Some winter photos.

March

March will be a great month. As most of you know,  when my contract ends March 1st, I will be traveling to a few countries around Asia and the Pacific. This has been a life long dream of mine, and surreal that I am booking flights and actually doing this. Some places I never thought I'd visit, and other places I knew I would, just unsure of when life would allow it. 

But now it's 2013, in the most exciting year of my life, and life is saying, "Go forth and explore!". So I'm packing my small backpack, loading up on mosquito repellent and sunscreen, and embarking on the biggest journey of my 24 years on earth. 

Starting in March, I will be traveling to Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia. After a quick stop in Hawaii, I will arrive home on April 4, hopefully to the chubby cheeks and big smiles of one Ryder Mitsuo Aponte. And a delicious burrito with avocado(hint, hint).

2013. You're pretty cool.

A real winter.

One big thing I was looking forward to (and kinda dreading) about Korea was experiencing seasons. Us Californians are very spoiled, and we don't really experience true seasons. They all kind of blend together, and every now and then we have to wear a heavier jacket in January, but it's mostly "flip flop" weather. 

Korea is not like California.

When we first arrived almost 11 months ago (I KNOW! 11!!!), it was the tail end of winter. We had to wear heavy jackets and hats. It snowed in April, but nothing really stayed on the ground. It was cold, but not terrible. I was hoping that's what winter would feel like.

Spring came and it was BEAUTIFUL! This was my favorite season, maybe because I could finally wear sandals and shorts. The cherry blossoms were in bloom, the sun was shining, restaurants opened up their verandas, and every one seemed more happy.

Summer was next. Summer was nice, but brutal. So humid, it felt like you were walking into a bathroom after someone took a long, hot shower. The rain from the monsoons were coming every couple of weeks, the cicadas were screaming their heads off, and the air conditioning was running on high. If you've ever experienced intense humidity, you know it's not fun. The major upside: it was great for my skin! 

Fall was gorgeous. The trees has surreal shades of yellow, orange, red, and green. It was as if someone took a paintbrush and splattered paint all over the sidewalks and trees. There was color everywhere. 

Then one day, it all changed....

Winter. 

The "feel it in your bones" winter.

The "if you forget your gloves, you will be in agonizing pain" winter.

The "people can die if they fall asleep outside" winter.

The "look at the temperature and tear up because it will be -1F" winter.

The winter that I have only heard people talking about, and never experienced. Until now.

I will say one thing...snow is beautiful. And a lot less of a pain than monsoon rains. It sparkles in the sun, it makes a beautiful, muffled, crunching sound when you walk in it (I love that sounds!), it balances perfectly on tree branches. It looks like the clouds have come down from the sky to chill and have a chat with the earth below. But it's freezing. And slippery. You walk like a penguin, and every time your foot slips, you yelp and prepare for a hard landing on your butt. It's terrifying. And seeing cars slide down the streets without their wheels moving...unreal.

But out of all of the scary scenes, the sweaty walks outside, the screaming cicadas, the blooming of new blossoms; the most memorable thing will be the nature and change within 12 months. In such a short time, I have experienced how this world affects it's nature and it's inhabitants. How amazing and resilient and cyclical this planet is. The trees outside our apartment have been through terrible heat, pounding rain, hurricane winds, parasitic beetles, and freezing cold snow....yet they are still there, standing strong. Nature is amazing. You really notice that when you experience seasons. It's hard to think that just 6 months ago we were taking cold showers because of the heat, and now just the thought of cold water makes me cringe. This world is awesome. Experiencing these changes has been life altering in the best way imaginable. 

And I will never complain about the weather again.