Living in Another Language

a travel & adventure blog

  • About
  • Blog
  • Destinations
    • Asia
      • Bali
      • Borneo
      • Japan
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • Belgium
      • Croatia
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Norway
      • Poland
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • Fiji
      • New Caledonia
      • New Zealand
    • North America
      • Alaska
      • Hawaii
      • Texas
    • Cruises
  • Reviews
    • Accommodations
    • Tours
    • Locations
    • Products
  • Photography
    • Tutorials
    • Photojournalism
  • Travel
    • Guides
    • Travel Tips
    • Expenses
    • Travel Blogging
  • Work With Us

Archives for March 2013

Weird Wednesday (03/27)

Written by: Amanda // Category: Weird Wednesday

We all know taxi drivers are among some of the craziest, daredevil drivers in the world. Their main focus is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible...unless you have a sneaky driver that's trying to get the most out of your money. I don't need to remind you of the ridiculous way that Koreans drive. Not only do they disregard all traffic rules, but they're fully absorbed it their portable devices. Gigantic smart phones, gps units, and yes...a portable television. Check out our taxi driver from the other night. He as watching the news while he brought us home. Check out other 'Weird Wednesdays' here! ... Read More

Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part two)

Written by: Amanda // Category: Japan

If you don't know this by now...I just thought I should make a PSA: I'm a procrastinator. A big one. It's already been how long since Japan, and I still have blogs to write? Not to mention I'm a little bit behind in current events. I've probably confused you all so much with my spastic and disorganized posts. Sorry, I really am! I honestly thought my life would slow down with my new work schedule, but instead it seems to be busier (makes no sense). I finally finished part two of my series of two posts on the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. If you haven't read part one yet, you should do so immediately! It involves a little history on the aquarium as well as some pretty sweet jellyfish. This part of the series is literally almost ... Read More

The dentist.

Written by: Amanda // Category: Expat Living, South Korea

Those two words send shudders down my spine. I dislike the dentist. I'm not sure where this fear came from, and I have absolutely no excuse. In my 24 years of life I haven't had one cavity, filling, extraction, cap, or any other dental related problem. I have gone to the dentist for regular teeth cleanings/check ups, and walk out with a fine bill of health. I'm quite proud of my pearly whites;dentists love my teeth. So where did my fear come from? Well, wouldn't you know it, but I actually have a small little jaw and mouth. It can be quite painful for me to go to the dentist and sit for 40 minutes as someone pokes and prods in my mouth. I also HATE the xray machine. The little paddles they stick in your mouth cant ever lay right against ... Read More

I don’t use shampoo

Written by: Amanda // Category: Beauty

>>>>>Three month update and detailed 'no poo' tips and tricks listed here.<<<<< >>>>>No poo FAQ's here and here!<<<<< Yes, you read right. I have stopped using shampoo, and conditioner for that matter. Some people may initially think I'm a hair snob, but trust me (witnessed by those who truly know me) I probably spend the least amount of time with my hair. I also haven't had a professional hair cut since June of 2010. Say whaaaa? First of all, I have to say, I've been blessed to have strange, care-free hair. I used to have stick straight, straw like hair, but then after getting a perm (one of the best/worst decisions of my life) it's been slightly curly ever since. I ... Read More

Weekly photo challenge: my korean happy meal

Written by: Amanda // Category: Weekly Photo Challenges

This week's photo challenge was quite simple. Take a picture of your lunch. Fortunately for me, Amber and I JUST went out for lunch! We both ordered the kids meal and were not disappointed. It came neatly arranged on a shaped tray...I had bulgogi (beef-type meat with sweet sauce), rice, corn slaw, three cold tater tots, a fruit salad consisting of 3 pineapple slices and a tomato, a warm glass of orange juice, and slimy ice cream. I could have done without the ice cream.     ... Read More

Fireworks + friends = epic

Written by: Amanda // Category: Photography, South Korea

A couple weeks ago we were soooo excited to have Ethan and Sandra down for the weekend! As you may already know, we met Ethan and Sandra in college, and have kept in touch since. We were so elated to find out they were moving to Korea last August...and have spent as many opportunities as possible to hang out with them, including a Christmas trip to Vietnam. We also are blessed to have Jared and Amber (we also met them at CofO) here...and they were excited to see Ethan and Sandra too! Over Lunar New Year Amber and I had the brilliant idea of buying 32 Chinese sky lanterns to use for an 'epic' beach adventure. We then found out that E & S were coming down a few weeks after that, so we decided to save our 'beach adventure' for when ... Read More

Thirty-three reasons why I love my job.

Written by: Amanda // Category: South Korea, Teaching

Last year I taught kindergarten; I taught a lot of kindergarten. Five separate classes, five days a week with the same 33 kiddos. It didn't start out that way, I started out with Yellow Team (brand spankin' new 5 year olds who didn't know any English) and Blue and Purple Team ( 6 year olds who already had a year + of English). After Derik left, I inherited his students too: Green and Pink Team (7 year old graduating students). I had my hands full, and I'm gonna be honest, sometimes I wanted to pull my hair out. I was so tired after teaching kindy that I just wanted to curl up and take a nap instead of teach the rest of my six elementary classes in the late afternoon. There was always one fact that remained throughout the year, I ... Read More

Japan: land of the rising sun

Written by: Amanda // Category: Expat Living, Japan

Derik was hired on at DSME Shipbuilding last fall, so this meant he would be transitioning legally from the private school to the government company...DSME would be in charge of his visa and paperwork. Unfortunately his paperwork was shoved aside...and before we knew it, Derik's visa expired. It was quite frustrating finding out (even after asking multiple times) that the people in charge of his paperwork let it fall through the cracks. Worst of all, neither the school or DSME were claiming fault for it. So that meant Derik and I would be 100% financially responsible for getting a new visa...even though we did everything right. One thing we have learned about living in South Korea is that: without flexibility and an open mind...you're ... Read More

So…you want to be an ESL teacher?

Written by: Amanda // Category: Expat Living, South Korea, Teaching

First of all, what is it? ESL stands for English as a Second Language, and is for people whom English is not their first language. Obviously as a teacher you'd be teaching the very young, teens, and even adults English. Korea holds a very special place in ESL destinations...and that's because it remains one of the highest paid locations in the world. It's no secret that being an ESL teacher can be quite lucrative...especially for a newly graduated college student. Nine times out of ten, most academies and schools will pay not only for your housing needs, but for your flight ticket over, and most of your teaching materials. This is why the opportunity to save money is so great. How much could a person make? The average starting salary is ... Read More

Next Page »

Currently on Instagram

2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love 2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love social media, I found myself taking a break as the things we were all going through made social media so insignificant to me. 

In January/February I had a miscarriage. It was a horrible way to start the year, and little did I know it was just the beginning of it all. 

Even with the loss, hardship of moving back to the US in the middle of a global pandemic, and navigating our new lives here, we were given many blessings. The greatest of those was finding out I was pregnant again in March.

It’s a scary time to be pregnant right now, especially after a miscarriage, because doctors visits are very minimal. Also, Derik was never able to come to a single visit. I was terrified something would happen and I would be told bad news and have to face that alone. But God was gracious to us. 

We kept our special little secret to ourselves, and it wasn’t until our third trimester before we told immediate family and close friends. My pregnancy was very private for me, and a special time to bond closely with the babe growing inside me.

Our sweet little girl arrived November 30, and yes I had to deliver with a mask on, but she is perfect and I truly feel our family is complete. 💕🌈
 
“When a rainbow appears, it doesn’t mean the storm never happened or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath. It means something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and hope.”
I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/mons I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/monstera collector is when you get to behold such a beauty in real life. If there were ever #plantgoals, this is it. 

Since moving from Germany, it has been a long and slow process getting our life back to normal. All of our belongings have yet to arrive so we’ve literally been camping in our house on an air bed and camping chairs for two months. 😂 All that to say, having to start my plant collection over again here stateside has been so much fun! I will miss the plant prices if Germany, but the selection here blows my mind. Anyone else obsessed? We’ve lived here for almost 8 weeks now and I already have 11 plants 😂😬😬😬. I don’t have a bed or a couch, but by golly I have greenery. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🌱
Oh my heart. I’ve been trying to figure out the Oh my heart.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to say about our time in Germany, but my fingers can’t seem to type out how to express my love, gratefulness, thankfulness, sadness, and heartbreak I feel about leaving. Every country we’ve lived in has taught us something and has given us so many beautiful memories, as well as opened our eyes a little more to different cultures and ways of living.

But Germany was special. The first time we stepped foot into Germany was in 2015, and we loved it so much we stayed the extent of our travel visa (3 months). I was able to visit again in 2016, and then we officially packed everything and moved in 2017. Germany has always had my heart: the people, the festivals, the food, wine and beer, the immaculate home landscaping, and even all the rules that every resident is just expected to follow to a tee (like recycling every tiny scrap of trash). Our family grew from two to three while in Germany. Bringing our daughter into the world, and raising her for a year and a half in a different culture, will be one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

Our move was impacted by the COVID pandemic, and it took three long months of delays, red tape, and countless phone calls to get everything together so we could actually get on a plane and have our stuff packed and shipped to our new home. 
I am breathing a sigh of relief to know all the stress of everything is over and our new adventure can begin. I am mourning the loss of leaving Germany. I am in a weird transition right now trying to grasp it all, but here we are jumping into new things head first! We are back in the US for a while, in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and look forward to many new memories, travels, friends, and being able to spend time with family! 
Photos from my sweet and talented friend @juliejayphotos
I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas m I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas markets. We went to a total of ONE market, which is exactly 19 less than I told myself I would go to this year to make up for not going to any the year before 🤦🏼‍♀️(I was 40 weeks pregnant and not feeling crowds). I will say, it was a great one and the weather was so nice, we stayed out until the market shut down.

If there’s one thing I will miss most about Germany when it is our time to move, will be the sheer enthusiasm this country has for Christmas, and I’m not talking about consumerism. Food, laughter, friends, family, music, dancing: celebration. Also, Germany shuts down for not only one day, but THREE. Stores are closed, mail is not delivered, people aren’t out and about. Everyone is home enjoying time with family, and I love it. However, I may have gone into full blown panic mode Christmas Eve when I realized I had a total of 8 diapers to get us through until the 27th. 👀
We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whist We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
This was actually my first trip to Canada ever, (unless you want to count the move my parents took up to Alaska from Arkansas when I was two. 😂🤷‍♀️ ) and I loved it! We would really like to take a big Canadian road trip someday and explore more of the country! 😍😍🇨🇦
Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time t Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time to put myself together, but I would rather spend the extra moments making special memories with our daughter that she can cherish forever. I doubt that she will look at this picture and see a tired, messy haired mama that’s barely had time to wash her face nevermind carefully apply makeup, but am hoping she will see a mama that never tires of carrying and cuddling her, or sharing new experiences with her. 💕
Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a coup Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a couple days enjoying the beautiful weather in the land of chocolate, cheese, mountains, and cows with bells 😍😍🤩. If you remember, we visited the same area  a month shy of two years ago but but the weather was quite the opposite! I’d have to say though, when you visit such a majestic and beautiful area, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, you’re going to be in awe and love it anyway!
  • About
  • Design
  • Work With Us
  • Contact

© Living in Another Language 2012-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Site design by Alpine Lane.