Other Side of the World, Other Side of the Family

I will simply piggy back my wonderful wife’s words and start where she left off. Rach’s and I goal for this summer was to blog our experiences in different countries to show the differences in our lives as well as use the opportunity as a journal. Here goes...

On Monday I spent my Memorial Day holiday on an airplane. My flight took off out out of Salt Lake International Airport at 9:50 in the morning and it was there that I began my lengthy journey to South Korea.

Before I left my family all said goodbye at our house and they are all so great. I had to say goodbye to Bri for two years which was bittersweet. I will miss his goofy personality and uncanny ability to make any situation light hearted but I know he is doing what he should be. Brazil is getting a stallion for two years and we will gladly loan him for a time. Good luck Bri, you will do awesome!

You have come a long way little Bri!

Once I got to the airport, Rach and I loaded and unloaded my massive luggage so that we would only have to pay the overweight for one bag and not both. (Now that I am here I realized I took way too much stuff, but isn’t that always the case?) Anyway, Rach and I had to say our goodbyes and go our separate ways. It wasn’t fun but I think we were both strong. We both consciously made an effort not to dwell on what was really happening and tired to stay positive. I miss Rach all the time but manage to get by without. Not having a constant sidekick is tough and will take some time getting used to but we’ll make it work.

I hopped on a flight to LAX and honestly don’t remember much about that leg of the trip. I probably listened to music or slept or who knows but it was a quick flight and it feels like years ago. Once I found my next gate in L.A. I called Rach for the last time on my phone before I put it away for 3 months and boarded a plane heading for Tokyo, Japan. The flight was brutally long, about 13 hours long. I spent the trip watching movies, reading a little bit, drifting in and out of sleep, and eating the delicious airplane food (insert sarcasm here). The main thing that I came away with from this flight was that my 6’2” frame is not meant to spend long hours in a cramped, seated position.

I landed in Tokyo and a couple of hours to kill so I walked around the airport and tried to get a feel for where I was. After Tokyo, I got another plane to Incheon, Korea. The flight from Tokyo to Korea was about 3 hours and I finally got some legitimate sleep. I don’t remember anything about the flight, which is a great thing. I landed in Korea at about 10:45 on Tuesday night. This means that my travel covered from Monday morning to Tuesday night. But wait, it’s not over.

To be continued...