Sherlocked | Valentine's Day Card 2014

Every year, Markus illustrates cards for me for every occasion and holiday. He always incorporates things that I love into the cards and this year was no different. If you know me, I'm a huge anglophile and I'm obsessed with Sherlock. We even visited 221b Baker Street when we were in London two years ago. I was so excited to recieve this card and love the little inside jokes. My favorite is "siblings". People always think that Markus and I are brother and sister. Super weird, but really amusing. Either way, this card is perfect and I love it!

Happy Valentine's day dear readers! I hope you have a lovely and wonderful day! 

You're My Favorite Destination | Valentine's Day 2014

Last year, I made Markus a super geeky Valentine's day card about time travel. For this year's card, I wracked my brain for something awesome. I started a few and they were awful. I was about to give up when a burst of inspiration hit me. As you know, Markus and I love to travel and have been to so many amazing places. I have to warn you, I'm about to get a bit mushy and cheesy. So if you cannot handle that sort of thing, just skip on ahead or admire my handiwork.

Markus and I have lived in South Korea. We explored the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We walked the streets of Kyoto as a geisha and samurai. We've ridden emaciated horses to the top of Taal, an extinct volcano in the Philippines. We've walked the halls of Pemberley in England. We've traveled to so many places and experienced so many wonderful things together, but when it comes down to it, my favorite place in all the world is wherever Markus is. I know you're all cringing now, but it's the truth. We could be in the crappiest place, which has happened, but it's still worthwhile because Markus is with me. My life is so much better because of him and I can't wait to spend the rest of our years going on adventures and traveling to faraway lands.

Happy Christmas from Chicago!

With all the craziness that's been going on, we weren't able to send out Christmas cards. I was a bit upset, but I can at least share the photo with you! The photo was taken in the heart of Chicago in front of Buckingham Fountain. I love this city and I'm so thankful that we're able to live in such a great place.

We'll be spending our first Christmas back in the states in Florida. It might be warm, but it's what we're used to. It's been a while, so it'll be nice to be around friends and family. So with that, Markus and I hope that you have a wonderful and lovely Christmas!

Buddha's Birthday | Samgwangsa Temple 삼광사 | Nighttime

Last week, I posted the photos from Samgwangsa Temple during the day. It's definitely beautiful during the day, but at night it's stunning. The lights illuminate the temple and it's a brilliant sight. You can see the temple from the street. It sits high up on a hill and the colorful lights pop out amongst the darkness. I've really never seen anything like it before. It's almost like something out of a movie. It really is a must see and I'm glad we were able to see Samgwangsa in all it's glory.

Buddha's Birthday | Samgwangsa Temple 삼광사 | Daytime

Today is Buddha's Birthday and a national holiday in Korea. Thankfully, we get the day off from work. So, thank you Buddha for being born and making it possible for me to rest. Earlier this week, Jeff, Markus and I headed over to Samgwangsa Temple. It's one of the most popular temples in Busan and they go all out for Buddha's birthday. The entire complex is filled with colorful lanterns. We planned to go before today in order to beat the crowds and still see the lanterns in all their glory.

As I've said before, most Korean temples look very similar. Samgwangsa had the same look and feel as other temples, but with the lanterns it was transformed into something completely different. There are lanterns in every nook and cranny. Each lantern is placed in the temple for a specific reason and they aren't there just for decoration. Dangling from each one is a wish that someone has made. When they visit the temple, they can find their wish. They then bow and pray before it in the hopes that it will come true. While were there, we saw many people walking around looking for their wishes.

During the day, Samgwangsa was amazing, but at night it was stunning. I can't believe that I've been able to experience something like this. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself because this is my everyday life. It will be over soon, but until then, I will soak in every moment.  Later, I'll be posting my photos that I took at night. Until then, happy birthday Buddha!