The Roberts in Korea

the end of an adventure . . .

“. . . we found ourselves looking upon a familiar sight. We were home. How do you pick up the threads of an old life?” –Frodo, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (movie)

A little more than eight years ago the Roberts family of four packed our bags and we left our home in Boise for what looked to be a two year adventure in South Korea.

Little did we know that two years would turn into eight!

For Ryan, Dina, Becca and Sarah, South Korea was eight glorious years of high adventure and unique experiences: new schools, job opportunities, sports, music, travel, theater, new cultures, sights, sounds, tastes, challenges, education, growth, opportunity, loss, gain, precious memories and many new friendships.

It is has been said that even though the days may be long—and at times arduous—the years are short. Touché.

Eight years . . .

Becca and Sarah both spent all of their junior high and high school years at an international school in South Korea. They thrived in their academic studies, played sports, performed lots of music, traveled the world and made many friends along the way.

Dina loved on, invested in and taught scores of Kindergarteners from different countries throughout the world.

Ryan completed a doctoral degree, interacted with professionals throughout the world in the realms of education and ministry and learned more about school leadership, business, finance and administration than he ever wanted to know.

Over eight years we all learned so much about the Korean culture. We lived into its rich depth and beauty with the help of the gracious Korean people. There are no words to express the love and appreciation we feel for our Korean friends.

Through it all, the Lord Jesus Christ helped us and sustained us. What a joy it was to experience the adventure of Korea together—as a family. God’s presence went before us and blessed the work of our hands. We thank God for the many good gifts He bestowed upon us over our time in South Korea.

Now, eight years later, we (Dina and Ryan) find ourselves “home”—living again in our house in Boise. Our girls are both away at college. Our years in Korea exist as a treasured memory. On the outside things look the same, but in reality they, and we, are very different.

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life?”

Maybe the answer to that question lies in the midst of a new adventure . . . and a new blog.

With this post, The Roberts In Korea blog comes to an end. What a joy it has been to record and share on this blog - in word, picture and video - the moments and memories of our life in Korea.

Thanks for your interest in us as we have, “lived the adventure of life on the other side of the world.”

departing Korea

In early May we packed up our belongings and sent thirty-eight boxes over the Pacific Ocean to our house in Idaho.  Last Saturday we packed the rest of our stuff into nine suitcases and boarded a plane bound for Idaho.

After eight years of residing in South Korea, we gave up our alien cards and moved back to the USA.  The Zickefoose family was booked on the same flight as we were to the USA, so together we chartered a TCIS bus to take us to the airport for the final time.

Our good friend, Mr. Hwang drove the bus and both he and the TCIS guard, Captain Song, helped us load our stuff onto the bus.  They are treasured friends, always looking out for us and caring for us, right up to our very last minutes in Korea.

Our time in Korea has been such a blessing.  It is sad to leave the place and the people, but we carry with us precious memories and treasured friendships.

see you next time . . . Azuma Kimbab

There have been a few tears shed as we have been saying goodbye to friends here in South Korea.  One of the hardest goodbyes was when we said goodbye to Jaeyoung and his wife at Azuma Kimbab.

The Millers and the Roberts recently enjoyed a delicious farewell meal at Jaeyoung's place.  We reflected on years of fun and friendship.  Jaeyoung and his wife have helped us and served us in so many ways:  they assisted with travel plans in Korea, they taught us lots of the Korean language, they fed us great food when we didn't know what we were ordering, we shared many Christmas Eve gatherings together, we have sung songs together, we have celebrated each other's children, we have laughed together and cried together over the years.

We did a little bit of crying the other night in the midst of our goodbyes.  We didn't want to and we tried not to, but we cried.  Jaeyoung suggested that we not say goodbye, rather we say, "see you next time," because he plans to come visit the Roberts in Idaho and the Millers in Hong Kong.

It was a good idea until Jaeyoung started crying and the dam burst.  We all had a good cry together combined with lots of hugs.  It is hard to say goodbye to people that you love so much.

As we walked up the street away from Jaeyoung's restaurant we heard him say, "see you next time."  

We can hardly wait.

farewell meals with friends

Goodbyes are hard, but oh so necessary as they serve to acknowledge and affirm the impact that colleagues and friends have played in one's life story.  They give the story color, essence and life. Without them the story would be boring.

There are too many precious people in South Korea for us to say goodbye to them all, but we enjoyed some nice farewell meals with friends over the past couple of weeks.

  Some of the folks in these pictures are:  Barbara, Kate, Ms. Jung and Wha Yun from the Admissions Office; Nurse Bossard, Ms. Jung and Mr. Yum (we enjoyed a delicious meal of Beijing Duck); all of the great guys from the General Affairs Department at TCIS (what a treasure they are); Sarah Kim, Lee Smith, Mr. Hwang, Ms. Nam, Ms. Shin and Crystal from the Business Office (oh, how we laughed).

We are thankful for friends and memories.

last ride in Korea

With less than a week left in Korea, David and I took our last bike ride here in this beautiful country.  We took a new route and enjoyed seeing lots of new area while at the same time seeing some familiar sights.

Korea is a land of contrasts: ancient culture and contemporary amenities, high-rise apartment buildings towering over farmers working in rice paddies, cobblestone trails alongside the river with the bullet train whizzing by on the track overhead.

The trail system in Korea is amazing.  We have been riding bikes here for the past couple of years.  I wish we had started sooner.  There is so much to see in this place and a bike allows access to the most interesting and out of the way places.

We leave the land of Korea in just a few days but the sights and sounds will remain in our photo albums and in our memories for a long time.

Taecheon Beach with Danika

Sarah enjoyed having her friend, Danika, here in Korea for just over a week and a half.  One of the places that Sarah wanted to show Danika was Taecheon Beach.  So, last Sunday  we loaded up the car and headed toward the West coast of South Korea.  The traffic was light, the scenery beautiful and an hour and forty-five minutes later we spotted the beach.

Upon our arrival in Taecheon Beach we had a picnic lunch out of the trunk of our car and then we enjoyed ourselves--walking the beach, laying on the beach, wading in the water, perusing the shops and restaurants located along the beach and just hanging out.

Taecheon Beach is famous for a couple of things: the high mineral mud that thousands of people cover themselves in during the mud festival, and the seafood that is served in the many shops that line the  beach. 

We had a great day at the beach, enjoying the sights, the sounds, the smells, the cool water and the warm fellowship with friends.

Business Office Farewell

As we wrap up our time here in South Korea we find ourselves in the midst of lots of goodbyes.  We have been blessed to interact with so many amazing people here in South Korea.

Last week the Korean Business Office staff surprised Lee Smith and me with a farewell party.  The time was filled with kind words, nice gifts and good food.  The TCIS Business Office staff are consumate professionals who embody the endearing qualities of humility and servanthood.  

What a privilege it has been for me to live with and work with this fine group of people for the past eight years!

we have visitors!

We are happy here in Korea!  Becca and her friends, Christy and Kraymer, flew into South Korea on Wednesday and we are enjoying their visit.  During their first 24 hours we took them out for some late night Gong Cha (tea), we ate some delicious food at Jaeyoung's place and we visited the old TCIS campus in O Jung Dong. They are battling jet lag, but we are keeping them busy.

 

a great day with Mr. Cho

Last Sunday I enjoyed a great time hiking and bike riding at Seonyu Islands, located on the west coast of South Korea. My friend, Mr. Cho, led me on this grand adventure.  We started out early in the morning and drove for an hour and a half to the city of Gunsan where we boarded a ferry for an hour long ride out to the islands. 

The first thing we did was rent some bikes to ride around on the many trails and bridges that connected the various islands.  Our first stop was at the base of Daejonbang Mountain.  We parked our bikes and climbed to the top of the mountain and enjoyed a spectacular view of the ocean and the nearby islands.

From there we rode from island to island, taking in the sights of the ocean, the beaches, the rock formations and the wildlife.  Lunch included a stop at a small restaurant serving raw fish, some spicy tofu soup and a bowl of white rice.  For dessert we had a Snickers bar.

After a great day of seeing the sights, taking pictures, talking, laughing and relaxing, we boarded the ferry and started our long journey home.  At the end of the drive Mr. Cho dropped me off at my apartment.  As I walked into our building I was tired, sore and thankful for the chance to share such a fun adventure with a dear friend.

shipping out

"The days are long, but the years are short."  It seems like just yesterday that we were packing up our twelve boxes, our two little girls and anxiously and excitedly making our way to a new adventure in South Korea.  Click HERE to see a post from 2006.

We are scheduled to fly out of South Korea one month from tomorrow.  Yesterday a shipping company came to our apartment and packed up most of our "stuff."  Our stuff will take a long boat ride across the Pacific, then a winding journey through California, Nevada, Utah and eventually end up on the doorstep of our home in Idaho.

We have been living here in Korea for eight years--it is amazing to realize the "stuff" that we have collected over time.  If our shipment makes it safely over sea and by land, we will put it all to good use in the next adventure that God gives us.

For the next few weeks we will be living out of the very few things that we can carry with us on the airplane.  But through it all we are living out of abundance as we carry in our hearts the memories, adventures, friendships and blessings of our time in South Korea.