Wandering Wednesdays │ London, England 2006

Every Wednesday, I'll be posting about places that I've traveled to in the past. It could be as far back as ten years or as recent as last year. I've dubbed these posts as "Wandering Wednesdays". You can find all my past trips on the Wanderings page. I hope you enjoy!

Our second honeymoon to London in 2006 was the trip that started it all. When Markus and I married in 2005, we promised ourselves that we would travel somewhere every year. If possible, we would travel out of the country. It wasn't always possible, but we at least went somewhere the other had not.

When we had our second wedding in 2006 (another story for another time), Markus and I decided that would be the year that we would start our adventures. I spent 21 years of my life dreaming of other countries and magical places. It finally took a second wedding and honeymoon to make my dreams a reality. 

It took a long time for Markus and I to decided where we would go. At first, we didn't know where to go and thought of all the places we wanted to visit. We finally decided on London because that was my dream since I was a child.

I have to admit that this first trip to London was a failure in many ways. This was our first trip abroad and we learned many things about traveling. The first being, don't travel after your wedding with only 5 hours of sleep and then a 6 hour layover in Dulles airport, which happens to be the worst airport in America. We also learned that we should spend more than 7 days overseas. You need at least two weeks to really get the feel of a place. 

We were horrible at planning and time management. It was basically a mess, but it was a wonderful mess. Even though, we didn't get the most out of our trip, it was still one of our favorites. Those 6 days were some of the best of our married life. I always look back on them fondly, despite all the flaws. After London, we learned from our experiences and became better travelers,  but more importantly, we never stopped!

Wedding Anniversary Photo Shoot

This past August, Markus and I have been married for seven wonderful and glorious years. We've been fortunate to have done a few photo shoots before, but we've never actually had one in Korea. We were able to book a shoot with Aaron and Jill. They're a newly married couple that will be moving back home to the states soon. They're hoping to start a photography business and needed a few guinea pigs. Markus and I were quick to oblige. I think the photos came out quite well and I'm so thankful to Aaron and Jill for helping us commemorate such a special occasion. 

Edinburgh, Scotland │1 of 3

Edinburgh Castle

As I said before, Edinburgh is now my favorite city in the UK. It's a beautiful city. There was so much to see and do. As we walked around one afternoon, we threw out the itinerary and did whatever we fancied. We planned to do a lot of things, but ended up just enjoying what the city had to offer. We spent about an hour sitting in a little park that was below Edinburgh Castle. We saw lots of little rabbits running around near a teensy forest area. We even managed to take a few photos that looked good enough for a brochure. It was overall a wonderful afternoon.

 

Edinburgh 2 of 3, Edinburgh 3 of 3

Haggis and offal at the dogs

No trip to Scotland would be complete without trying haggis. I've heard many stories about how disgusting and awful it is, but Markus and I always try foods that are native to their country. You understand a country and it's people better when you live and eat like they do.  It's part of the whole experience.

Our dear friend, Ari, was great at finding really posh restaurants for a reasonable price. We ate and drank at some amazing places all throughout our trip. The first place that we ate at in Edinburgh was at the dogs. On their website they're described as, "a place for everyone who wishes to partake of great value food and wine, in a chilled environment with no frills or fuss, great kids to help, and a pretty eclectic soundtrack." I think this is a perfect description for the dogs. 

After in being in Asia for a year, we almost forgot what Western life is like. Eating at the dogs was a great way to reacquaint ourselves. The menu isn't very extensive and they focus on Scottish and British staples. We decided to order food with offal ingredients. In the UK, they tend to eat more meals with offal in them than we do in America. I know many of my friends and family can't stand blood sausage or liver, but my parents were very adamant about making sure that I had a broad pallet. As I've gotten older I try not to be discriminatory with my food, and try everything at least once. Although, I believe there are exceptions to the rule.  Durian, anyone? 

So with my mind set on adventurous eating, I quickly ordered a plate of haggis, neeps and tatties, which happen to be turnips and mashed potatoes. Markus decided to try deviled ox liver, onions, bacon and mushrooms on toast. Our friend James chose the British staple black pudding hash, but with a twist, the addition of a fried duck egg. 

Once our food arrived to our table, I knew that this was going to be a meal that I would never forget. My first bite of haggis was really delicious. There wasn't a hint of any unpleasant flavors. You would think that there would be a hint of metallic taste from the heart, liver, stomach or lungs, but there wasn't. The chef at the dogs created a savory and tasty haggis that I wish I knew how to recreate in Korea. The black pudding was delicious and the fried duck egg balanced out the flavors created in the hash. The biggest surprise was the deviled ox liver. I didn't expect to like it. When I first tried it, the flavors were overwhelming. It was cooked in a very spicy sauce, but it melded well with the tinny flavor of the liver. The toast really helped soothe the mouth from the hot spices. 

Overall my first experience with British offal was amazing and one that I will not forget. Markus and I spent the rest of our two weeks reminiscing on our first Scottish meal. We kept wishing that we could eat that same meal again and again. When the days turn cold here in Korea, I'll hold close the memory of haggis to keep me warm and comforted. 

 *Credits*
the dogs logo: the dogs

It's never too late

Lake District, England: August 2012

After living in South Korea for one year, there is one thing that I learned that rang true throughout the year and continues to be true. "It's never too late."

Before we moved to Korea, Markus and I were settled. We had our lives in order. We followed all the rules. We both graduated from college. We dated for X amount of years and then married. We owned a home. We had job security, we could've stayed at these jobs for a long time. All that was left was kids. If we did what we were supposed to do, then why were Markus and I always feeling like something was missing?

I think that we have this predisposed idea of what "normal" is. We are told from a young age that if you do A,B,C and D, you'll be happy. If you don't do these things, then maybe you won't be so happy. As I've gotten older, I've started to really think about what "normal" is. Is "normal" what everyone is telling me it is, or is it something else? Either way, I don't think that everyone is meant to follow the same course in their lives. There is no road map for a perfect and happy life. We are all meant for something specific. We were all created for a specific purpose and reason, and it is up to us to find out what that is

When Markus and I were still living in South Florida, we found ourselves in a bit of a bubble. We worked with our closest friends. We went to the same events, ate at the same restaurants and did the same thing every weekend. Nothing really changed, we were in this endless cycle. Markus and I spent six years doing this and only taking two weeks every year to go on adventures. We found ourselves persevering through the other 50 weeks of the year in anticipation for those two weeks. The only two weeks out of the year where we really felt alive. 

I don't know why we didn't think of moving to South Korea sooner, but I am a firm believer in "things are meant to happen when they happen". I know it sounds cliche, but in my case, this is how everything in my life has worked out.

I write all this to say, "it's never too late." I thought that my life was set, and that my chance to live abroad had passed because I was settled. I thought that if I did something crazy like move to another country at this stage of my life, my friends and family would think there was something wrong with me. I remember thinking one night, "I will never be happy unless I do this. I'll always regret not trying." However, the lure of being safe and never taking chances was just as strong.

We all tend to do what's safe, what we know, because venturing outside the norm is scary. Failure is always present in our minds. No one wants to fail. The worst feeling is making huge sacrifices to do something, and then failing at it in the end. On the other hand, when you succeed the feeling is indescribable!


This past year in South Korea has been a massive success. I have learned so much about myself, about Markus and our marriage. This experience was what was missing in my life. I've never felt more alive and free. To be honest, I still don't know what my purpose in life is, but I'm having an amazing time trying to find it.