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Korea has Taught Me…

Written by: Amanda // Category: South Korea

In the (almost) two years I’ve lived in Korea, this country has taught me a lot. I’m beginning to learn certain customs and ways of life, and some things seem pretty bogus to me, but there are a few things Korea has given me a new mindset about.  Below I’ve listed the top 10 things Korea has taught (the good, the bad, and the bizarre) me-in no particular order. I’ve mixed the bogus with the more practical…I’ll leave it up to you to decide what’s important to know.

Korea has taught me

1. Never to get mad at that Indian customer service representative again. This one is something I’ve learned while living with the crazy language barrier. Living back in the US I took speaking English for granted. People around me (as well as myself) would often complain about how they can hardly understand the customer service reps when they called about their phones or credit cards. All I have to say to that (now…looking back on it) is, well at least they speak English, and really attempt to understand! I feel bad that I complained about them in the past. Now, in Korea, living in a language foreign to me, I go through each day with more silence than I ever thought possible. I live in a ‘bubble’ and people are chattering around me, but since I don’t know enough of the language, I easily tune it out.

I appreciate speaking English. I had a little girl from Texas randomly in one of my Kindergarden classes just for two classes, but I couldn’t believe how much I missed talking to native English speaking 4 year olds. Would it be pathetic if I said I didn’t want to leave her?

2. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. If you’ve ever spent even a week outside the United States, you’ll realize just how dependent the USA is on food. Hey, it’s freaking yummy I get that! We to often get caught up in  the splendor of eating that we forget life doesn’t revolve around meals. It’s hard to break the concept. Think about it: You wake up and eat BREAKFAST, go to work and get your first break at LUNCH, then come home for DINNER. That basically sums up your day.

In Korea, the locals eat pretty much the same thing for all three meals. Asians typically have a super fast metabolism, so they eat more than three times a day. The staple of their diet consists mostly of: rice, kimchi, seaweed soup. No joke. Now that’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. If they want a snack? They go to the local 7-11 and grab some ramen noodles to go. It doesn’t seem like a meal itself is that exciting to Koreans. Getting together with their family and friends for a meal is what excites them.

Korean Meal

I think a lot is to be said over the general health of the Korean population. I know obesity is on the rise, but in the overall scheme of things, they’re way behind America when it comes to over indulgence problems (let’s not get into their alcohol consumption though, that may yield a quite different result).

3. Plain water is gross. This is so weird to me. Water is served in restaurants in the tiniest of glasses, I’d say it equates to less than 1/2 a cup of water. I can suck it down in one big gulp, and then I’m left getting up a million times for more (yep self-service on the water).  What boggles my mind is that I’ll look over at other tables and they’ve barely touched their waters. I honestly have no idea how they don’t have more cases of dehydration. The only liquids I ever see people throwing down the hatch in public seem to be coffee, tea, soda, and alcohol.

Even my 6 year old students don’t like plain water. The Korean teachers will boil water with rice or sometimes add a little bit of green tea to change the taste. When I asked them why they like the ‘flavored’ water better, they just said plain water tastes gross.

???

4. The bigger the smart phone, the better. The smart phones in Korea are out of control. Seriously. I used to make fun of tablets and how I was certain one day people would be using their tablets as phones. Looks like I wasn’t too far off. The screens on these smartphones are so big that they can’t even the darn phone in their pockets. I’m not sure why they think that ginormous phones are awesome (wait, wasn’t it not too long ago we were trying to make phones super small?), but the size of the screen definitely needs to stop growing. 

via

via

5.  The smaller the dog, the better. One thing that does need to start growing would be the dogs here in Asia. One of my friend’s little boys just got a dog for Christmas. It’s a tiny little fuzzy white thing, just as cute as can be, but not even the size of my foot. My foot is 9″ long, and this puppy wasn’t even 7″. Blows my mind.

They breed their dogs here to be super, super small, because the ‘latest rage’ is sticking your puppy in your coat pockets or purse. I think its cruel to be breeding these animals so small, and there are lots of health problems that arise because of it…  but we’ll leave that for another day.

I’m a big dog lover all the way (like great dane big), so sometimes these miniature dogs make no sense to me.

6. If it’s broken, buy a new one; don’t worry about fixing the old. I don’t know if it’s due to their not-so-secret economic boom, but everyone seems to have money to spend. Or at least limitless credit cards to put all their purchases on. Your computer isn’t working right? Buy a new one. Your couch is getting more than 4 years old? Buy a new one. Don’t have an outfit to match your significant other’s perfectly? Buy one. Your car breaks down? Buy a new one.Weirdest mentality ever…especially coming from a culture that has no problem fixing everything and then using it until it is either a) a million years old and is illegal to use anymore, or b) has literally completely fallen apart.

But hey-this whole ‘broken/old buy a new one’ thing works great for us foreigners (seriously, don’t mind us over here digging through your trash). Not only do we have two cars 10-15 years younger than me that collectively cost us less than my digital camera,  we have quite the stash of household furniture carefully placed about the house that cannot be more than 5-7 years old. THANK YOU Korea.

7. I’m comfortable with where I am, so why do anything ‘out of the ordinary’?  Although I’m judging this based mostly off of children, it’s really strange to me that so many people don’t want to even try life outside their comfort zone. When asking my students where they want to go on vacation, or where they want to live if they could live anywhere in the world, 95% of them will say: “Korea,” “Seoul,” “Busan.” When asked again why they don’t want to travel outside Korea, they shrug their shoulders and say, “Because I don’t want to.”

I’ve noticed the same thing when it comes to food. One of the most hilarious things I’ve ever done in my teaching career was make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with my students. Yeah, not something I’d consider ‘weird’ or ‘strange,’ but according to my students I might as well have asked them to eat a chocolate/tomato sandwich. Would you believe in a class of 14 pre-teens, only one boy decided to give it a try? One.

There was another time I brought in salt water taffy, and it took the entire 40 minute class for my students (after smelling it and pulling it apart with their fingers) to even try a tiny corner of the piece I gave them. Why? Because it’s unfamiliar. I think coming from a country that is such a melting pot of so many different places, trying new things is somewhat second nature. I totally understand having reservations, and if you ever tried to get me to eat grilled monkey brains, it’s not going to happen.

8.  Why not document every important thing you did during the day with a ‘selfie?’ This one makes me smile. I’m petrified that Iwhen I go back to the States I will have (unknowingly) picked up this Asian trend. You’re eating lunch at Mcdonalds? Take a selfie. You’re looking at clothes in a store? Take a selfie. You’re waiting in line for a movie? Best time to take a selfie. I guarantee if you scan a crowd in Asia, you’ll be able to find at least 5-10 people in one setting taking a picture of themselves.

via

via

Hey, it’s good to document everything with pictures, why not document yourself doing those things? eh?

9.  If all your friends are doing something you better climb on board too. I don’t get this. It’s not uncommon to lose a student at academy (due to a new English academy opening up or some other reason), then a few days later lose two or three more because they were wanting to go to the same academy that their friend now goes to.

Or what about this one? Three of my friends just upgraded to the new Samsung Galaxy 4, so sure as heck I’m going to buy myself one too! This seriously happened a few months ago, involving 4 co-teachers. They all had various phone types, but then when one girl got the new phone, the rest of the co-teachers went together to get the same phone, and matching cases. Twinkies much?

10.  Family is the most important. I love this about Korea. Sure there are flaws in the system, but Korea is very traditional when it comes to family. They almost always spend time doing family things on the weekends, eat family dinners, and stay connected (my students get phone calls from their moms all the time in the middle of class). The grandparents are particularly involved with the grandchildren, taking them out to play in parks, watching movies, and going shopping. Once the grandparents get to a certain age, they actually move into their children’s homes to be taken care of and to be an extra help for the grandchildren. How about that?

There is a huge respect for elders in Asia. Students respect both their parents and grandparents, and genuinely care for their wellbeing. It’s a wonderful thing to see and witness, especially with how terrible the younger generation in the US is at this. 

Although Korea has tried to rub off a few strange ideas on me, I have discovered that there are certain things Korea does that is actually something I should pay attention to/learn from.

The best thing about living overseas is that you get to experience life a whole different way then what you are used to, or even capable of understanding. I am so grateful for the opportunities to learn (and have a good laugh or two).

Happy Weekend!

 

​

Welcome to Living in Another Language! Thanks for dropping by. We’re Derik and Amanda, a couple with a permanent case of wanderlust. Follow along with us as we travel the world. Read more about us HERE.

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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. 

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      • Central Otago Wine Tour
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      • What 1,095 Days of Travel Has Taught Me
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      • Let's Chat
      • The LIAL Guide to Seoul, South Korea
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      • 2014-Our Year in Travels.
  • ►2014
    • ►December
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014 RESULTS
      • Travel Insurance: Yay or Nay?
      • Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography
      • And We're Off!!!
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      • Things All Expats Do But Won't Admit To
      • Wellington, New Zealand
      • 12 Songs for Your Travel Playlist
    • ►November
      • Why You Should Travel in 2015
      • Travel Blogging + Marriage
      • Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Osaka, Japan
      • Things I Find Strange About New Zealand
      • Pearl Harbor
      • Five things you should do before you start traveling
      • Tunnel Beach, Dunedin
    • ►October
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014
      • Queens Park, Invercargill
      • The 5 Types of Travel Bloggers
      • The Lunar Eclipse
      • 10 Tips to Improve Your Photography
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      • Rain Boots or Wellies?
      • What Travel Means To Me
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      • Real Life Friends
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      • Moeraki Boulders
      • A Journey Through Middle Earth: Hobbiton
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      • Radio Silence
    • ►August
      • Campervan New Zealand
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      • How to Survive Long-Distance Flights
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      • The Suitcase Designs (New Look + Premades!!)
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      • Why New Zealand?
      • Not Captured on Camera
      • Pololu Valley, Hawaii
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      • Searching for Whale Sharks
      • Final Words on Korea
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      • What I Miss About Summer in the USA
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      • Change is Inevitable
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    • ►April
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 3
      • Macro Photography Without A Macro Lens
      • 21 Household Tips and Tricks
      • Belated Blogiversary
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      • Pros and Cons of Living in Korea
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      • Lately in Korea
      • White Temple, Chiang Rai
      • When Hotels Bite
      • Grand Palace, Bangkok
      • Living Minimalistically
      • Stay Out of Trouble While Traveling
      • Things Only Expats Understand
      • Maui Photo Session
      • Backpacking for 60 days
      • Long Neck Karen Tribe
      • Back Home
    • ►February
      • One Year of No-Poo
      • How to Travel Right out of College
      • Two Year Expat Anniversary
      • Valentine's Day
      • Lessons of Love (From Abroad)
      • Your Questions Answered: The Miscellaneous
      • Teaching ESL is Hard
    • ►January
      • Your Questions Answered: Expat Living
      • Tips on Moving Abroad
      • Blogging 101: When Blogging isn't Fun Anymore
      • What Not to Say to an Expat
      • Your Questions Answered: Travel
      • Initial Thoughts from the USA
  • ►2013
    • ►December
      • 2013-Our Year in Travels.
      • Geoje Sculpture Park
      • Christmas
      • Saturday's Thoughts
      • Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
      • Have I Changed?
      • Korea has Taught Me...
      • Not Home for the Holidays
      • Rokuon-ji (the golden temple)
      • I Need Your Questions!
    • ►November
      • A Post About My Hair
      • Thanksgiving: Through the Eyes of an Expat
      • Blogging 101: Time Management
      • Sandakan: River Adventure
      • How to Photograph Fireworks
      • A Recent Blog Design
      • Chuo Ward, Japan
      • Search Terms for the Win
      • Miss/Don't Miss (part 2)
    • ►October
      • Blogging 101: Using Pinterest to Maximize your Blogging Potential
      • Busan International Fireworks Festival
      • Geisha Town [Kyoto After Dark]
      • Confessions of an Expat
      • Korea: Where Random Situations Rule (on Twitter)
      • Jinju Lantern Festival
      • Quarter of a Century
      • Capture the Colour 2013
      • Do You Have Fur On Your Legs?
      • Simply Just Blogging
    • ►September
      • [Japan] Fushimi Inari Shrine
      • Homeless for Half a Month
      • I Don't Understand
      • Looking for Saltwater Crocodiles
      • Blogging 101: Advice
      • Saturday Takeover: Misadventures in Japan
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 2
      • Expat Blues
      • Snorkeling Borneo
      • LASIK in Korea? You must be kidding.
      • 500,000? That's a Big Number
      • Finding Home
      • [BORNEO] Sunsets and Coconut Water
    • ►August
      • Guess We Didn't Get the Memo
      • Korea Doesn't Care About Miley
      • Step Into My Life
      • Blogging 101: The Sponsor Game
      • Don't Get Mugged
      • Introducing...(aka HUGE NEWS)
      • Three Years Ago the Wedding Bells Rang
      • Let's Talk About 'No Poo' (FAQ 2)
      • We're Back!
      • As of Now...
    • ►July
      • Why I'm the Worst Traveler Ever
      • How To Be a Tourist in Asia
      • It Wasn't That Long Ago...
      • Blogging 101: Wordpress Plugins
      • Lately [10]
      • 30 day challenge
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 1
      • Weird Wednesday (7/17)
      • The temple on the sea
      • I love bloglovin!
      • A saturday photo session
      • Friday Funnies {7}
      • A game of charades (aka everyday life)
      • Blogging 101
      • The collective social blog hop
      • This one goes to the cats
      • This holiday we call the 4th of july
      • The good, the bad, and the ugly
      • Island camping: it's pretty nice
    • ►June
      • Friday Funnies {6}
      • Recipe: blt stuffed avocado
      • Using the shadows
      • Friday Funnies {5}
      • Camping with the locals (expat level: expert)
      • Lately [9]
      • 'No poo' frequently asked questions
      • Would you like to know? [3]
      • Friday Funnies {4}
      • Thanks for having a birthday buddha
      • Weird Wednesday 6/12 + Sponsor Spotlight {june} pt.2
      • No gym membership required
      • Friday funnies {3}
      • Would you like a cup of tea with that? (Boseong)
      • Korea: the country where random situations rule
    • ►May
      • Friday Funnies {2}
      • Lately [8]
      • Weird Wednesday (5/30)
      • Things I wish I had known...part two
      • Seoraksan favorites
      • Lately[7]
      • Friday Funnies (LINK-UP!)
      • I STILL Don't Use Shampoo
      • Weird Wednesday (05/22)
      • The thing about 'selfies'
      • Latey [6]
      • Would you like to know? [2]
      • Green smoothie: grapefruit
      • The time we went to an adult playground
      • Lately [5]
      • Things i wish i had known...
      • Breakfast in seosan
      • Lately [4]
      • Hakdong (pebble) beach
    • ►April
      • Why would i say that?
      • Recipes: fish tacos
      • Lately [3]
      • Would you like to know?
      • Weird Wednesday (4/23)
      • Friend connect bloghop
      • .org vs .com and how I almost lost it
      • Cocoppa: an ocd iphone lover's dream
      • Lately [2]
      • The candid series: busan
      • For every woman
      • DIY Lip Balm
      • Lately
      • Of 'Weird Wednesdays' and liebster awards
      • Recipes: boneless bbq chicken
      • Shopping habits
      • Out with the old...
      • I'm attracted to attractions
      • Preparing for war
      • Recipes: cheddar garlic biscuits
      • The purple mountain (Mt. Daegeumsan)
    • ►March
      • Weird Wednesday (03/27)
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part two)
      • The dentist.
      • I don't use shampoo
      • Weekly photo challenge: my korean happy meal
      • Fireworks + friends = epic
      • Thirty-three reasons why I love my job.
      • Japan: land of the rising sun
      • So...you want to be an ESL teacher?
      • Weird Wednesday (03/06)
    • ►February
      • Bored on a thursday night?
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part one)
      • The time i went to north korea (DMZ)
      • Weekly photo challenge: forward
      • A trip to the bamboo forest
      • Year one
      • Be mine
      • French press lattes
      • Weird Wednesday (02/13)
      • The bet we made with the boys
      • [Vietnam] last day in paradise
      • [Vietnam] $10 dollar scooters and free spray tans
      • Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique (Dr. Seuss)
    • ►January
      • Weird Wednesday (01/30)
      • I practice my hobbies on saturdays...
      • Weird Wednesday (01/23)
      • [Vietnam] the time i ate sea urchin
      • The candid series: farmer's market
      • [Vietnam] landing in paradise
      • Weird Wednesday (01/16)
      • 5D
      • [Vietnam] a morning in the bay
      • Weird Wednesday (01/09)
      • [Vietnam] in silent waters
      • [Vietnam] of busy streets and great food
      • Weird Wednesday (01/03)
  • ►2012
    • ►December
      • Dear santa...love, an expat.
      • Delicate
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer pt.2
      • Recipes: grandma knows best
      • I've become domesticated.
    • ►November
      • Weekend reunions
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer
      • They deserve it the most...
      • Three quarters.
      • 11/11
      • Halloween: 'korean style'
    • ►October
      • I wish I were...
      • Foreign
      • Sorry if i'm rude, i'm american.
      • Expat resources
      • As the days get colder
      • Big
      • Colors of change
      • Chuseok
      • 24
      • Top ten
      • Jasmine: not the tea or the disney princess.
      • Where do i get it? 10/4
    • ►September
      • six months plus.
      • [Bali] late night cruisin'
      • [Bali] water adventure day
    • ►August
      • Grand mirage...a piece of paradise. [bali]
      • The first of many [bali].
    • ►July
      • The dirtiest people i've ever seen
    • ►June
      • Its not always about the pictures.
      • Yeosu world expo. Basically the coolest event i've ever been to.
    • ►May
      • Seoul. It's beautiful chaos.
    • ►April
      • When did time escape me?
    • ►March
      • That BBQ Chicken...
      • Sick Days...
      • Busan
    • ►February
      • Of food and other things.
      • The Journey Over
      • The Grand Adventure
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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!
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