What do I miss?

I want to say my childhood/youth/when-i-was-worried-about-my-next-ice-cream-flavor-times but I feel like it’ll be too common of an answer. So after much deliberation, I’ve decided that I miss my birthplace: Seoul, South Korea.
I was raised in Korea from both my maternal and paternal grandparents up until the age of 9 and I have a few vivid memories I hold dear. Sometimes it all feels like a dream because of how different my life was there compared to how it changed once I immigrated here to sweet U. S. of A. As a daily chore, I was required to wake up at the peak of dawn probably between 5 AM – 7 AM to fetch a jug of fresh, spring water. In order to do this I had to hike up this wooded trail that was located right behind the home I lived in, all the way up for about two miles or so until I reached a looooong line of the townspeople waiting for their share of spring water. I would place my jug (it was sometimes two jugs!) in line and go play until an adult called to let me know that it was soon to be my turn. I would then place a jug under this little trickle of a stream provided by a plastic tube that was installed inside the side of this mountain sized wall and wait. I would wait, wait, and wait some more until my jug(s) filled up to the top.



Then I would go home. I would go home with my now heavy one or two jug of water filled to the brim. Imagine a tiny, 6 year old Korean girl struggling to bring these jugs home. It must have been at least a 5 gallon jug –or maybe it was a lot smaller but I’m just remembering it to be much bigger? Anyways, my mission was to carry the jugs home and it didn’t matter how much water I lost along the way because by the time I got home, it was nearly empty. It was almost always empty by the time I reached home but I was still praised for it.

I realized just last year that it wasn’t a chore requiring my help. My grandparents were actually helping me, disciplining me, to be a part of a family where everyone had a job. They were simply including me… or at least that’s what I think. I mean come on, what’s the point of sending off a kid to fetch water when there was barely any by the time she arrived home?

See what I did there folks? I do miss my childhood after all.

**Please note that times were different then, especially in the area that I lived in. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone and I was protected within the community.

This is part of a blog every day in May challenge by Jenni from Story of My Life.

Sell yourself in 10 words or less.

I've enjoyed reading my favorite list of bloggers' post-ups of this challenge by Jenni from Story of My Life and have wanted so badly to partake in it. However because I was so many days behind I kept teeter-tottering at the decision to jump in! Then I lost balance and fell face first onto the wagon. So here it is folks, and what a topic to start with.

I,
make wishes.
sing in the shower.
and forgive.

Our fluffy pals.

This entire week in the sweet Pacific Northwest was incredibly beautiful! With weathers averaging at 75 degrees and up, it screamed the names of all PNW residents to come out to play. Whenever it gets sunny I'm lured into digging out my camera equipment to take random shots in my backyard. Because it's a huge mess, which is obvious by the weeds in the grass, I don't have much to take photos of so I brought the dogs out and took advantage of their joy.

This little white fluff of joy is Rosie. She was given to me as a wedding gift and my very first pet furry friend. She barks at everything and prefers ladies over gents. She'll chew up all of your child(ren)'s stuffed animals and act as if she did nothing wrong. But she is my little huntress and bravely protects me from moths and pesky crane flies. 

This dog here doesn't realize that he's an animal and hasn't known this the entire 17 years of his life. That's right folks, Tiger here is 17 human years! HUMAN YEARS! That's 119 years in dog years, yo. Besides that hump he's got going you wouldn't be able to tell that he was so old --also the fact that you need to shout his name to get his attention-- because he still has energy of a pup.

Wishful Wednesday

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 

33% complete!

Seriously, could it be? YES! I'm done with 1st trimester which gives me a right to celebrate for I am a third of the way there! It's sort of difficult to remember how horrible my morning sickness was only a few weeks ago. I couldn't even bare the sight of chicken (I still can't eat chicken without wanting to hurl) but I can have a stare down with the darn poultry now! Isn't it exciting?! Don't mock me but it really is exciting. Especially if you live in a household where there's chicken for dinner at least once a week.

Tracks Tuesday.

What I'm shaking my booty to this week.

Redondo

 

 

Sometimes I forget my love for photography until I give myself the time to open up my laptop and indulge myself in the unedited photos I took weeks, and sometimes even months prior. I am by no a great photographer but it excites me to know that it's MY work. Heck, I'm not a very good sketch artist, painter, or a musician so the ability to click and shoot a memorable print satisfies me.

I'm usually motivated by the success of others and have a decent list of photographers I look up to. So many of these photographers are from my local area and it surprises me that I have yet to chase them down like a crazy Belieber would do to Justin.

About the photos, these were taken on one of our random visit to the beach waterfront. I don't think there's a single swim-able beach here in Washington State. If there is one and I am mistaken, please feel free to point it out. I would love to visit the place!