Scattered Seashells Shares Secrets

While I’m off sailing around the Caribbean (I’ll pause a moment for you to take a deep sigh….) I asked if one of my sponsors would mind sharing a post with you guys. Chantal and I met last summer when we were in PCS (moving) transition, and I got to meet her lovely daughter Penny, too! Penny, by the way, is what I imagine Julia being like when she gets older—full of wonder, curiosity, and cute as a button. But I digress. Read this post and get to know my fellow friend and current Korean resident! 
(P.S. Did you like the title? I love me some alliteration!)

GPalace8

Here’s my big secret: I was born in Canada. I know, you’d never think this all-American girl was once a Canadian, but it’s true. That frozen Northern blood runs through my veins. When we moved to the US when I was 12, it wasn’t the first time I had been to our neighbor to the south, but it was a huge change nonetheless. A change that I’m forever grateful for.

Another secret: I spent three months in the UK when I was 15/16. My mom applied for a temporary transfer there with her work (not military, more like computers before that all crashed) and off we went! That too is another move that I’m thankful for. What an experience! I get to say, “I lived in Europe!” and I always wanted my own kids to be able to say the same thing.

 

Cue in: South Korea.

It wasn’t even on our radar until one day right around my birthday in April my husband calls and said “They offered me a fixed wing slot, but it means we have to move to Korea.” WHOA. First, he was a helicopter pilot but now they want him to fly airplanes? We were supposed to go to Colorado, but now Korea?!

But I said, “let’s do it,” because I wanted that experience for me, for our family, and most especially, for my daughter.

KoreawBaby2 I know first-hand what it’s like to grow up in a foreign country. Alright alright, Canada isn’t that foreign from the US, but it isn’t the same. I loved getting questions about where I grew up because then I could explain, it was a different country. What a privilege I’ve had to experience the world and see new places. I wanted this for our children.


There are so many benefits to raising my daughter in a foreign country.

For one, exposure to a new country, one that is so different from the United States. Isn’t it cool that she can tell people when she gets older that she spent three years of her life living in Asia?
For another, new experiences that you might not be able to get back home. I’m talking festivals, strange foods, and places to explore that aren’t available in the US.

And most importantly, she’s going to be learning that the world is at times a huge place and at times so small. We aren’t that different from our Korean hosts over here. We all eat. We all drink. We all go to work, love our families, and play in the sunshine.

She was two when we got here and she’ll be FIVE when we leave. What a great time to learn and grow as a kid! I’m so happy we’re here together as a family and that my daughter will get this whole world in her memory bank. You can’t replace that.
KoreawBaby1

If you liked what you read and want to follow our adventures in Korea, come swing by my blog Scattered Seashells for more. Leave a comment and say hi! I love chatting with new people!

2 Comments

  1. Yay for Chantal (I miss you, btw) 🙂 Trying not to be bummed that my kids are growing up in Wyoming 😉 Haha. But my husband swears it's a great place to raise them (and I agree)!

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