Home again

Chris and I have come a long way together, not only in our relationship, but also in our business. It was four and a half years ago that we boarded a plane to South Korea together. We had been dating for a little over a year and thought that we were only going to teach ESL in the country for 6 months. Those 6 months turned into 24 and when we finally left Korea it felt like we were leaving home.

It was in Korea that “Captain and Clark” was born. Our first full day in the country was spent exploring with our little hand held camera. We weren’t good. We had no idea what we were doing, I was terrified of being in front of the camera, we didn’t know how to edit video, and Chris’ hair was out of control. I’ll leave the first film we ever made for you to watch at your own risk.

From that first video forward we delegated every weekend to getting to know our new home. Whether we walked around downtown Pohang or took our 125cc Daelim motorcycle on a cross-country road trip, we were always exploring and filming something new. Making travel videos was a hobby that we were doing for fun. A way to showcase Korea through our eyes for our friends and family back home. We loved making these travel films but we couldn’t even fathom that we would some day make a career out of it.

Reflecting back on the past year we have so much to be thankful for. We got engaged a year ago, planned a wedding, traveled across the world, bought a car, worked with major travel brands, and most recently, got married. We’ve made lasting friendships with fellow travelers in the industry and there are often times when I sit back and listen to the conversations that we’re having and am completely blown away. There’s talk of working with elephants in Thailand, hosting travel shows across the U.S., taking safaris in South Africa, securing the crown in a major pageant, getting engaged in Prague, and the list goes on. What’s even better is that during these conversations, no one is being pretentious or trying to show off. They all have a passion for travel and sharing that passion with others. It’s funny to think that this life trajectory started in Korea.

A week and a half ago, Chris and I boarded a plane back to the home that we left over two years ago. It’s he first time that we revisited the country that played such a vital role in our lives. A place where we cultivated our relationship, learned lessons about ourselves, were able to focus on what we loved, and made lasting friendships.

I will never be able to cultivate the words to describe what it feels like to be back. It’s so familiar. I never realized how much I missed the sights and smells of this beautiful country. Don’t even get me started on the food- my taste buds have never been so satisfied. What I will say is that both Chris and I are happy and during this season of giving thanks, we’re so grateful for our time in this country and all of the beautiful and unimaginable opportunities that blossomed from our time here.

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?