summer loving in the usa

keoka lake maine

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m a mediocre blogger at best these days, and I’m okay with it. I’ve been spending less time curating content and more time pouring myself into the here and now, enjoying life with my people when and where we are at any given time. Life has been busy since I last posted, and as I write this, I’m sitting on a couch at my parents’ house in beautiful New Hampshire. The skies are blue, the sunsets are glorious, and summer loving in the USA is in full swing.

We arrived in the USA on June 22nd….after leaving South Korea on June 22nd. Yes, it’s as mind-boggling as it sounds. Going back in time is absolutely abysmal in terms of jetlag, and we took the long way home. We traveled from South Korea, connected in Doha, Qatar, then flew to Boston, which is a few hours from my parents’ house in New Hampshire.

summer loving in the usa

summer loving in the usa

s'mores

It took us a solid four days to combat the bulk of the jetlag, but in the week(+) that we’ve been soaking up summer here in the States, we’ve spent time with my sister, my nephew, Rhett, made our way out to Keoka Lake and Kokosing in Maine, had a couple of s’mores nights, and spent more days than not in some sort of body of water. Honestly, I’ve missed these water-filled days in the USA, and it’s highlighted how much we miss our hiking/swimming combos from Washington (like that time we soaked up the beauty of Emmons Moraine).

Still to come during our trip though? Lots! We’re hoping to pack in a beach day, a fun Fourth of July – our first in a long time, thanks to Covid and quarantine in South Korea last year – a trip to Philadelphia to meet our newest nephew, and much more quality family time.

kokosing maine

toddler summer vibes

We finally came to a decision as a family a few weeks ago; we won’t be extending our time in South Korea. Instead, we’ll roll the proverbial dice yet again, and Ryan’s marketplace will open in October for potential duty stations next year. Then, should all go according to plan, we’ll know right around the turn of the year where we’ll be heading next. And, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that we actually celebrated wrapping up our first full year in South Korea on June 24th!

We have just under two more weeks of summer loving in the USA before we make our way back to the Land of the Morning Calm, and we’re soaking up every single second of it. So, cheers to the beauty of summer, my friends. I hope it’s treating you all well!

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