year in review {2012}

{Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.} -- Mark Twain.




Well folks it's 2013. wow. I guess that means it's time for me to reflect and look forward to a new start.

In reflecting, I'd say 2012 was pretty spectacular. Got to try a few new things (shot a gun (a real one), jumped off a mountain, and became a teacher) of course traveled lots over the US and then moved to Korea, made new friends, took lots of photos (oh wait that's a given), and although I've had some challenges, it's been great and for sure one that will stand out!

A quick review all in one convenient location.. (incase you don't want to read all my other posts!) --- Diptych style.





January - {Iowa, California} basketball, basketball and some more bball (and some family time in there too) and then a last minute, super random road trip to California starting from New Mexico with a friend I hadn't seen in a year.

February - {Utah} work - taking photos & photos & more photos @ a portrait studio in Utah ... also went to the 'Up' house. Yes, that's right THE 'Up' house an exact replica of the one in the movie, it's in Herriman, Utah!

March - {Utah, Vegas} lots of work (I was basically running the studio) and also a trip to the city of sin with my good friend Pierie, for a much needed weekend out of 'Happy Valley'.

Photo Credit: Hannah Miller (H.I.M. Photography) @ Photo Works Portrait Studio.

April - {Utah, California} another trip out to California (Sacramento and Monterey) for Easter - shot some guns, watched the sun set over the ocean, saw the redwoods, shopped, and sat by a lake with a picnic supper. I worked some and hiked bridal veil falls (twice in a week) in Utah.

Bridal Veil Falls, Utah.

May - {Utah - St. George} a few photo shoots and then a nice road trip with my siblings & Kilijan (from Switzerland). I picked them up in Vegas and then we went to St. George to hang out on the Ranch, road horses and hiked to 'the bowl', saw a polynesian festival, and went to Zion's National Park. Then I road tripped ALL the way back to Iowa with my sisters in a completely filled car - literally. There was not room for one more thing.. anywhere.

Kristen & Erik's wedding day!

June - {Iowa - Crooked Creek Camp} worked for CC Christian Camp as the head lifeguard with my brother and cousin and met some amazing people. I learned a lot and even though it about killed me to be 'stuck' there (in the middle of nowhere) for a full 6 weeks.. it was good to be forced to commit and be challenged in new ways. Also taking orders and not being able to always do what I wanted or thought was best was hard, but again good for me. Also got to my little sis play some softball.

July - {CCC Camp, St. Louis} finished up working at camp. went to St. Louie to see a Cards game and our good family friends. bought a new computer. also my birthday of course, which I don't even remember what I did. wow.

August - {Korea} What? Why? (I don't really know, honestly, but I say the real question is why not?)  I spent the first 3 weeks in Jochiwon with 300 other people in my program (TaLK - teach and learn in Korea) getting a crash course on being a teacher. right like that worked. not.

Seoul: Left: Monument, Right: View from Seoul Tower.

September - {Cheongju, Danyang} I moved to my apartment and started teaching. (which meant started waking up at 6:20 and riding a bus for 3 hours a day) wow. a whirlwind of a month. Had no idea where I was, what I was doing, or how to even communicate let alone teach anything. I was just happy to make it through this month alive. Also went to Danyang to visit a friend and see a cave and hike a mountain! And how could I almost forget, I went to a PSY concert -- saw me some Gangnam style live folks!

My mess of a room, unpacking - still not much cleaner.

October - {Chuseok, Songnison Mountain} Spent the Chuseok (Thanksgiving) holidays with my friend, Anna. Also hiked around Songnison Mountain with my friend Alina. 

Chuseok: Left: Anna, Right: Cemetery where we preformed bowing rituals.

November - {Lantern Festival} went to Seoul for the lantern festival and also did some more teaching (mostly about thanksgiving) and pretended I knew what I was doing. I decided I was going to extend and stay in Korea for another 6 months. (yup I just love it that much, I guess) :)

December - {DMZ, Danyang, Muju Resort, Seoul} was a big one. Started it off going to the DMZ and saw North Korea. Jumped off a mountain in Danyang (of course with someone attached to me and we were both attached to a parachute-like thinger), went skiing @ Muju Resort with all my fellow TaLK-ers), went to Suwon with my co-scholars to see a fortress, folk village and the ocean, and celebrated Christmas with my good friends in Seoul and ended it off with an interesting experience with a Korean ER, and spent New Years Eve watching a movie at my friend Liz's house, then went to Buzz (a bar here in Cheongju) to see my good friend, Sarah. Then went home early because I was still recovering from my hospital visit.

DMZ - Left: fence of ribbons for loved ones in the North, Right: Friends pretending to be a 'boy band' on the tracks leading to the North.

New Years Day - I spent it FaceTiming my family and good friends including one of my faithful blog readers (Doug), and watching the ball drop in NY from Korea (during the day) - how strange.

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It's crazy to think that 2012 is over... and crazy how fast it went. I am truly blessed to have been able to travel so much throughout this past year and see so many things. I have big plans coming up as well in the beginning of this year with a trip planned to the Philippines and Malaysia as well as a plan to go back to the States and hit up Cali, Utah, Chicago, Iowa, New Mexico and Arizona.



Thank you to all who made this year memorable! I feel so blessed to have so many great friends all over the world and to have seen so many truly amazing things. The world is a very beautiful place filled with some pretty spectacular, beautiful, fun people. (no matter what language they speak or where they are from, people are inherently good - it's confirmed). I had some trials of course, some rough patches with some anxieties, friendships lost or strained, fears of always moving and feelings of being lost and confused about the direction my life is headed, but overall I'm very blessed and I'd say am doing what I am supposed to be doing at this point in my life. Each day is a new one and provides new experiences and learning opportunities for me to grow and become a better person, helping others as much as possible. I have already learned so much about myself in these short months (from being abroad) a bit of Korean and have some sort of an idea about how to teach (more like control) a class of Korean kids!

사랑합니다 - sa-rang-hab-ni-da. (I love you!)





Good bye to 2012 and here's some 2013 hopes and goals.

health and happiness
a sense of direction, belonging, calling
travel, do and see and learn and change
create lasting relationships
appreciate everything I have
to simply be and be awesome.