Gangneung, South Korea

Our family has spent most of the last 9 months in Seoul and our neighborhood in Bundang (a suburb of Seoul). There are many places in this beautiful country that we would like to see but have had to limit our travel. Seoul of course is a huge city and we have not explored all of it, perhaps we haven't really even explored a corner of it.

Todd had a personal day he needed to use before the end of the year so we planned a trip to the East Sea. We have met a great couple, Andy and Lindsey, that live in the city of Gangneung on the East Sea and they invited us to visit their fabulous city! A little side note: Andy and Lindsey are from Columbia, MO. We have a lot of mutual friends but had never met--so cool.

We met Andy and Lindsey at the bus terminal and then went downtown to enjoy some Dok Bolgi (chicken, cabbage, sweet potatoes and other goodness cooked on top of a grill). After our delicious meal we went back to their apartment, played cards and enjoyed hanging out together.

Observation as we were going to sleep: Their neighborhood is so quiet. Todd and I couldn't get over how quiet it was. You don't realize how much you miss silence until you are actually in a space that isn't bombarded with buses, cars, people, sirens, and shouting into megaphone truck drivers.

The next morning we took a 25-30 minute walk to the beach. The area around Andy and Lindsey's apartment is surrounded mostly by small plots of farm land. It's beautiful and I must say again, quiet. When we arrived at the beach, it took the kids only seconds to get wet and covered in sand. After a few hours in the sand, we rented bikes and road around a beautiful lake. The kids were so happy which of course makes Mom and Dad, really happy!

While we were playing in the sand a gentleman approached Todd and asked where we were from. After introductions (his wife and two sons), Mr. Kim told us that he lived in Atlanta for 2 years and loves America. Great! Mr. Kim's English was difficult to understand so he had his son, Alex, translate for the next 30 minutes of our conversation. Alex was kind but you could tell that he would much rather be playing in the waves than translating for his Dad. We exchanged information and hope to see them again in Seoul.

At dusk I decided I wanted to return to the beach to enjoy the last bit of daylight and the sounds of the waves hitting the shore. That's when I met, Sei-young. She quietly walked up to me and said, "Hello." I greeted her and she asked where I'm from--that's a standard question. She was with her mother but her mother didn't speak any English and decided to go sit in the coffee shop while we chatted (she actually returned for a second to give me a coffee, which I didn't want to refuse though I can't drink coffee past 4 in the afternoon or else I'm up all night). I was surprised at how good Sei-young's English is. It didn't seem that many people in the area spoke English--even a little English. When I asked her how she had learned English, thinking she must have studied abroad, she said, "I read English books and listen to tapes." If I only had that success with Korean. She is a very motivated 17 year old student! We decided to become pen pals and exchanged e-mail addresses. Hopefully, the next time we visit Gangneung, I can see her.

Before we finished our day, Todd and Zach bought some fireworks and shot off a few roman candles and a few other things that blow up--to Zach's pure delight! It was the end of a perfect day.

I can't imagine living in Gangneung. It's completely different than Seoul. We can access places like Starbucks when we need a taste of home. The closet thing you get to something western is McDonalds and well, that's just not my idea of comfort and the image of home I want to have.

When we arrived home later that day, Todd and I quickly commented on how we were definitely back in Bundang. We had returned to the hustle and bustle of the city.