4th of july 2009 weekend was spent in st.ignace/mackinac island, michigan. i cannot describe my genuine joy in being able to experience a long-time 'cho family' vacation excursion with the love of my life, david. :)

every summer, for as long as i can remember, my parents took my brother and i (and family members visiting from korea) to this treasured spot to celebrate America's birthday in one of its historic spots. the last time i was there was in 2006 (of course, 4th of july wknd), when my brother and i were able to get away from time with friends, so that we could spend QT with our umma and appa; who undoubtedly relished in every second that they were able to squeeze out of us that weekend. i realized this year that my parents taking us to M.I., niagara falls, state parks, etc. formed my love of nature and history (my major in college). :P

back to this year's trip... david planned a 3 day/2 night all out trip, as we weren't able to go on vacation this year due to big plans for the future!...

we drove up to bay city friday night in order to save us from a long drive on saturday up to the island (*david's 'rents still own their first home in their hometown). saturday am, after breakfast and a quick chat with uncle don... we made our 3 hr drive up to St. Ignace. :)

the views were magnificent, the town was serenely quiet, and the weather was amazing! we couldn't have asked for more. after a NASTY meal, but refreshing oberons! at the marina bar, we went souvenir shopping and walked around downtown St. Ignace. In the evening, we took a sunset cruise to Mackinac Island and watched the fireworks show from the lake - the best seats to a great show!

Sunday was spent ALL day on the island. We took a carriage tour of all of the hot spots on the island, visited and partook in demonstrations at Fort Mackinac, rode a tandem bike all around the island (7 miles), and ended the day buying fudge, taffy, t-shirts and relaxing on the lawn by the harbor.

All in all, it was a perfect trip with the perfect companion... so much fun to reminisce about old memories and creating new ones with my love...!

pics are on facebook!

'til next blog,
adieu xoxo

so as i mentioned in yesterday's blog, i have been to the gym more frequently in the last two months. it started off slow, but surely i've gotten myself into the routine. for those of you who assume, rightfully, that it's for aesthetic purposes... you are WRONG!

i have always been moderately active through the years. i played volleyball and lacrosse during high school and grew up going to stoney creek after church on sundays to rollerblade, ice skate, bike ride, and take nature hikes. as most college students, most of my 'exercise' during those 4 years consisted of simply walking to class, or picking up the remote during study breaks... aka NO exercise.

since i've been working, i managed to throw away almost $1000 on a one year membership to lifetime fitness. i rarely went, maybe a handful of times to go play raquetball with David, and a few others to take use of the indoor pool. last spring, David and I switched to LAFitness after I moved back to Troy because of the lower cost, brand new gym, and ideal location (right behind my apt complex).

even then, it took a while for me to really take regular use of the membership. it helped that David is so active and is a firm believer in exercise to stay healthy, but he had his buddy Jeff that would go with him to be a 'spotter' as i would be of no assistance in the heavy weights department.

i went to a few kickboxing, stepaerobics, and yoga classses. i even joined Jeff's wife, Stephanie a few times, so that i'd get more motivation from a workout partner. i dragged my friend Emily so that she'd join the same gym and be my motivator.

after all failed attempts, i made it a goal for myself - in my state of unemployment bumness - to start going regularly, at least a few times a week. i had no excuse. no work to consume my hours or energy; therefore, since April, i have been working out at least 2 or 3 times a week. (minus a couple of weeks when i was out of town or in an emotional ditch :P)

after i got back from my trip from Chicago last Friday, i told myself that since this is the first week where i didn't have LIFE to keep me busy, i'd go to the gym everyday (even for just a half hour swim) monday - friday.

WELL, today is Wednesday and i've been to the gym for 1 hour+ workout three days in a row!!

as mentioned above, it isn't about getting the 'perfect' body that is my motivation. rather, the refreshing feeling of sweating out all of my stress, clearing out my lungs, and just the content feeling of activity that is my biggest motivator.

it's a hate/love relationship. i HATE the fight with my inner self to actually get to the gym, but i LOVE the feeling after a refreshing workout.

i hope to keep this going... not as a diet routine or short term discipline, but as a lifelong change to keep my mind and body healthy.

wish me luck, tomorrow's day 4!!

what is it about a rainy day that puts most people in a gloomy mood?

-----

obviously, if life isn't on the track that someone wants it to be... it's quite easy to take the rain, its gloominess, and run with it to an unproductive day of 'blah-ness'

but aside from the little hardships of life, i think i'm actually quite happy... and even still, i don't feel completely overjoyed or chipper on a day like this... (yes - it is a rainy day in Troy, MI today.)

but instead of sleeping away this solemn mood of faked destitution, i will be working 'til five... then hitting up the gym to sweat out the week, and cozying up with a cup of hot tea w/honey and a book i need to finish for a term paper in a couple of weeks.

i choose to make this a THINK day, a PRODUCTIVE day, instead of just sitting around and being sad about the things that aren't quite right yet and wishing for things that aren't ready to be had in my life... :)

tomorrow's forecast:

'cuz there's always a rainbow at the end of a rainy day... :)

i've never been a dog person.  my brother and i were forbidden to have a dog as a pet because our mother was deathly afraid of them.  we would watch our friends and neighbors play catch with their dogs and every once in a while, go over to pet the dogs, staring longingly into the eyes of a pup that could never be one of our own.

this all changed when david and i went to a pet fair on our 6 month anniversary.  we actually went to the fair early in the morning when it first opened up, over 30+ shelters from all over the metro-detroit area had cages full of dogs needing a good home.  we walked away after perusing the fairgrounds and finding that there weren't any dogs that could survive living in my measly little apartment.

after running some errands and enjoying our day together... we decided to head back.  i figured i could at least spend the day playing with the shelter dogs, if i coudln't provide one of them a good home.  now, i don't know if it was fate or just mere coincidence... but we walked by the same shelters that had been there in the morning and came across a pen full of beagle terrier puppies that hadn't been there in the morning... that's when we found her... our Bailey...

a year later, we had our second... a pure-bred yorkshire terrier... BUDDY :)

now i'm a mom of two very happy, healthy, adorable puppies and i can't be happier because they listen (well most of the time), and love meunconditionally.

any dog lovers out there?

here's one of those annoying surveys.

Ten years ago I was...
- 15 years old.
- sleepovers with the "6-pack" bfast at OHOP & shopping at somerset.
- going through my 'KOREAN POP' phase; obsessed with Hi 5 of Teenagers.
- going to my first homecoming dance with my korean friends.
- taking driver's ed classes.

Five years ago I was...
- 20 years old.
- back in michigan, after spending my freshman year in CALI.
- lost... school, boyfriend, friends, God.
- making my move to ann arbor.
- buying my first car, a honda accord.

One year ago I was...
- 24 years old.
- starting my second year at EDS.
- getting ready to celebrate 1 year with david.
- starting to start for the LSAT again.
- paying bills and being financially independent for the first time.

Yesterday I...
- slept in and watched tv/movies all day with david.
- went to blockbuster and rented 'the house bunny'.
- watched 'THB' and pigged out on junk food.
- played with the puppies 'til they passed out.
- went to bed later than i should have and regretted it, cuz today i had to get up early for bfast with friends and a mssage.

:D