to it, these are the five, biggest parts of me that make me who I am...

1. Family: Obviously this was going to be number one because my family is amaaaazee! They have always been there for me through everything. Whether I was living around the corner or on the other side of the country. They have supported my harebrained ideas, loved me when I have failed, and encouraged me to be true to myself no matter what. My parents and sister have been my constant companions and without them I wouldn't be who I am today (sorry guys, if that sounds like an insult!)

2. My Marriage: It's always hard to imagine another person coming into your life and being on the same level as your immediate family. Meeting and marrying J has been such a learning curve. We initially met at an NCSU football tailgate during my sophomore year and his freshman year in college. And let me just say that if you told me then that we would end up married, I would have thought you were INSANE. Welp, turns out that I am the insane one because here we are! And I am so happy that we ran into each other that day, even if he doesn't remember! Our relationship has completely changed me on some levels and made me more steadfast to my roots on others. J and I are so different in some respects but so similar in others. We have learned how to work our partnership into every day life and continue to grow together every day. Entering into a marriage truly is a beautiful act of self sacrifice and love (I mean that in the best way!). I have had to learn to navigate the tricky waters of being a Marine wife while still GRACEFULLY holding true to my somewhat liberal roots. And I have had to embrace the lifestyle of moving every couple of years and being far away from everything that is familiar and important to me. Which leads me to...

3. Being a military spouse: this is a complicated one for me. Growing up in an area that is known for its acceptance, non-judgement, and down right artsy fartsy-ness (not a word, I know), I had never been around the culture of a military lifestyle. Durham NC is a small lake of blue in a big, red state if you know what I mean! I honestly thought everyone in our military had a crew cut, chewed tobacco, and was the complete opposite of me on the political spectrum. So you can imagine what a shock it was for me to be thrown into such a different environment, I'm not going to lie, I was down right scared. But, I was surprised at the immediate and genuine outpouring of help and friendship from this amazing group of people I had never met. You always hear about how the military is like a second family, but I did not even come to close to comprehending what that meant until I experienced it. This group of women is part of my soul now. Every station we go to, our military family grows. These women are some of the most compassionate, hilarious, REAL people I have ever met. Everyone is so different, and so strong in their own ways that I feel like a huge dum-dum for ever having thought of this group of people as being so one-dimensional (but that is what our 'bubbles' do to us). Anyway, I can proudly say that being a military spouse has made me a stronger, more independent, and self-confident person and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

4. Travel: As a homebody with a bad case of wanderlust I feel like I am constantly feeling this push-pull of wanting to nest and stay home, but also to travel and see the world and experience everything that is out there! I've been lucky to get to travel internationally several times in my life and my list of places to visit grows by the day. Each time I open a new book, or meet a new person, another place appears at the top of my list. I love the idea of being able to see the world but have a home-base to come back to. It's all about balance. Finding that perfect space between cultivating your home and growing as a person through seeing the world. And lastly (at least as far as the top 5 go)...

5. Yogaaaaa: This is a relatively new facet to my life, especially compared to some people who have been practicing yoga for decades! But it could also be labeled, spirituality on my list. Because you see, I did not understand what yoga actually was! I was one of those people who thought yoga was just asana, or the postures of yoga. I didn't realize that the postures were just a small part of what yoga actually is. I started my in-depth journey with yoga this past January in order to have a job when we move overseas this winter. I had no clue what I was getting into. It is like everything suddenly makes sense, like I was looking through a foggy window before and trying to figure out myself on a spiritual level but could never quite see through the glass. I have always identified as a spiritual person and loved learning about religion and cultural perception throughout school (anthro major, go figure) and have always felt that, if I'm being honest, all of the religions of the world are just different doors to the same room. So finding a spiritual practice that places everyone on an even playing field and is inclusive to all religions and sects and creeds felt like finding a little bit of light in what can be a very dark world :)

So, those are 5 of things that make me, me at my very core. What are your five things that make you, you?

Love and Light
Em

Wedding Thoughts: Vendors!!

I am super guilty of going into this whole wedding business completely blind, with very little concept of how much work actually goes into pulling off a shin-dig of this size. Thankfully, my mom did most of the legwork especially while I was out of the state with J for the first part of flight school.

But let me tell you...holy moly. The number of details and random things you don't even think about is astounding. However, if you are lucky enough to have wonderful vendors like I did, everything will go much smoother! I absolutely loved our wedding team. Everyone worked seamlessly together and I never once felt stressed about anything because I knew they had it under control.

Our Photographer: Jamie Blow
Jamie was a serious blessing! She was referred to us by a family friend whose daughter also used Jamie for her wedding and simply RAVED about her. I was blown away by Jamie's calm and collected personality and her ability to make everyone feel at ease immediately. She even kept our crazy bridal party in check and having a blast while taking photos outside in 40 degree weather! I never felt uncomfortable or silly while we were posing for pictures because Jamie knew exactly what would look good and not hokey. Jamie was also easy to get in touch with, super responsive, and very helpful in the months leading up to our wedding. She was efficient and quick and so great at capturing the love and laughter of our special day. I plan on using Jamie for all of our life events and couldn't recommend her more highly.



Our DJ: Randy Bennett with Bunn DJ Company
Randy was our awesome DJ. He covered everything from the ceremony, to the cocktail hour, to the reception and after party! Randy was very easy to talk to and work with and did an excellent job of creating playlists that fit our personalities. Several people of different ages came up to me after the wedding and remarked on how well he covered music for all generations. There was never a lull in the party and everyone was dancing until the very end of the night! I really enjoyed working with Randy because he was amazing at guiding us through the process of selecting songs and organizing the sound for the evening. He was also an awesome MC during the evening. He was organized and fun and easy going. Randy even provided us with an audio thumb drive of the whole ceremony and a playlist from the night!

Our Videographer: Elijah Nacita with Morgan Scott Films
I did not get a chance to meet Elijah until the day of the wedding. He and his partner (and wife!) came into our hotel suite and immediately put me and my bridesmaids at ease. They were quick and efficient when it came to taking video of us all getting ready and worked perfectly in tandem with Jamie to capture each special moment. I think one of the moments that really struck me with these guys was when they were capturing our first look. I was worried it would be awkward and feel fake but they told us exactly what to do and then blended into the background and it felt like it was just the two of us. Elijah spent the whole day with us from the first look to our sparkler exit and I am so excited to see our film! Everyone should definitely check out their website and watch their work, but don't forget tissues!!!

Our Cake Designer: Jenny Leinbach (Yellowbird Baking)
Jenny was our cake designer and baker! She was so fun to work with and her homemade frostings and cakes were absolutely delicious. I had such a great time trying all of the flavors and mixing and matching different tastes together. Jenny even mixed up a special baileys Irish cream filling for us that was to die for! If you are looking for a beautiful cake that tastes amazing and is from a local Durhamite, Jenny is perfect :)

Hair and Make-up: 140 Salon and Dry Bar 
About 3 months before the wedding I decided that our original salon was not going to work for the size of my bridal party. I was so worried that I had just completely screwed us all over but then I walked into 140 Salon and was immediately put at ease by the wonderful staff there. They set up a hair and make-up trial for me THAT WEEK and the rest is history. Jill, who is the bridal specialist, took the picture I brought her from my Instagram account and made it a reality within 40 minutes. She also did my make-up exactly how I wanted it with complete ease and confidence. She made sure my hair stayed up all night but didn't hurt my head. AND she made sure that my face was flawless but not cakey and overdone looking. I honestly wish I could have her come live with me and make me look like that everyday!! The other wonderful stylists at the salon were just as fabulous and each and every one of us walked out of there on time with gorgeous hair and makeup! Also, the prices were amazing for the level of work these guys did and the environment was absolutely perfect for a bridal party. Definitely recommend this salon for your special day!

Our Venue and Wedding Planner: Sarah Leach at Bay 7 (Angus Barn)
Sarah is the wedding coordinator for Angus Barn at Bay 7. She was the glue that held everything together. Her organization and calm attitude made the day flow seamlessly, but more importantly she was the one who organized everything with us in the months leading up to our wedding. Sarah kept up with me and my mom the whole time and made sure we knew what was happening every step of the way. She helped us organize the menu, layout, flow of the evening, ceremony and everything in between! I never worried about anything going wrong on our wedding day because I had complete confidence in Sarah's ability to make everything perfect :)

A lot goes into making the wedding of your dreams happen but the best advice I can give you is: gather your team of experts early in the process and work closely with them because they are the ones who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that everything is perfect.

Can't wait to share our video and photos with you all as they come in!!
xo em