Welcome to the USA...Home for a moment....then Vail, Colorado

When I arrived home, many people were so worried and excited to see me. I got picked up from the airport by family, then I directly went home to see Lucky and ease his stress of being without me for so long. Poor little guy.
As soon as we spent some quality time together Lucky and I took a nap together. I was so exhausted that I then slept for about 30 hours straight. Everyone was worried since traveling is exhausting since I had been so ill before. Even though I am better, I am not back to normal by any means.
It was very odd to be back in the US after being gone for almost a year, but really nice to be home. What did it feel like and how did I feel? Well…my bed….my wonderful wonderful bed….oh how I missed you! Clean sheets, and actual blankets (not like S.E. Asia where the bed only has 1 fitted sheet-good thing I took an airline blanket), and a ridiculous number of pillows just the way I like it! AHHH…no wonder I slept for 30 hours when I got home!
And let me just say…having a choice of clothing is INCREDIBLE! I felt like I just had the best shopping spree ever, but it was actually just going through my closet and dresser! CLOTHES! Living out of a back pack wearing clothes until they are un-wearable or un-presentable is over rated…damn it’s nice to look normal again!
Oh…and the shower….should I even get started on how nice it was to shower in water that I KNOW is clean?! As Americans we under-appreciate our opportunity to shower in clean water…and brush your teeth from the faucet instead of bottled water. To be able to not stress about if you accidently swallowed some water when you were rinsing your mouth is pure luxury! Damn it feels good to be an American.

The IFSC Worldcup for bouldering was the first week of June in Vail, Colorado and I would be flying there to meet Sangwon. He unfortunately couldn’t come with me to Idaho when I came home because he had a competition in Austria, and then flying from Europe directly to Denver.

Time to get moving! I had been home for just a couple days and I was about to leave again after being gone for about 7 months. I had barely enough time to meet with family and friends before leaving for Vail. I met with one of my really close friends Kristel for lunch and to tell her about my travels. I was able to see a few other people too and I am thankful for that time. I really missed all my good girlfriends....being gone so long, it was easy to forget how much I love my friends, but now being back....I really need them in my life and it's nice seeing them even if only for a moment before I head out.

Two other climbers from S. Korea were coming and competing also. I had met them while in Seoul since they are pretty good friends with Sangwon and climb together alot. When the 3 of them arrived, we took a shuttle bus to Vail. They were all really exhausted from all the traveling, the night before they had been in Germany, flew that morning from Austria to Denver, now going to sleep in Vail-talk about travel!

After the cometition ended in Vail, we headed back to Denver for a couple days before flying out...everyone returning home.
Let me just say that competition climbers are on such rigid diets that they always are thinking about food...just hardly ever eating what they really want. After arriving in Vail we decided to check out downtown. Sangwon told me that his friends needed to go buy something inside Walgreen's....so we went in and they all disappeared. I couldn't find them anywhere. Finally I went outside and there they all were...holding an empty box of Krispy Kream doughnuts! They already finished the box and each still holding a doughnut tightly in their fists. What a sight! they could barely speak as they were all gobbling the sugary goodness up so fast! Glad to see them cut loose after the comp!

Seoul Surviver

Back in Seoul, we decided between all the climbing and Sangwon’s training, we would sightsee…since this is my first time to S. Korea. This photo is on the bridge by the Olympic stadium.

Everyone here that has read my blog over the past year and a half should all be well acquainted with how much I love local markets. I just feel like local markets is where the ‘good stuff’ is at….kinda the same feeling I get when going to thrift stores too. So of course, we had to go!!

Never has a pancake in a cup made more sense….it has a MESSAGE folks…a message!

The spices and foods for sale were incredible, there were so many things that I had never seen before, similar to the way I felt in S.E. Asia. And it smelled so...interesting...yet really good!

And yes, I am attracted to shiny objects....I think I was a rodent in my past life.

One of the climbing gyms that we frequently visit is located outside at a park.

It is an outdoor climbing wall with cushioned floor, and the locker rooms and restrooms are located inside of it. There is also an indoor bouldering gym for warming up before doing the routes outside. So rad!

These are war memorials that are located within the park as well.



This is a pretty little frightening spider that was crawling on my pants....YIKES!

Sangwon and I at a coffee shop before his competition.

The weather was pretty chilly and windy…the nice people next to me shared the thermos of hot coffee with me. Very kind!

The climbers were kept in isolation before the competition in order for the people to set the routes without the climbers seeing. The athletes are then allowed to come out and study the wall briefly as a group. Then they go back into iso where they warm up until it is their turn to climb.

This is the video of Sangwon climbing at the comp, he won first place..great job!

Victory dinner....Mmmm....

Another day Sangwon took me to Namsan tower. It is a popular tourist attraction. It it is similar to the Seattle Space needle, and is located upon a mountain above the city.

We took a cable car up to the tower...the view of the city was really nice. We were blessed with nice weather!

I think that this was really interesting, all along the fence bordering the patio of Namsan Tower, there were locks with love letters written on them. Apparently couples would come up and put a lock on the fence each keeping a key and representing their love. Key to your heart and all that...really neat.
















I really enjoyed my visit to Korea. My health has returned thanks to Sangwon and of course to the Monks back in Thailand and the people of Bonpong. With out such amazingly kind and generous people I don't think I would be alive right now.

Time to head home and see poor Lucky!!!