"Go West Young Man!" (and wife)

Korea is long gone and we have decided to answer the call of the West (even if we are 150 years late) and head out to Grand Teton National Park this summer.   We will be working in Colter Bay Village on the shores of Jackson Lake.  It is a hot spot for recreation in the Tetons with opportunities for fishing, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor pursuits. 

Teresa will be working as a hostess at the Ranch House and I will be in charge of Tent City.  We will be starting our latest adventure mid-May and working until late September.  Hold on to your horses, it's gonnna be exciting!  Equally exciting is the opportunity you will have to continue reading the blog.

Read more about Colter Bay Village at
http://www.gtlc.com/lodging/colter-bay-village-overview.aspx

Paris...Part FIVE

The Louvre

How can you tell when you have found a good husband?  Well, at least for me... when he plans a weekend trip to Paris :)  

The Cathedral of Notre Dame

Garden outside the Louvre

I'm not trying to brag, but boy did my hubby do a good job!  He told me it was our 2 year anniversary/ Birthday/ Christmas gifts to each other and planned 2 full days of touring the sites of Paris, having a pizza picnic under the Eiffel tower, and eating french crepes along the river.




To top it all off he sent email after email so he could get us a room with a view like this...  

What a wonderful way to end a wonderful year with my husband of two years now...(it seems like so much longer...but in a good way)  He is my adventure buddy for a lifetime and I can't wait to see the next adventures God has in store for our lives! 

Hong Kong to Amsterdam....Part FOUR

Sometimes the best places to visit are the ones you stumble upon along your journey...

Our last stop in China before heading to Europe was Hong Kong.  After taking the night bus we walked (or wandered around confused depending on how you look at it...) until we found the Hong Kong border.  We crossed the border and hopped on their subway system until we reached Lantau Island where the Hong Kong International airport is located AND the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.

Fortunately we had 12 hrs. before our flight left for Europe...plenty of time to ride the cable car across the bay and up the mountain to the WORLD'S LARGEST SEATED BRONZE BUDDHA STATUE!

We glanced at the statue for a few minutes and decided we better start the7 mile hike back down the mountain.  We made it to the airport drenched in sweat and happy after an exciting hike through the Hong Kong rainforest.  If you ever want to see the Omaha rainforest in real life than Hong Kong is the place to head! Although exhausting, this was definitely a highlight of our entire trip.   After a quick wet-wipe "shower" we were on the overnight plane heading towards Amsterdam.

After layovers in Thailand and Jordan we left Asia for the first time in a year and made it to Amsterdam early in the morning.  It turns out Amsterdam is beautiful! We spent the day walking along the canals (we've heard it has more canals than Venice) and ended up walking completely across Amsterdam before reaching the bus stop in the evening to jump on an overnight bus to Paris!!

Yangshuo, China...Part THREE!

One of the things we love about Asia is how cheap it is to eat, travel, and shop compared to America.  Don't get us wrong, we love America, but we can do and see a whole lot more while vacationing throughout Asia compared to vacationing in America...

2 overnight bus tickets across China compared to 1 tank of  gas in America:

Our sleeper bus with built in beds!

Dining along the riverside compared to takeout at McDonald's:

The Menu
sweet and sour pork
peppered steak and veggies
white rice
2 chocolate milkshakes

A Mountain Retreat suite compared to a Motel 6 room:

with a view like this... 

Out on a walk

From Beijing Jesse and I headed to Yangshuo, China...one of the most beautiful places in all China.  We spent the next few days swimming, hiking, relaxing, and taking in the beauty of Yangshuo and the Li River.  We even got the chance to ride on a bamboo raft and stay in a suite for the first time ever!  It was so refreshing to spend time with my hubby and relax after a very long school year :)

Swimming spot at the retreat and good
snail hunting grounds

Beijing, China...Part TWO!

The first stop on our journey home was Beijing, China.  We were lucky enough to have Kate join us for all the sightseeing, adventures, and fun! 

Eating a Scorpian off of
Wongfujing Street

Little Boy in the Hutongs:
traditional Chinese Street

Yep, my husband ate one of these

Our Hostel

Day 1


*Leave Korea for the
last time!                                   
*Meet up with Kate at the Beijing Airport
*Travel by bus, subway, and foot
to arrive at The Red Lantern Hostel
*Take a walk through the Hutongs
*Visit Wongfujing Street

Tiananmen's Square

Day 2

Forbidden City

*Visit The Forbidden City
*Lunch in the Forbidden City Rock Garden
*Relax in Tiananmen's Square
*Chinese Acrobats

Summer Palace

Lunch Time!

Day 3

*Summer Palace
*Lunch under a willow tree
*Shopping

Day 4


*Hike up the Great Wall
*Tobbagon Down the Great Wall :)
*Lunch at a traditional Chinese restaurant
*Dinner at the DQ




Day 5


*Beijing Zoo
*Farewell to Kate
*Walk to Hubei Lake
*Pack to leave for Yangshuo                                                                                                                   

Heading Home...part ONE

The Seoul Zoo

It's been awhile since our last blog...but for those of you who havn't seen us since our arrival to the States, we are HOME and keeping busy!  We love being home, but before we start in on all the details of what life has been like back in Nebraska, we have a stories from the trip heading home to share :) 

Our last lunch of Cheese Dokki
and banana wine at Jesse's school
before heading up to Seoul

Part ONE:  Vacation in Seoul

After our final goodbyes and packing our bags, we headed on the last 3 hr. bus trip to Seoul to visit the one and only Kate.  We had a great final weekend in Korea filled with good food, relaxation (yay, we are finally done!), a visit to Kate's school, and trip to the zoo!

The Seoul Zoo was beyond our expectations.  We got to see a dolphin/seal show, see different animals that arn't typically found in an American zoo, and experience great weather making the animals awake and active.

Hanging out at the zoo
2 days before heading
to Beijing together!

We also enjoyed a few last things our taste buds will miss most...Korean curry, shakes in a bag, banana milk and chocolate, and Korean pizza topped with corn and pickles!   Mmmmmmm   

Goodbyes

This last month has been full of goodbyes.  With 6 schools between the both of us, it seems like every week since mid July we have been slowly finishing camps and classes with each of our schools.

For me (Teresa), it has been a very busy month!

Mulya Teachers

The last school day at Mulya was full of hand written letters from ALL of my students (with the help of their teacher :) and a chicken lunch with the principal at an outdoor restaurant up in the mountains.  It was beautiful and delicous! 

Bonghwa Grade 6 girls

I can never tell when it will be my last time seeing my Bonghwa students...  The kids are always popping up around town yelling, "Hi, Teacher" and waving happily.  I found a handful of my 6th grade girls playing in the river on my way home from work and said another quick goodbye.  More than once I have repeatedly said goodbye to my Bonghwa kids with hugs and tearful goodbyes. 

*At Jaeson my 5th graders threw me a surprise goodbye party over break.  Their teacher made me leave the classroom for a coffee break while they kids snuck in choco-pies and wrote "I love you Teacher" across the white board with magnets.  What a great surprise to walk into!  (I'm sad I forgot my camera that day!) 

AND THE HARDEST GOODBYE WAS HAVING TO SAY GOODBYE TO THESE LADIES...

Since November I have been teaching an English Bible Study at the church next door to our apartment.  It has been such a blessing being able to have fellowship, sing songs, pray, and meet with these ladies once a week.  They will be GREATLY missed. 

My co-teacher, July and I

Tomorrow is the last day at Bonghwa...and I will have to say one last goodbye to one of my main co-teachers, July.  I am very excited to come home, but it is bittersweet saying goodbye to everyone who has been so kind to us this year.

WE WILL MISS YOU KOREA!!