Colorado is Beautiful...as ALWAYS!

As you may know, Danny and I recently spent time at home in Colorado and we are happy to report that Colorado is still just as beautiful as it always was!  Danny and I hadn't been home for 1 and a 1/2 years so we wondered if the best state in the US (I'm not bias or anything) had changed as well since so much has changed in the people in our lives.  I already shared the amazing foods that we got to have while at home, but I want to share the other highlights of our trip.  Here's a Top 10 list (in no particular order) of the highlights of Colorado...



10. Seeing our family!  Being able to hug and talk to our family face to face instead of over Skype was priceless.  We have missed them so much and can't wait till we live within miles from them and not over 6,000 miles.



The Doerksen Family (minus a few)



The Wilson Family (minus one)



9.  Driving a car!  Danny and I only use public transportation in Korea, and although it is great, being able to just hop in a car and drive to your destination quickly was amazing.  We were worried that we had forgotten what it was like to drive, but after only one scare of Danny merging quite akwardly, it was like riding a bike.  Thanks, Grandpa Wilson, for the use of your Pilot... it's hard to go back to buses, trains, taxis and bikes after such a great time in that car!

Driving was a little nerve-racking at times :)

Danny also got to do a motorcycle ride with the Doerksen boys, which I know was one of his driving, or riding, highlights.  I'm sure they got in trouble, knowing those guys, but riding all through the Rocky Mountains, I'm sure, was pretty spectacular.

8.  Going to the Wilson Ranch!

Danny always makes fun of me when I talk about the Ranch because he says I talk it up so much that he feels like there should be unicorns running around and everything should be made of candy : )  There are no unicorns, but I do think it is my favorite place to be in all the world.  The Wilson Ranch sits on a cattle ranch in Gypsum, Colorado and I think it is just gorgeous.  You can just rest, relax, play outside, and watch the unicorns roam... haha, just kidding, they do have horses though!

7.  Spending time with three new babies!  Three babies were born while we've been in Korea so it was amazing to meet them for the first time.  Our neice, Lily, has the cutest smile and a rockin' mullet for a one year old.

Then there is our nephew Clark Kent who is one of the cutest kids who ever lived if I do say so myself.  And last there is our godson, Jude, who is the smiliest baby I have ever been around.  Since we aren't having kids anytime soon, it's nice to get my baby fix from all the cute little-ones running around.

6.  Going to a Colorado Rockies game!  There's nothing that says America like baseball and hotdogs and we got to enjoy both.  On September 11th we got to sit 6 rows from the field and soak up some sun while the Rockies won 4-1.  I even got on the jumbotron dancing, so I considered it a pretty awesome day!


5.  Seeing great friends!  I don't know what I was thinking because we didn't get pictures of all our friends, and we didn't even get to see all the people we wanted but seeing some friends was amazing.  Korea can feel a little lonely at times, but we had no feeling of that while we chillin' in Breckenridge or laughing hysterically or playin' cornhole!  Thanks friends for all the good times... we needed it!

 I was especially excited to see our friends, Daniel and Sarah, before they had their twin boys about two weeks later... congrats to the Byrds!

4.  Seeing some beautiful Colorado scenery!  I am really not joking when I say Colorado is the best state in the US and it's partially because of Garden of the Gods.  Colorado summers are next to heaven and being able to enjoy the outdoors without sweating like a crazy person is soooo nice.  I mean really, could it get any better than Colorado?

3.  Feeling the comfort of home!  Danny and I have both said that there is just something about America that has a sort of "comfort level" that we can't get in Korea.  Maybe it's being able to understand the language?  Maybe it's being able to see and sit on grass?  or Maybe its just because it's where we are supposed to be?  No matter what it is, I guess that's why we call it home : )

2.  Seeing the Stars and Stripes!  Call me patriotic, but live outside the US for a couple years and lets see if you appreciate Mrka even more.  It's just an awesome country, and so every time I saw a flag I just had to say, "God bless AMERICA!"

That's freedom, baby!

1.  Spending time with my travel buddy.  Oh yeah.

Our time in Colorado was just the pick-me-up we needed, and as usual I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else.  We really loved every minute of the trip, but because of how jam packed it all was, I think we may now need a vacation from our vacation.  Well, thanks Colorado for an amazing trip and see you in 5 months!

Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon, CO

We are a bit obsessed...

 As many of you know, Danny and I got to go to Colorado for a little over 2 weeks and it was AWESOME! We saw lots of friends and family and it truly was just what we needed!  I will get to all the amazing adventures we had next time, but for now I want to talk about something that we spent a lot of time doing in Colorado...EATING!  The food was the third thing on our list that we were looking forward to enjoying (after 1.Family, 2. Friends), and boy did we enjoy it! Can you guess how much weight we gained?  Let's see if you can guess the right amount after you see all the things we ate.

I first have to refresh you on what we usually eat.  Although I LOVE Korean food, I was smiling so big in this picture because I knew that I didn't have to eat rice for 2 weeks!  The whole way on the plane I was dreaming about pizza and hamburgers and hummus and all the amazing things I knew I was going to eat, and BOY did we EAT!

The start to our eating adventure was Texas Roadhouse.  We thought long and hard about where we would go as soon as we landed, and Texas Roadhouse with their rolls, and side dishes, and BEEF seemed like the right choice.  This may sound crazy to you, but Danny and I even went as far as looking the menu up online and memorizing our order so we wouldn't have to waste any time...get us our FOOD! We got chili cheese fries, a baby onion blossom, ribs, pulled pork, steak, beer, baked beans, and a big stomach ache from eating so much, but oh it was soooo worth it! Mmmmmm...

  Next we had Mexican food... margaritas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and my personal favorite... chile rellenos.

Then came the sandwiches, OH THE SANDWICHES!  I think that this is something I miss the most and Jimmy John's was a great place to go to get our sandwich fix.  Italian Vito sandwich on a fresh roll...heaven.

On to the next meal, my friends... and where did we go, you might ask!?  The burrito "promise land": Chipotle.  I seriously think it might have illegal if we didn't go to this Colorado staple because it is such a huge part of our day dreams.  

Danny and his friend Robb just stood and looked at the sign in a moment of silence ; ) It was such a moving moment for us all.  Fresh steamed tortilla filled with whatever you want!? Yes please, and may I have 2?!  Most Koreans have never had Mexican food so a proper burrito is basically out of the question and don't even get me started on the salsa, or lack of, situation we've got going on here! I just need you to understand that those of you who have the privilege of getting Chipotle whenever you want, that is not something to be taken for granted... it is truly a blessing, cherish it. (Single tear.)... Anyways, after that rant, basically all I'm trying to say, is it WAS AWESOME!

One lovely evening I got to enjoy a gyro and that took me to a new place.  I think we miss the variety and all the choices of types of food you can enjoy in America the most, and being able to go to an actual Greek restaurant was truly a treat.

Then came the feast of ALL feasts... The 2011 Seafood Soiree.  We started a tradition with some friends of ours to get together and make a seafood feast and we actually got to do it this year.  Two rules of the Soiree...1. No kids allowed. and 2.  Make a ridiculous amount of seafood... that's it.

 We grilled tuna steaks and crab legs, made a seafood boil, baked stuff scallops, and had things that we never get like good bread, asparagus, pesto, and good corn!  That was truly a meal that I won't forget.

Another unique meal was thanks to my sister and brother-in-law.  We went to a place that does classic American fare and got to try something I had never had before...  deep fried Oreos.  Although I have heard of their existence, are something that I had never partaken in and thanks to Abby and Albert, I got to try them!  It didn't hurt that we also got to have awesome Philly steak sandwiches, onion rings, and tater tots to go along with the sweet ending so I definitely counted that as another successful meal.

I'm pretty sure you are thinking by now, "Seriously, there's more?!"  And to that, I would ask you, "Do you know us at all!?"  Of course there's more!

We had hot dogs and beer at a Colorado Rockies game...

We had our favorite pizza in the world, Borriello Brothers: canadian bacon and red onion...

We ate Old Chicago's Italian nachos...

We ate amazing biscuits and gravy thanks to our friends Matt and Johanna...

And last, probably one of my absolute favorites... Five Guys Burgers and Fries...

Like I've said before, beef in Korea is CRAZY expensive so we rarely eat beef, let alone amazing burgers.  However, when we walked up to the counter and I saw literally 20 different choices I had to put on my burger, I just about broke down crying.  Basically I've decided that if anyone ever needed to buy me off, give me a Five Guys burger (oh and maybe some cajun fries) and I will basically do anything for you : )

Well, after all of that, I think you all have realized that Danny and I LOVE food, and our wonderful trip to Colorado allowed us to eat a lot of our favorites.  The final total of weight gained due to all that food was...drum roll...

Danny ~ 12 pounds

Katy ~ 6 pounds

... in 2 weeks...yikes

God invented food to be enjoyed, and I fully intend to do my duty and eat and enjoy life as much as possible!  I just hope all of you who live in America and have amazing foods at your disposal don't forget how lucky you are and do the same!  God bless America and we already miss you all!  See you in 5 months!

Osaka, Japan ~ A lil' food, a lot o' fashion!

The Food...

 Today I was asked the question, "Do you eat to live or live to eat?"... If you know anything about me, or Danny, you would know that it didn't take us a moment to answer that question... WE LIVE TO EAT!  Food is one of my favorite things to enjoy on vacation, and since Japan is home to one of our top favorite foods, sushi, we were pretty excited!  We knew that our first night, we had to go to a sushi bar, and that is what we did.  When we walked into this conveyor belt sushi bar, we had basically walked into paradise.  You could eat as much sushi as you wanted, and all you had to do was pay by the plate (18 in total... woop, WOOP)!  It wasn't exactly a CHEAP meal, but it wasn't as bad as I expected, and having the first good sushi in almost 1 1/2 years was worth it!  Mmmmm...tuna.

I surprise a lot of people when I say that Korea doesn't really have good sushi... at all.  They have a different idea of sushi that what I think of, so as we walked through a Japanese grocery store and saw it filled with different sashimi and sushi rolls, we shed a tear of joy.

  

Look at all that sushi! It's glorious!

You could also buy AMAZING salmon and ahi tuna on a stick in the outdoor markets.  Basically if I lived in Korea the mercury level in my body would be ridiculous because I would consume an insane amount of tuna!

Heaven on a skewer.

Now, you may have gotten that Danny and I LOVE sushi, so you can understand why I might think that nothing could combat with it.  Oh, how I was wrong, my friends, soooo wrong.  Some friends who went to Japan before us suggested that we eat ramen while we were there, and at first I wasn't too convinced.  I mean, it's ramen... how good can it really be?  Nevertheless, Danny and I tried it and we are glad we did.  Actually the words I'm really looking for are: OH MY GOODNESS, THIS RAMEN IS SO GOOD IT COULD LITERALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

It is a bowl of pure heaven, my friends, and if you know what is good for you, you will go out and find a Japanese ramen restuarant and get ready to be floored.  It is a rich pork broth with fresh ramen noodles, seaweed, scallions, and the best part are peices of roasted pork put on top.  It completely changed my view of what ramen could be... let's just say this ain't no Cup o' Noodles.

Another food that we were told we had to try is called Takoyaki, or squid balls.  These are these bread things that are cooked in a little bowl so it looks like a ball at the end.  Squid is still not my thing, but these were pretty good!  They kinda tasted like a ball filled with cream of chicken soup so if you are in Osaka, because they are famous for them, go ahead and get some Takoyaki!

One thing I noticed about Japanese restuarants, was that most of them have displays in their front windows of the food they serve.  It's pretty smart actually... you don't have to guess what you are getting or go by a picture, like in America, you can just eat with your eyes first. 

It was fun to look from window to window at what eat place offered, especially when it was ice cream!  I think maybe I will try to create a job like that where I get to create delicious looking things in plastic, like a food artist, because you will get the satisfaction of knowing that people can enjoy your food forever!  Danny and I stumbled upon a store that sold the plastic sushi, and ramen bowls, so we found the perfect Christmas ornament to add to our collection... a tuna roll, and it looks delicious! ; )

Lastly, of course I had to show you one of the strangest things we found.  Asians have a different definition of "normal flavors" when it comes to their snack foods.  In my mind only chocolate Kit Kat's exist in this world, but the Japanese have a bunch of different flavors you wouldn't have imagined.  We found wasabi flavor, cherry blossom, and green tea, but I have heard that they also have flavors like soy sauce, buttered corn, baked potatoe, and creme brulee! (You can read more about them here. )  I just keep thinking my brother-in-law, Robb, would be in heaven here in Asia since he loves to try new flavors of things.  I guess the closest Americans get to "crazy flavors" is Jelly Belly's buttered popcorn flavor... I think we really need to step it up!

The Fashion...

Danny and I were caught by surprise by the fashion in Japan.  Korean fashion has a "group" mentality... girls wear 80's style baggy shirts and mini skirts, and men wear polo shirts a capri-type pants.  Now that is a generalization, so of course it's not everybody, but it sure feels like everybody!  So since we see the same fashion all the time, we loved how individualistic the Japanese are when it comes to fashion.  We saw a rocker style, a lingerie style, a European style, a trendy style, of course a Japanese traditional style, and what I thought was most interesting: a "human doll" style.  

Traditional Japanese Style

You can probably picture most of those styles in your mind, but let me explain the human dolls because they are interesting!  At first I thought that all Japanese are constantly on their way to a costume party, but these are just ways they dress on a normal day!  The human doll girls were a sight to see... they had circles of blush on their cheeks, huge bows in their hair, and we even saw one adult woman carrying a stuffed animal to complete the look.  It must be a commitment to dress to the nine like those women do, but they really do look like dolls walking the streets.  (I'm sad that I could never get a good picture of them, but I got one of them from behind.)

 Human Dolls

Wow that's a lot of color!

 I call these styles: "Brit Pop Chic" and "Rocker Chic"... I don't know about you but when I pictured Japan, this isn't what I imagined ; )

Here we have "French Chic" and "80's Chic"... can you imagine how long it takes to get your hair to look that perfect?

Even the accessories are intense.

Bon Jovi Chic ; )

 Danny and I spent a lot of time people watching in Osaka, and now that you've seen some of the fashion, you can see why!  We sat for a while in a part of Osaka called "Americamura". Which is the "American" section of Osaka.  It was basically just a place where all the unique music, fashion, and specialty store converge into one area.  The guide book said that it was a place where Japanese hipsters could live their "American dream"... yeah buddy!

Danny in Americamura

We have been out of America for so long "Americamura" was as close as we could get, but now I'm curious if the fashion will be as interesting to me once we finally go back.  Either way, Japan is a GREAT place for a lot of things, but the food and the fashion, in my opinion, top them all!