myretroperspective

I decided for this month's Expat Diaries, I would step back in time and talk about when we first came over to Korea and how moving overseas has changed us.  Link up your travel/expat stories below and get to know some of the other lovely bloggers! -------------------- I still remember the moment my husband and I decided to move abroad. I had texted him to tell him that instead of settling in our hometown after the wedding, I wanted to live abroad and travel the world. He texted back saying he already knew of a job opportunity working as ESL teachers in South Korea. So while I planned the wedding, he set to work on the piles of paperwork needed in order to work abroad. Within four months, we were on a plane for half way around the world. The draw of traveling and experiencing different cultures all while being able to save money is what led us to hop on that plane with our lives in four small bags and not look back. Within the first six months of living in Korea, we had already deci

Yep, that’s what I’ve been so far this week.  My sidekick, Rachel, finished her internship last Friday, and headed back to Cincinnati.  That means there’s no more raucous drive-by grabbings for litter pick up.  I’m on my own and slowly plod down the refuge roads gathering refuse. Considering how thoughtless and uncaring many people are about our refuges, I suppose it’s job security.  No matter how many bottles, cans, and other garbage I pick up along the roadsides, there seems to be a never ending supply.  Luckily, when I get fed up with this ‘crap’, I can take a slight detour down a few roads that are gated and not open to the public at this time of the year.  It’s here that I enjoy the unspoiled nature, and find indications that summer is waning.  The goldenrod has begun to flower, and the vibrant reds of the Sumac fruits are beginning to appear.  Sumac is one of the first trees to turn color in the fall, and today I found the first red leaves. It seems that summer was a li

People sent in questions from all around the world asking about our lives here in South Korea. So...you asked, I answered! Since I had  so  many awesome questions, and I would really like to answer them all, I have decided to split this up into a three part series, this being the second installment.  For Part I  click here  or Part II click here .  Let's get started! photo courtesy of dots.i.am photography Jenni from  The Beautiful Little Fools  asked If you could go back in time to any time period what period would you choose and where in the world would you go to during that time period? I would love to be in Chicago during the 1920's. As a fashion major, this is my favorite time period and I also think that with all the historical events that take place during that time, it would be so interesting to observe first hand. And besides, who wouldn't want to go do the charleston at a speakeasy? -------------------- Kate from  Another Clean Slate  asked: What do your family an

After visiting Crane Meadows and Sherburne National Wildlife Refuges yesterday, I headed back to the rig with a stop in Little Falls along the way.  I had seen a sign along the roads advertising the Minnesota Fishing Museum.  I’ve heard of a lot of different kinds of museums, but a fishing museum?  I decided I had to check it out. I took their invitation to “Stop in and step back in time to experience the evolution of fresh water fishing in Minnesota.”  This small museum contains over 10,000 fishing artifacts. The lady volunteer who greeted me on my arrival was most enthusiastic about what I was about to see.  There are all kinds of lures, fishing poles, and motors dating back to 1913.  The folks working there truly have a love for what they are preserving. Among my favorite displays were the Minnesota record size fish, where they were caught, and by whom that were displayed along the walls.  These taxidermied fish and replicas covered every kind of fresh fish caught in the

Just a little something to cure your wanderlust for the week. via “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

On my trip to Rochester and back last week, I passed several places along the road that I wanted to investigate further.  I had packed a lunch last night, so I headed out early to visit a couple of them.  Only problem was, when I got up, my left ankle was giving me fits.  How in the world does a person get what feels like a sprained ankle while they’re asleep?  That painful limp persisted all day, so it put a damper on some of my plans. First up was Crane Meadows NWR down near Little Falls, MN.  It turned out that the only public access to this refuge at this time of the year is the 3.7 mile hiking trail along the Platte River. That wasn’t going to work for me today, but I did make it to the first overlook of the Platte.  This refuge doesn’t have a wildlife drive, so I was a bit disappointed considering I couldn’t walk very far.  I’d driven about 120 miles to get here, so now what to do? I plugged the address for S

Remember how we went to the Philippines in June? And you know how good bloggers usually get all of their posts about a vacation done in a timely manner? Well that's not me. But I'm ok with that because that just means that I get to reminisce about old vacations for a very.long.time. Jeremy has been working like crazy to get the videos from the vacation done and I always love how they turn out. Yes, it's great to look through pictures, but there is something about having a video from your vacation that captures more of the feeling of the destination. Below is our adventures in waterfall rappelling . Check it out and let me know what you think! Waterfall Repelling from Lost.in.Travels on Vimeo . The next video that he's working on is the whale sharks! Stay tuned! Linking up with   Carissa ,  Rachel ,  Logan ,  Leann ,   Molly

It’s been kind of chilly since I returned to Tamarac.  Highs in the 60’s during the day, and I’ve used the furnace each morning.  There have been rather brisk winds as well.  Some storms moved through the day after I got back, which afforded me another chance to exercise the generator as we lost electricity for a number of hours. This morning dawned bright but cool, so I headed out for the farmer’s market in Detroit Lakes. Most of the local venders had to hang onto their canopies so they wouldn’t blow away.  Just about everyone was bundled up.  Seems a little early for such cool temperatures.  I got in line to wait for my rustic Italian loaf of bread from the Breadsmith booth.  I think it’s the most popular booth here. I got there pretty early, so I was able to snatch up a small basket of home grown tomatoes.  They were pretty small, but so delicious.  I’ve been waiting a year for that wonderful taste.  Raspberries are now in season, but I had bought a pint at a stand on my w

When the makers of Make My Switzerland first approached me about a new phone app they had designed, I'll admit, I was a little skeptical. I've never even been to Switzerland (despite my desire to). But once I took a further look at it, I knew it was something that I had to get behind. When we travel, the most important question on our minds is what will we do?! Not only do we want to cover all of the major attractions, the things we can find in all of the guide books, but we also want to experience what everyday life is like in that country. What do all the locals like to do, where do they go to eat, what do they do for fun? Why do they like living in that city? That's where Make My Switzerland takes over. They have created a new free phone app that  matches your mood to inspiring, surprising and unexpected experiences around seven c ities in Switzerland; each  with two local ambassadors that give the scoop on the best things to do around town. The seven cities currently av

I thought when I fell into my bed last night, I’d be so comfortable that I’d instantly be asleep.  That was not to happen.  I tossed and turned until after 3:00 in the morning before I finally succumbed.  By the time I woke up at 7:30, my plans to get back on the job and start mowing had flown out the window.  I just couldn’t do it.  I guess recuperation takes longer the older you get, and my birthday on Monday just added another notch to the stick. I fiddled with the new computer for a while, and came up with this collage of pictures that my daughter Robyn took on Saturday afternoon.  It was a hot day, and when one of those ice cream trucks with the incessant song ringing came by, she treated everyone to a refreshing snack.  I haven’t heard one of those trucks in a long time.  When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, a guy on a bicycle might pedal through the neighborhood ringing his bell.  The front of his bike had a big metal cooler on it with the sweet frozen treats inside.  I