no time like the present to tell you...

I don't think anyone actually read this blog but in case there is that one person out there, I'm now over at www.freshbrandee.com

It actually isn't very interesting so I promise you aren't missing too much. Just a daily photo for now and a reminder of my day. That way I can look back over 2012 and remember how amazing it really was.

Aloha!

Kahumana Cafe Review

I love birthdays! I think if I keep repeating that i'll eventually believe it, right? In all honesty I do enjoy birthdays. It just gives me another reason to hang out with friend and family. Today my in-laws took me to a Farm to Table restaurant in Waianae, Kahumana Farms. It's definitely a trek to get there but completely worth the drive. From the time we arrived until the time we left, we enjoyed every part of the farm. 

The restaurant was easy to find. Signs have been put up along the way to make sure you go to the right place. After being seated at our table on the lanai, we were given a refreshing tea with organic lemon. It was a hot day so it definitely tasted great. I had checked out the menu online, but everything looked so good it was hard to make a decision. They have something for everyone. I ended up picking the Greek Salad Special and loved it. I started with a south western soup followed by a large salad, with fresh greens out of the garden, hummus and pita and artichokes. All of the meals had large portions so it's easy to share! After lunch we splurged and had a little dessert. They had many desserts to choose from, but I decided to try the plum tart. It was really good, but I would definitely recommend the blueberry bar for next time. I tried a bite and it was really tasty! 

After lunch we walked around the farm to check it out. They were currently growing lettuce, chard, basil and taro. I love eating local and eating organic so this place was amazing to me. I can't wait to go back and try something new. For an interesting article about the farm check out this link. 

A stop at Narita Airport

As I was traveling back to Hawaii, I made my normal stop at the Narita Airport. Each time I pass through this airport I see something interesting. The first time it was how normal the security screening was compared to here in the United States. Obviously I understand why and I'm not complaining. I'm happy to know we are safe and take extra precautions, but at Narita it's a standard walk through with your shoes on just like we used to have. I just always feel like I'm missing something. The next thing is while you are in the international terminal each airline has a gate agent walk through the terminal holding a sign looking for any people that are lost or not at the correct gate. I just always find it amusing when I see them. It is something that I can't ever imagine happening in the US. People at the airport are so friendly and willing to help everyone. Maybe next time I can grab a picture. The last thing is the difference in sizes. My layover was 5 hours and as I was sitting and waiting, I decided to grab a drink. The closest place was McDonald's so I headed over and ordered a small drink. I almost laughed when she gave it to me, but it just made me realize how big things are in the US. Our sizes and portions are much different than other countries!

While I was googling Narita Airport, another interesting imagine came up. Too bad I wasn't able to add this picture to my list of things I've seen! Maybe next time!

                                                 Lady Gaga at NRT. Photo courtesy of FSB

26 Miles along the DMZ

It is hard to believe we are done! Running a marathon is now checked off our list of things to do. After 3 months of training we are so happy to have our weekends back. We did enjoy training, but we will also enjoy some free time to explore Seoul.

We had just over a 2 hour bus ride up to Cheorwon and arrived with about 45 minutes to check our bags and get ready. It seemed like a very well organized marathon except for the fact that everything was in Korean so we didn't really know what was happening around us. We saw the sign for the full marathon and decided to line up and wait.

Our pace started out really well. We had to remember to stay slow and steady but of course all the excitement made me want to run faster. Because we were running along the DMZ, we were very close to Korean bases and had a lot of Republic of Korea Soldiers cheering us on. It was really motivating and they loved seeing people from the US. They would see us and yell "Go Whitey!" Or your beautiful, your handsome, great couple! It definitely made us laugh but kept us motivated. I wish I could have brought my camera but I just didn't want the extra thing to hold. At one point, we ran through a military base that had signs for mines on either side of us. We made sure to stay on the correct path!

When I Grow Up

Is it possible I still haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up? I find that living here in Seoul makes it difficult to talk to my best friends back in the US so I think this blog gets to be my venting method, so here we go. This month is a big month. Any ideas why? If you guessed my birthday that is right! I can't believe I'll be the big 3-0. Of course I have no complaints about aging because life has only become better as I have gotten older, but I find that I question about what I truly want to do hasn't been answered.

Flying is something I do really love. I started flying on 16th birthday (Thanks Mom and Dad). When I type that it's hard to believe it has been 14 years of my life. I sometimes wonder how I can even question not flying for the rest of my life.  Joining the military has been one of the greatest decisions I've made and I don't regret it. It has given me so many opportunities and taken more places than I could have ever imagined. It has introduced me to a new family and I have made lifelong friends. If not for the military, I would never have meant my hubby, and I can't imagine my life without him.

I look at the pictures below and think about all I have accomplished with the help from a lot of special people. I'd like to think I've helped a lot of people out and I hope that is the case. It's hard to imagine not doing anything besides this, but I sometimes I feel like there is something missing. Trying to figure out what to go back to school for is difficult, but I'm putting a lot of time, googling, and thinking into it. Whether I decided to fly for the Airlines, become and Elementary School Teacher, a Yogini or anything else I can think of, I'm slowly realizing I just need to make myself happy. Now I just have to figure how to do that. Don't worry, I'll be taking you on the journey to whichever decision I make.

For now though I'll leave you to check out some pictures from a few of my adventures.

Flying President Obama's Limo

I think this was a trip to Germany

Palm Tree, Dubai, UAE

The lovely desert

Pikes Place Market, Seattle

Germany

Getting to spend time with my Godson

Ascension Island

World Cup Games, Pretoria South Africa

My Plane

South Africa

Getting ready for take off

No Turning Back

Well, it looks like this is really happening. I wasn't too worried about the marathon because I figured we could walk and take our time if we were completely drained or didn't feel well. Our main goal was always just to finish. We didn't care if it took 6 hours, we knew we just wanted to finish. Well, we just got the race packet and we have only 5 hours. Sure, I know everyone is thinking we will be fine. We've been training for 18 weeks and doing the long runs but because the course is in Korean, we have no ideal of what to expect. We have heard it is a pretty flat course but we have seen a lot of hills here!

 

Can anyone read that?

We received a delivery last night and to our surprise it was our bib numbers. Oh and of course they gave us 2 huge bags of rice. I guess that is what happens when you race in Korea. It is real now! I am truly super excited for this...I really didn't know if we could do it. No matter what, I have had a blast training with Rush and couldn't have done it without him. He has been an incredibly motivational throughout the whole training process. These last few days were are taking it easy and just keeping our legs moving. I'll make sure to let everyone know how it turns out so check back!

If you want to run the race next year, here is the website www.dmzrun.kr

Seodaemun Prision

After a little work time on Sunday we were able to escape to checkout the Seodaemun Prison. This place was pretty interesting to see. The prison was opened in October 1908 and was used by the Japanese to house about 500 anti-colonial Korean activists. The really interesting thing about this place is that after 1945 (Japanese annexation) the amount of history is very slim.  The prison wasn't closed until 1987. 

 

I just had to document the random gas masks that you find around the city!

 

 

This is where the hangings occurred. You weren't allowed to take any pictures inside but it was really eerie to in the building.