Chinese New Years and Fat Tuesday: Lots of Celebrations!

February 10th, 2013: Chinese New Year
Celebrated in typical Korean fashion with a bowl of Ddeok-guk.
Celebrated in typical Harrington fashion with a bottle of craft beer.

February 12th, 2013: Fat Tuesday 

Celebrated in typical American fashion with piles of pancakes and bacon. 

Celebrated in typical Harrington fashion with good friends. 

A Mid-Winter Vacation: The Send-Off Moments

As Friday rolled around, the Harringtons knew they would soon be saying farewell to Hakcheol who was in route to Seattle before heading back to the home-land. The Harringtons were grateful to be able to 'sneak' Hyunhee out of her classes for the morning and after everyone had managed breakfast, the crew slowly made their way to Big Sky Brewing Company after stopping into a Casino so that Hyunhee could try her luck at the slots.

After sampling some brews, the crew took Hakcheol to the International Airport and sent him on his way before returning to the tasting room to finish off their sampling tour. Being a class day, Hyunhee had some responsibilities to address in terms of a volunteer activity for which Mike and Melissa dropped her off before heading over to Biga Pizza for some pizza that was truly out of this-world. The Harrington duo continued their afternoon with a combination of napping and reading (Mike) and thrifting and shopping (Melissa).

With the coming of evening, the Harringtons and Hyunhee had plans to meet up with Ethan and his girlfriend to enjoy a Vietnamese dinner followed by meandering downtown Missoula for first Friday's. After entering a number of shops and checking out some art displays, the Harrington and crew made their way to a yogurt shop where they were surprised (and thrilled) to run into another HSI student, Laice. A bit of catching up, downing some fine yogurt and capturing a few photos everyone was off on their separate ways for a good nights sleep.

Saturday came and saw the Harringtons and Hyunhee making their way out of town to visit the dear family of good friends Garrett and Alla (still living the life in South Korea).

A Lesson in Korean Cooking

One of the great joys of returning to Laramie is being able to meet up with Korean families and individuals who have been transplanted in Laramie either for school, work or some combination of both.

One such family is composed of a husband and wife and their two darling girls. The husband is an exchange professor in the University of Wyoming Law School and kindly and fortunately, brought his sweet family with him. Thanks to Melissa's work with the school districts ELL families, she had the pleasure of meeting them early in the fall semester and now even has the great pleasure of working with the two girls one-to-two times a week at the University Lab School.

The family has helped the Harringtons to settle into American life while keeping up with Korean pop culture, pop music and most importantly food. In November, the family came over and helped Melissa prepare kimchi and made a promise to get together soon so that Melissa could learn, first hand how to make a favorite Korean dish, Japchae!

The lesson involved learning which spices are most essential (such as pork, dash-i-da, and of course vegetables) and how to test to make sure the noodles are ready. Not only did Melissa learn the fine art of preparing Japchae, but they Harringtons were also served a meal full of all that is Korean deliciousness from calamari to kimchi, to dumplings and cucumber kimchi and so, so much more.

To top off the evening, the girls performed some K-pop dances and left us clapping, smiling and remembering all the reasons we love South Korea and all the reasons we're thankful to have met this lovely family!

The Moments you Need when Your Heart Beats in Two Places

As the Harringtons have settled into Laramie/Wyoming/American life, they have been blessed to re-enter life and relationships with all the fantastic people they left behind in 2010. However, each day has also reminded the couple just how deeply they were incorporated into Korean life and community and how that place of their hearts and souls is adjusting and aching and wanting to be as full as it was just a few short months ago.

Fortunately, the inconvenience of miles and time-zones has only stifled the frequency of interactions and reminders of Korea and the Harrington's Korea family. Smart phones have brought the Harringtons numerous reminders of faces and places the couple loves. These reminders are a sure fire way to bring a smile to the faces of the Harringtons if not a few tears to their eyes.

Not only do beautiful reminders of life 'over-there' show up via Kakao Talk, but they were ready and waiting for the Harringtons here in Laramie as well. A handful of Korean middle school students, a Korean-Japanese restaurant ran by a sweet Korean family who understands our love of their foods and traditions, gifts of choco-pie from parents of Korean students and a Korean grocer a few hours away are enough to bring ease to the Harrington's hearts.

These are the ways the Harringtons remember and remain connected. The way they honor where they have been and who they've shared life with. The way the thrive in a land that feels more foreign than it ever was and than it has any right to. The way they move confidently forward, aware that forever and for-always their hearts will beat in two places.

Our "First" Second-time Around 519 Guest: Harris

Just a few days after their 5-year wedding anniversary and barely a week after having returned to the USA, the Harringtons were thrilled to welcome their first guest into 519. Even more thrilling was that this guest was in fact a good-friend-turned-family-who-also-just-returned-from-the-land-of-kimchi...which means, the couple was able to wade through re-entry/reverse culture shock with someone who was on the exact same page. It was an incredible blessing to share the homeland, aka, the Kingdom, with this dear friend and to know that the bonds and friendships created half a world away were not created in vain.

The visit began with dinner out at the Library followed by a couple of growlers following the crew home for a rowdy game of Nerts with a Harrington sister before settling in for a night of rest and deep sleep. Since the Harrington duo was already employed, they made their way to work each morning while guest, Harris took his time walking, exploring, getting lost and reconnecting to sweet Lady Annyeong.

Wanting Harris to understand the fullness and beauty of Wyoming life, the Harringtons were sure to escort their east-coast friend out to the Snowies where the crew enjoyed some hiking and gallivanting below the majestic and looming Medicine Bow Peak. Alone on the trail, the crew took in the fall colors, cool-to-frigid breeze and the unadulterated beauty of the Mountain West.