~:[CH2 - Day 365]:~ Sunset

~:[CH2 - Day 365]:~ Sunset

It's a little strange that when the new year begins, the ball in Times Square descends to the 2014, as in actuality, it's a rise of a new day. However, I guess if you look at it from the other perspective, it is the end of another year, closing the chapter, much like I am closing my second chapter of my photo blog. It's been quite the journey this year and I am so amazed looking back that I survived. Much of the survival was in thanks to my wonderful family who has always been there for me, my amazing friends who I love so dearly and my incredible students who always seem to find a way to keep life interesting. I know that in 2014, there are no new goals but simply am effort to maintain what I have been doing and continue to improve myself and hopefully, I can help as many people around me as possible. I can't believe it's already been 365 days, but I guess it really makes you realize, you better cherish each day, as the clock will continue to tick and each year, it will do so faster and faster. May your new year be a blessed one and I hope that we have many great moments awaiting us!

~:[CH2 - Day 364]:~ To Top It All Off

~:[CH2 - Day 364]:~ To Top It All Off

It was nice to sleep in and not have to rush in the morning. With enough time to relax, to pack and to head on out, I was able to enjoy the first half of the day and some time walking around the mall. We headed into the consolation game against a good Del Norte team. However, we still were able to get out to a good start, holding them to 0 points the first six minutes or so. It ended up being a good close game down the stretch as both teams battled, however, we finished with a 3-1 record at the tournament, which is our second tournament in a row that we did that. The drive home was pretty smooth aside from the bathroom break this group has been known for. I was glad that my friend Shannon called me, as we got to hang out before New Years while she was in town! It was a great night with her, Lawrence and Ryan Feng at Guppy's just talking about old times and the such. Regardless, it was definitely a great day as we head into the final day of this chapter of my photo blog.

~:[CH2 - Day 363]:~ Just Smile

~:[CH2 - Day 363]:~ Just Smile

Today was our day off and so we ventured with the team to Sea World, a team tradition on these day offs. While we spent most of our times in shows and on rides, we did get a chance to visit a few exhibits, my favorite being this one as you see the rays spread their wings and just give you a smile. It made me think, as much as may be going on in our lives, while we don't want to sweep all our problems under a rug, sometimes, just smiling may not only make our day better, but the days of those around us better. Who knows if the life of this ray is better or worse than it was before he arrived here, however, much like it made my day better, I hope that my smile can make someone else's day better. Just smile and maybe it can impact the world around you.

~:[CH2 - Day 362]:~ Amused

~:[CH2 - Day 362]:~ Amused

Because of the win, we were able to get a later start to the day, as we headed out to Belmont Park for a little play time. As normal, we played some games, ate, and had the team ride the Giant Dipper. My lunch at Roberto's was delicious as normal. We headed to our game with a very limited scouting report, as their game was played awhile after ours. Their team was fairly tall but not too quick, as we used pressure to take a tied game at half time to open up a double digit lead in the third. Our defense won us tonight's game and allowed us to enjoy the rest of the night celebrating one of our athlete's birthday. We headed to In and Out, but I ended up eating Korean take out from H Mart (yum!). We were also able to fit in a round of mini golf and surprised our athlete with a cake from Paris Baguette. Pretty long day, but a good one. Tomorrow we have the day off from basketball and will play at 3:30pm on Monday if you happen to be around! 

~:[CH2 - Day 361]:~ UN-Frozen

~:[CH2 - Day 361]:~ UN-Frozen

It was an early rise in the morning and our team came out sluggish in the first half. However, they ended up getting it together and pulled out a victory despite the poor first half. Afterward, we were able to get some shopping done at Fashion Valley where we enjoyed the warm weather out that is not typical for this time of the year, even in Southern California. Last year at this time, it was raining, this year, nothing but sunshine. We were able to get some rest before grabbing dinner and seeing Frozen. The team enjoyed it and celebrated one of our athletes birthdays by singing to him. Quote of the night? My dad comes out of the theater and says, I'm frozen. He continues by saying, "only true love," and goes and hugs my mom. Cute. 

~:[CH2 - Day 360]:~ Beginning to End

~:[CH2 - Day 360]:~ Beginning to End

It was a very long day. I woke up and continued packing and cleaning to try to get ready for the trip to San Diego and also have the house ready for when I get back for New Years. However, I realized that I needed to finish up some reservations for my MUN trips, thus, I turned my attention to finishing that up before getting back to cleaning. I looked up at the clock and realized I needed to clean my car! So I ran outside, cleaned and then headed out to get gas. The drive was long with traffic all the way down and it may have been a sign of things to come as we had a rough opening game, playing sluggish and also not having anything go right for us. It still was  close game, but we ended up on the losing end. Afterward, we grabbed a bite at Hometown Buffet then went bowling at Mira Mesa Bowl. We were able to catch the Clippers game and it was disheartening to see them give that one away, allowing them to hit that three to go into OT. It was a great comeback but wish they could have finished it. A long day ended but because of our opening round loss, we have to wake up early and will have a 9:30am game, ugh!

~:[CH2 - Day 359]:~ Surprise

~:[CH2 - Day 359]:~ Surprise

It's interesting how after so long, the morning rise of Christmas still exists. Of course, as we have gotten older, "morning" has gotten later and later. This year, morning became afternoon, as a late night at our Xmas Eve left us wanting a relaxing morning. I actually woke up pretty early to begin cleaning as we head towards New Years and it was my last full day in town before NYE. Regardless, it is always a joy to open presents but more importantly to read the wonderful cards and messages within each. We may not do much on Christmas Day, but I cannot image a better thing to do than spend a day with those you love, even if it is in your PJs. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

~:[CH2 - Day 358]:~ Family ... Priceless

~:[CH2 - Day 358]:~ Family ... Priceless

I woke up this morning and started preparing for the festivities. Of course, I took a quick break to get a run in with Grace. Yes, I ran two days in a row, amazing! Grace dragged me around Regional Park as we caught up while running around the park, as I gasped for air. Oh my! When I got back, I finished up a few things, then whipped up my Saltado de Pollo! I got the sauce right this time and tasted just like the restaurant! It was great to see all the family again and spend time with them and also other friends who come by. It may have been one of the biggest ones we've had. The picture above is just the family that was there (I still have to photoshop Ryan into the picture!). In any case, we did the normal Santa, grab bag, door prizes and bingo before exchanging gifts and just hanging out. Another year and another celebration and with each year, our family grows larger along with all the love we share. Happy holidays to everyone, friends, family and more!

~:[CH2 - Day 357]:~ Celebrations in Order

~:[CH2 - Day 357]:~ Celebrations in Order

I took my car in early today and even got in a run on the way home from the dealer, realizing how out of shape I am. I will have a lot of work coming back, but I will have some time. Afterward, I met up with a former student to repay my debt. He earned Korean BBQ since he won four gavels at the same conference over the course of four years. Pretty amazing, eh? I then I was able to catch up with Van and Kimmy at Guppy's before heading to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. We went to celebrate my cousin Tammie's birthday, but it also is Brent's and Debbie's birthday in the same stretch and so we made them all celebrate. We ended the day at Joe's Italian Ice and I was beat. It must have been food coma because I am SOOOOOO full right now. I got a lot of wrapping to do for tomorrow, so I say farewell. One question though ... how will you all celebrate your Xmas Eve???

~:[CH2 - Day 356]:~ Comfort

~:[CH2 - Day 356]:~ Comfort

Today was just a comfortable day. I spent very little time outside the house but accomplished a lot. I did my shopping for food for Christmas, I finished my laundry, I cleaned, I finished my recommendations, I sent out my holiday cards to about half of those I need to and watched all the sporting events I wanted to. First off, I was sad that Green Bay threw away their game despite a thrilling game, but was happy that Detroit and Chicago dropped their games. I also loved the way the Clippers game ended, despite being annoyed by the calls all night. In the end, my comfort was increased by the delicious curry I had for dinner.Of course, it was all thrown off by the fact that I forgot to include that I met Kofi Annan this year ... waaaaaaah! That was one of my top moments from the year and I forgot to include it. For all those who got my card, please imagine that I type that in there ... it would bring me lasting comfort, at least for today!

~:[CH2 - Day 355]:~ Great Rewards

~:[CH2 - Day 355]:~ Great Rewards

It was a VERY long and exhausting day, but there were great rewards for all the work that was put in. I woke up as if it was a school day to setup for the Stussy sale. I had to load all the tables in my car and get them over to the opposite parking lot then help setup all the clothes. They brought three truck loads of clothes, which led to the largest crowd they've had. The lines stretched out as people bought hundreds of dollars worth of items as we watched on. I even got a boatload of items and also got additional credit for working as a reward! It ended up being pretty fun to work, but then, as we cleaned up I realized, I would miss our Consolation Championship game at the Westminster Tournament, which we won over Hawthorne! I went home real quick then decided to trek along and play Ingress where we created a number of fields in the area. Although it ended up being a shorter trek than planned, we still had a number of links which, of course, were down by the time I woke up. I cut the trek short, because I got another reward ... to visit our friend's new sushi restaurant Dakara Sushi (14748 Whittier Blvd. Whittier). My friend and his wife opened up the restaurant after working for the Katsu-ya chain for awhile after serving a higher-class clientele such as the Kardashians. While the place is small, it has a nice vibe to it and knowing my friend Jason, his personality allows him to connect with his customer base. I really enjoyed their food and was even able to get one of my favorite dishes, the spicy tuna over crispy rice, that I used to order from him when he was at Kiwami. I got home and was exhausted, but the day was worth even ounce of effort.

~:[CH2 - Day 354]:~ Dancing the Day Away

~:[CH2 - Day 354]:~ Dancing the Day Away

It was the last day before break and why wouldn't I want to dance the day away. I actually did not dance, but watched one of the PE classes take their dance final in ballroom dancing. It was great to see a class that I knew about half of the class either through cross country or MUN. They performed superbly even when they were partnerless and I ended the period with a cheer. I actually was eating Yoshinoya as I watched as we had a game right afterward, The day itself went by quickly with a quiz or test every period. It means that I will have a lot to grade over break but at least they will start fresh next "year." At our game, we played one of our best games and it was fun to get back in the habit of basketball. I was able to stop at Tapex before heading home where we got a new stove and oven! With my old one broken, it will be nice to use an oven and see what kind of creations I can come up with. I ended the night catching the Hobbit, since I have been busy and unable to watch it. I hate that it ends in the middle of the story, but knew that it was going to happen coming in. It was a long day and it's time to sleep, but am glad that I'll have less to worry about next week without school in session!

~:[CH2 - Day 353]:~ Feliz Navidad

~:[CH2 - Day 353]:~ Feliz Navidad

It was the second to last day before break and we had guests come and visit us from a Spanish class to sing to us. It was great to hear them sing, although the day itself would be an interesting one with rain pouring down overhead. Our practice was canceled, which also meant I could get some other work done. I was able to finish my Xmas card tonight and hopefully I can remember to send it out to all the people I want to! Yahoo! In any case, one more day, yahoo!

~:[CH2 - Day 352]:~ Clothing in on the End of the Year

~:[CH2 - Day 352]:~ Clothing in on the End of the Year

I waited a day to show the gift that my team bought me this year. I think at some point I had mentioned that I should have pants like the one above and sure enough, they got me a new set of clothes. It was quite funny to open and I will soon be wearing the clothes. It's funny how the end of the year came up so quickly. You can't imagine how much has gone on this year and with only two weeks left in it, I guess we're closing in on the end of 2013. I guess every time I put these clothes on, I will remember this year's team, who has already left their own mark. 

~:[CH2 - Day 351]:~ Time to Sleep ... FOREVER

~:[CH2 - Day 351]:~ Time to Sleep ... FOREVER

In the last three weeks or so, I've stopped in three countries, six states and been on twelve different airplanes. I've racked up over 21,000 miles during this stretch, edited and prepped my computer for over fifty hours and slept very little in my own bed. Tonight, that is all over, as I will get to sleep in my own bed with no deadlines to remember. While this was a historic season with the championships, the hall of famers, etc., it definitely was exhausting, all the way down to the banquet. Tonight we close another chapter in the cross country book and it definitely was a good one. Thanks to everyone who made this season possible and for now, I say goodnight. May I slumber in peace!

~:[CH2 - Day 350]:~ All Sporty

~:[CH2 - Day 350]:~ All Sporty

Monday became a day all about sports. In the morning, I was messaged with this picture (PC: Adam Wright) showing the progress on our new track! It got me super excited and while I was stressed with banquet prep, it gave me some inspiration. I then had to get back home after work to prep for the banquet. I was able to get 12 hours of work in for the banquet after school and during that time, I caught the Clippers against the Spurs during dinner and was keeping an eye on the Detroit game while working on the computer. The Clippers won and the Raves won to keep the Packers hopes of a playoff berth alive. It was a great sports day. Now only if this banquet work could magically finish itself!

~:[CH2 - Day 349]:~ Striping a Pose

~:[CH2 - Day 349]:~ Striping a Pose

It was an exhausting morning and everyone looked like zombies. However, we ended up at the North Star Mall where they had the biggest boots in the world (or so they claim). It was a nice mall, however, and you can sense the holidays coming soon. Afterward, we decided to go to the Nature Bridge Wildlife Ranch where we went on an in-car safari. While we were unsure at the time, it ended up being the best decision, as the experience was amazing. I have never been so close to so many different animals who were bold enough to stick their heads into your car! In the end, we ended up back at Freddy's since we enjoyed it so much the last time before heading to the airport. The connection was super tight and we hustled to the next gate and made it just as they were boarding. Today was exhausting but it was also wonderful. I am glad not to have to get on a plane again for some time, as 12 planes in 16 days is pretty ridiculous. Let's think about this one a little more next time. BTW, did you catch the Packers game? The cherry on top of a wonderful weekend.

~:[CH2 - Day 348]:~ Holiday Cheer

~:[CH2 - Day 348]:~ Holiday Cheer

There was a lot to enjoy during the day. We were able to get a fairly late start to the day and headed out to the course for the race. There were so many people going to this year's race. In the first race of the day, our youngest athletes had about 450 athletes in his race alone! It was quite the huge race where a second improvement meant passing four athletes. Throughout the day, I noticed that the course was deceiving slow with gradual inclines, heavy winds, and all grass. Regardless, the athletes did what they could to handle the conditions and our best performances came from the last race, including one that finished 7th and was a junior olympic all-american. We grabbed a quick bite at Freddy's Frozen Custard (delicious!) and then to Sea World which was different than ours in San Diego with a few good sized coasters! After the award ceremony, we grabbed ourselves a delicious steak dinner and I enjoyed my 22oz of steak! Whew! In the end, we celebrated and enjoyed the day and our last night together.

~:[CH2 - Day 347]:~ ALLLLAAA-MOHHHHHH

~:[CH2 - Day 347]:~ ALLLLAAA-MOHHHHHH

After staying up fairly late doing some work, we had a little later morning rise to register and then head out to explore. We started at the Alamo, which was smaller than I imagined it would be. We wandered around the area and went to Dick's Last Resort and feasted on some 'gator, wasabi salmon and some crab cakes. A number of people also got the chicken fried chicken with jalapeño gravy sauce which was awesome. Dick's is something else and an interesting experience. After cruising around the Riverwalk, we ended up taking a boat tour of the Riverwalk area before heading out of the area. We ended up playing a few good games at laser quest and I was able to finish third and second even though I was getting shot down by a parent. After searching around a few packed restaurants, we finally found a place to eat and called it a night. It was quite the day and we survived. Now to watch some racing! 

~:[CH2 - Day 346]:~ Last Minute Research

~:[CH2 - Day 346]:~ Last Minute Research

One of my favorite things to do is to go to a place and visit their brochure rack and start planning a number of activities. It's always exciting to see all the things that you never knew they had and to be surprised but the exciting things each city has to offer. We've already found a few things we're going to try and we'll see if we can find anything else that is cool to add to our itinerary tomorrow. Tomorrow is an open day so we're going to add away!

~:[CH2 - Day 345]:~ Prepping for Changes

~:[CH2 - Day 345]:~ Prepping for Changes

You have to expect that in the process of preparing for things, things are going to change. In preparing for the banquet, I have had to make adjustments and changes. It's been quite the load with hundreds of pictures printed, patches made, videos edited and more. but soon enough, all of this will be done. It feels like the editing is floating along, as even though I've been distracted, I still have about 25-30 minutes completed with a number of days left to go. I have also been making adjustments to some travel plans. It's been difficult, but hopefully everything works out and I can get everything squared away before next weekend!

~:[CH2 - Day 344]:~ Speeding Up

~:[CH2 - Day 344]:~ Speeding Up

Getting back to school wasn't as rough as I thought it would be. I guess I'm getting used to adjusting to the times zones and travel schedules. Regardless, it was a great day and I sped right through it. After school and picture day for basketball, I was able to get most of my cross country errands done and continued working on the video. I've been able to get another 6-7 minutes done, but mostly because I was finishing up titling, etc. so I wasn't editing as much as I expected tonight. Regardless, I still realized that you can only be as fast as your equipment and making the switch to this new machine has worked wonders to my efficiency. I have worked for half the time but done twice as much! Of course, I won't let that get me lazy or allow me to procrastinate but it is nice when a sixty minute render turns into one under ten! Hopefully it will stay that way all the way through the sixty minutes of video. Editing Updated - 15+ minutes complete ... 25% done!

~:[CH2 - Day 343]:~ Layers

~:[CH2 - Day 343]:~ Layers

One day removed from the game at Lambeau Field, I look back and am thankful that I survived the treacherous drive to the airport, as I saw cars stranded in the ditch of the highway and every time a car or truck would pass me, I would almost have to stop so that I could see again. Regardless, I was even more surprised that I survived the cold, but when I look at it, I see all that I wore that day including my undershirt, under armor top and bottom, long sleeve, polo, yellow jacket, packers jacket, jersey, black scarf, packers scarf, head band, beanie, normal socks (my toes were freezing), sweats, shorts, jeans and of course my undies. I was so warm. There were a good number of Packer fans headed back and we all either went to Atlanta or Minneapolis, I went to the later. In the end, I made it home, got my TapEx and then headed to the editing board, where I finished 10 min today! I'm sure my progress will slow, but if I can keep it up, maybe I can finish early for once? COUNTDOWN - Banquet in EIGHT days.

~:[CH2 - Day 342]:~ Dream Come True

~:[CH2 - Day 342]:~ Dream Come True

The original scheduled game time was 7:30pm CST, however, they ended up changing the game to 12:00pm CST, which made a difficult situation with my flight arriving just around game time. Regardless, I decided to go anyway and was lucky that the stadium was near the airport and I found parking nearby. It's neat how everyone parks everywhere. I ended up parking in the K-Mart lot and it wasn't even a problem. I had the best view of the field, however, the wind blew in my direction which included the snow and the -1 degree wind chill. However, I planned well and was warm except for my toes since I forget my other socks in the car. In the end, I sat with some diehard fans and cheered the Packers on to a 22-21 comeback victory, which was super exciting! Even more exciting was the fact that the Lions lost, keeping the playoff hopes alive, barely, but still alive. The drive back was quite difficult. We had to wait an hour around the stadium trying to get to the freeway, then I ended up taking the backroads and had the car sliding a bit, which was quite scary. I got a little comfortable behind the wheel and made it to my destination safely. I had a great dinner and am heading to bed soon as I have to wake up early and hopefully get to the airport on time. Regardless, today was a dream come true, as I remember watching the Green Bay Packers since I was 4 or 5 and today, I finally watched them live. 

-[LIFE]- Defend What You Love - December 6, 2013

I picked up a book called How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy and started reading it and found it to be quite interesting and also an important perspective to take on. I figured I could make it into series of blog posts called LIFE! Enjoy!

***

When I read this quote, I thought about it figured this could be something I focus on in the days going forward. Sure, I think I've been passionate about things, I've worked hard, I've spent time, but I am not sure how hard I have fought to defend and stand up for the things I love, for the places I love and the people I love. I think about all the history lessons I have taught over the course of my life and their willingness to give up so much to get what they believe in, their passions, and their loves. Am I willing to go as far? Am I willing to overcome the obstacles in my way? What am I truly willing to sacrifice.

Last year, I saw some of this fight in the amount of time and energy (physical and mental) that I spent trying to defend the rules of our league, fighting on behalf of what was right for my athletes. When asked by an opposing coach, "you must have really wanted it." I thought to myself later on, it wasn't the idea of earning a title or an accolade but the idea that I wanted to defend all of my athletes who are apart of a program that I love. Something I have poured my heart and soul into in hopes that they would get every last ounce of what they deserved. It made me think, should I have been fighting this hard for other things in my life?

Thinking back, I feel that there were times when I was much too passive, hoping that things would work out, rather than doing all I could to make things work. In hindsight, I can see that regardless of whether or not it works out, you don't live with any regrets. Can I do more for my family, my friends, and for everything I hold sacred?

I guess when it's in the past, you can always wonder, but to keep myself from wondering in the future, maybe it's time to go to the mattresses. (Guess where this quote is from!!) Maybe it's time to stand up for what I believe and for what I love, even if I know that failure is inevitable, simply knowing that I did all I could will be all worth it.

I tell my athletes to do it all the time ... leave it all out there ... and maybe it's time that I carry that same lesson from the playing fields to life. Sometimes we're so passive waiting for things to happen and while you don't want to overdo it, sometimes, when you love something enough, you just got to take that leap of faith and put all of yourself into it to defend what you love ... as the pain will probably be much less than wondering what could have been.

~:[CH2 - Day 341]:~ Downpour

~:[CH2 - Day 341]:~ Downpour

We were misted by the standard of most of the country, but in Southern California, it was a downpour. The rain poured down for the first time in awhile at this conference, but it didn't stop our delegates from finding some success. I had a number of great performances, some expected and a few others not expected, which is absolutely wonderful. We ended up with 33 awards and eight best delegates at a conference that we don't always fare so well at. What's even better is our freshman carried a lot of the weight in quantity and showed that they can be a very solid class in the future. I was very proud of all the hard work of our students. Afterwards, I grabbed a few things and now I wait to head off on another short adventure. If you don't know where I am going, you can guess, but it's a dream come true to go where I am headed. Just hopefully, it all works out.

~:[CH2 - Day 340]:~ It's That Time

~:[CH2 - Day 340]:~ It's That Time

It's normally the toughest stretch of the year. With cross country wrapping up, basketball starting and MUN in full swing, it's the perfect storm where every second is consumed. What makes it worse? I planned a trip right in the middle of it all. Regardless, it's coming no matter what I do, so I might as well get ready and hope for the best. Here we go!

~:[CH2 - Day 339]:~ Now I'm Tired

~:[CH2 - Day 339]:~ Now I'm Tired 

I felt like JD today, as I just wanted to lay down and sleep. Do nothing more than rest. A late night doing work for cross country in combination with a little jet lag, led to a short nap during the Clippers game, which I planned on watching. It was the best decision, as I felt refreshed after and was able to finish the program, most of the t-shirt designs, and also prep my computer for video editing. There is still much to do, but at least I feel better that I somewhat on schedule! We'll see if I can stay on schedule though!

~:[CH2 - Day 338]:~ Sweet Treat

~:[CH2 - Day 338]:~ Sweet Treat

One of the cool things about traveling is being able to enjoy what you got while abroad. One of the things I got was honey wrapped peanuts. While it is a bit chewy, it was the process of making these that is the coolest thing about them. They start with a solid piece of honey and eventually make it into over 16,000 small strings of honey and carefully wrap the peanuts. It almost ends up looking like cotton candy, but when you eat it, it's a bit harder and definitely chewy. Regardless, it was a definitely needed snack as I needed a little energy to make it through my first full day back. I wasn't jet lagged during the day, but felt a bit tired during our game that night. However, I still pushed through and worked on cross country banquet stuff until almost 2am! Pweh, Thursday will be killer.

~:[CH2 - Day 337]:~ Flying SEOUL-O

~:[CH2 - Day 337]:~ Flying SEOUL-O

I had a chance to get in some last minute touring so I headed over to N Seoul Tower which is quite a trek since I took the bus up to the tower. I actually thought I could walk up there, but realized that was not going to happen. Regardless, I made it up, met a few nice people, and enjoyed the view from the top. It definitely is a place to go as a couple and the only other person I had with me was ... nevermind, it was just me enjoying the lovely view. There even was a view from the urinals as it was glass in front of it. I headed down, snapped a few more pictures and headed back to Insadong for some shopping. I picked up a few things, grabbed some mandu soup, and then headed to the airport. I was dreading the flight back and it was pretty miserable. I would much rather be doing so much more than sitting in a plane next to a couple who kept getting up to use the restroom or walk around. They were very nice, but did not speak any English at all. Also, in Beijing, I rushed to get to my connection only to find out that they moved the gate and we had to be shuttled out to the runway to board. Ultimately, I made it home, grabbed my Tapex boba, and just unpacked and started getting back to work, trying to catch up. I loved my experience and the only two lows were not getting to meet up with a few people who I wanted to due to schedules and missing a few people who came/are coming after I left and also causing a power outage on half my floor. -_- ... however, there were so many bright spots and I was able to do so much in the time I had. Thanks to all seven of those (and their friends) who met me and either ate with me, chatting with me, or showed me around. I would have been so lost without you all and probably would have stayed in during the times when I toured around solo. To be honest, I was anxious knowing I would be alone in a city I have never been and where I didn't speak the language at all, however, I'm glad that I'm still following my fortune to be spontaneous, my resolution for this year. I survived and made it home unscathed and discovered a place that I love so much.

~:[CH2 - Day 336]:~ Where the Old Meets the New

~:[CH2 - Day 336]:~ Where the Old Meets the New

Today I got a pretty good mix of the old Seoul versus the new Seoul. An older system and population versus an up and coming generation. I started with a walk through Bukchon Hanok Village and saw the old style of housing that remains in this area and saw the beautiful view of the skyline of Seoul, which is obviously a lot more modern. As I walked down, I headed through the Samcheong-Dong region which had a bit of a mix of modern and old-style. I then was taken back as I saw the changing of the guard ceremony at Gyeongbokgung Palace and wandered through the palace to the current home of the President, the Blue House before stopping off at the Folk Museum. I was able to go to the peaceful Jongmyo Shrine before eating a traditional lunch where there was so much food! I was surprised by how many dishes were on the table. I ventured through Insadong again and tried on some traditional clothing before heading to the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple. I then headed over to the Namdaemun Market, which was simply ridiculous. So many vendors, so many people, with bikes and cart squeezing their way through. I was so exhausted at that point and took a short nap before heading out to the Hongdae area for the night. I had a great but large meal and caught up with Shana, which was great and even got to try soft serve with honeycomb on top. I was exhausted, but this day was really worth it and a great mix of Seoul.

~:[CH2 - Day 335]:~ Finding Peace

~:[CH2 - Day 335]:~ Finding Peace

After catching up with a friend over breakfast, I headed to the Seoul Olympic Park. I could not imagine how large this place was! I thought it would be a quick stop and soon it turned into a long adventure. I wandered through the endless sculpture garden, through all the stadiums including a velodrom, gymnastics hall, and swim center, up a huge hill to check out the view of the city, and ended at the museum. It was such an unexpected find and such a blessing. I then decided to take the next stop over at Jamsil and went to Lotte World. I was just planning on visiting the Lotte Store, but I got a whole lot more :P ... while it was more of a kids place, which did get on my nerves a bit when waiting in line. I still enjoyed the experience of another theme park. The French Revolution was a cool in door coaster, Pharaoh's Fury was just like Indiana Jones, and just how large the indoor part of it was was something to soak in. They also had an indoor "big foot rapids" type ride and with my luck, I was the ONLY one to get wet. I then had last minute plans and caught up with Eileen! It was great to see her and enjoyed a traditional Korean meal followed by some expensive tea and dessert in the Gangnam area. I was also able to catch up with another friend afterward and just topped off a day that I was not sure how it would end up. I was lucky with warm weather yesterday, but learned today that I better check the weather before I leave.