Married for a Decade


I can't believe that Markus and I have been married for ten years today. Honestly, it doesn't feel like that long. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's the truth. Marriage isn't easy, but it's easier when you're married to your best friend. Markus has managed to make my life so fulfilling and giving me what I've always dreamed of as a girl, adventure.

When we first got married, Markus and I were poor twenty-somethings and never had the chance to have engagement photos taken. We both thought that this anniversary was the perfect time to finally have them done.  We found an amazing photographer, Mark Federighi. He was fantastic to work with and he couldn't have chosen a more beautiful place, the University of Chicago. We're both so pleased with our photos and are so happy to share them with you!


Celebrating Ten Years at Vitos | Busan, South Korea


I can't believe that our ten year anniversary was only two months ago. It feels like our time in Korea was another lifetime. I'm so glad that Markus and I were able to spend our ten year celebration somewhere amazing like Busan. It's not every day that you can celebrate a decade with the same person and in a great place like Korea. I never would've thought that my life would end up like this! 


For dinner Markus found this great Italian place, Vito. It was in the heart of Seomyeon and had great reviews online. Vito, the chef, trained in Italy and makes all of the pasta fresh everyday. Koreans love Italian food, but they tend to add a Korean touch to all international food. I was really eager to eat authentic Italian pasta. The ambiance of the place was nice and cozy. It was a lot smaller than I thought. There were only a few tables and the restaurant probably only sat 15 people. People were always waiting to be sat, so I knew we made a good decision.


When we ordered, we both decided on pasta dishes. Ever order came with a complementary appetizer of cream soup and mushroom crostini. Both were really delicious and I wish they gave us more. I can't really remember the names of the dishes, but I do remember how they tasted. I had an olive oil based pasta cooked with garlic, basil and tomato. It was so good. Markus had a creamy shrimp pasta. His was also really yummy. When the plates came out, I was worried that it wouldn't be enough food, but it was the perfect amount. After dinner, they gave us complimentary tea to finish off the meal. I remember we chose Vito because we missed the taste of home. Now that I'm home, I miss the taste of Korea. It's really funny how that works.


When we left Vito, we walked around a bit and looked for a cafe. We decided that since it was a special occasion we should be a bit more adventurous and find a new spot. We finally found a great cafe called, Cafe Verre. It's a bit hidden, which is perfect because less people know about it. It was super cute and had lots of nice brick-a-brac. We sat at a table next to the window and people watched for a bit. We both ordered an Americano, our favorite drink, and a raspberry tiramisu. We really enjoyed the cafe and we went back at least a dozen times before we left Korea. It was a great find and one that I was glad to experience before we left. I'm so glad that we were able to have a nice memorable anniversary and I wonder where we'll end up next year! 

Chatsworth House | Derbyshire, England 5 of 5

One of my favorite parts of the 2006 Pride and Prejudice film is when Lizzy Bennet walks through the marble statue room of Pemberley. I actually thought it was a room that they created for the movie, since there was a marble statue of Mr. Darcy. In actuality, it was the other way around, I think the producers saw the room and then created the statue. 

The marble room was quite amazing. I could almost hear the song from the movie,

"Living Statues of Pemberley"

playing in the background. I've seen marble statues before, but never this close. I couldn't believe how realistic they looked. They looked like they would get up at any minute and put some clothes on. It was a nice way to end our tour of Chatsworth House.

Finally, we've reached the final part of Chatsworth House. Being able to spend the day here was a dream come true. I'm so thankful for my thoughtful husband and for our dear friends James and Ari. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have been able to walk the halls of "Pemberley". 

Chatsworth House | Derbyshire, England 3 of 5

The gardens of Chatsworth House were more than I thought possible and just kept going. When you thought you had seen it all, there was more.  After seeing the typical English garden, there was an area of looming trees, rock formations and exotic flowers. It was like an expedition to another part of the world. It's amazing that someone could own such an elegant home, perfect manicured gardens and a vast forested area. The English nobility really live a charmed life. 

It's like having my own

Mr. Darcy

. Maybe, I live a charmed life as well. 

Chatsworth House 1 of 5

,

Chatsworth House 2 of 5

Chatsworth House | Derbyshire, England 2 of 5

The size of Chatsworth House is overwhelming. There is so much to see and I was glad that spent the whole day there. I think Markus and I stopped to look at everything. I must've taken over 600 photos.

When we made it outside to the gardens, we quickly realized that it was turning into a mini photo shoot. Sorry for all the shameless photographs of Markus and I, but I couldn't help myself. It was the first time I've ever been in a garden like this. It was stunning and unlike anything I've ever seen before. I felt like I was in a British period drama. I was waiting for someone to pull me into the bushes and either kill me or ravish me.