Messages From Beyond

Destin, FL

So, I've lived here for a year and haven't posted anything. Today, I decided to get this blog going again. Hopefully, I'll have some good travels and photos coming soon. Today I took a walk down to the beach near my house and snapped a couple of pictures. Ed

Florida

I'm in Florida now for a 3 year flying assignment. I hope to post some cool pics soon.

Thailand and Vietnam

Finally getting around to posting some pics from Thailand and Vietnam. In short, the trip was awesome. Places we visited: Bankok, Chiang Mai, Pai. Then we went to Vietnam. We stayed in Hanoi and spent 3 nights. Visiting Ha Long Bay was the best part of the Vietnam experience.

After that, we flew back to Thailand and landed in Phuket. What a great/beautiful beach area. Snorkeling, visits to Islands, Kayaking, etc were some of the activities we did while there. It was all amazing.

First plate of thai food in Chiang Mai

Monks at a shrine in Chiang Mai

More monks at the shrine

Again, more monks--but at another shrine/temple in Chiang Mai

Vietnamese lady in Hanoi

Fruit boat in Ha Long Bay

Swimming it up in Ha Long Bay

Sunset in Phuket, Thailand from our Hotel

My buddy on the beach at Phi Phi Island

6 months

So, I've almost been in Korea a full six months. It's time for a vacation. I need it. It's been weird not having crazy adventures every weekend like in Europe...so I'm just going to have to make up for it in the next two weeks. Here's my schedule---sort of:

Tuesday the 29th...leave Seoul for Hanoi, Vietnam....
Tour around Vietnam for a couple of days...see some sights...take cool pics...

Leave Hanoi for Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Have lunch at the FCC "foreign correspondent's club" and pretend I'm famous. Visit Angkor Wat...explore temples....have jungle adventures. Come out of it all alive....a couple of days later.

Leave Cambodia for Thailand. Land in Phuket Island...and go direct to the JW Marriot and check in to our 2 story apartment on private beach. There will be 4 of us total now...split 4 ways the cost isn't too bad...but don't I deserve luxury? Yes.
One week in Thailand....sea kayaking....trekking...snorkeling....diving....everything.

I'm gonna take some awesome pics...so be ready.

I made it

I am finally done with my instructor upgrade in the F-16...I finished last week...and what a relief! It took almost 6 months....with weather delays and repeat flights. It's a great feeling to be done and I can't wait to start instructing other F-16 pilots.

I just got a new Digital SLR camera and am totally excited about it. I love photography--and this will help me take even better pics. I plan on taking it to Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand in 2 weeks....and I'll be sure to post pics of this epic trip.

Last weekend we got a chance to go to a soccer game in Jeonju. It was pretty cool. What was better? Going out to dinner at "Outback Steakhouse." Yes, they actually have a few of those in Korea.

day out of "prison"

park entrance

monument in the park

seaweed anyone?

Work has been busy to say the least. I know I haven't posted in a while...but that's life.

A few of us had a day out on in Kunsan City the today and visited Wolmyeong Park...which was actually pretty cool. Who knew Kunsan city actually had such a nice park?

Jeounju Day Trip

I was starting to feel like I was in prison. Maybe it's a function of living in Europe for the last 3 years....just taking off on the weekends in search of cool sights. Anyway, the back and forth to work and the pain of the Instructor Upgrade was making me go crazy. I had to do something more than hang out with the guys in the dorms this weekend. I decided to go to a city nearby that's called Jeounju. Recruiting some guys to go wasn't a problem...so we loaded in the Xterra and hit the road. It's only about 35 minutes from Kunsan on the "interstate."

Korea has such an interesting and vibrant culture. Jeounju is a good example of this. As you reach the outskirts of the city you see the massive apartment complexes that go for miles. We passed through all this and hit the inner "old city." They have done a great job promoting their historical legacy with famous dynasties, etc. Some of the old walls are preserved and they have an very large "heritage" complex of Korean culture. They have a Korean "cultural experience" tour that allows you to see what a typical house and compound of a Korean family would look like in the ancient days. I really don't have time to go into it all now...because I'm running late to do some work stuff...but maybe these pictures can do some justice....

Korean Wedding at the Catholic Church in the center of Town