The First Year of Marriage - Part 4

Wow, it's already been a year since our Korean wedding ceremony! On April 9th, 2016, Junkyu and I were surrounded by our family and friends to celebrate our union. We had beautiful spring weather, a sunset behind us as we bowed to one another, and afterwards we had a fun party with our friends and some cake.

Thinking back on it now, I can still remember when I would think, "Woah, I'm married. I can't believe it!" and now it feels even stranger to gaze upon the rose my husband gave me for our first anniversary. He promised to give me a rose for each year we've been married, so this year I received one, next year it will be two, etc. I'm excited to see the number of flowers grow each year as we continue to stay committed to one another.

My dad also got us an anniversary gift. The first year of marriage is usually represented by paper, but the modern gift is a clock. We really needed a clock, too, but this one was perfect! He got us a cut-out of Beauty and the Beast made from an old record. It's the perfect blend of what I love (Beauty and the Beast) and what my husband loves (music).

Junkyu comes home a little earlier from work these days, and he doesn't always have to work on Saturdays. We built a garden on our terrace outside and this weekend we will set up a tent structure with a table and chairs to keep mosquitoes away from us as we grill in the spring and summer weather.

I'm a more experienced housewife now, and I make Junkyu's breakfast and lunch each morning so that he doesn't have to go through the drive-through or starve. His work is so demanding that if he doesn't have something in the car to eat, he goes hungry or goes to McDonald's. I feel like I'm contributing to his well-being by packing him something healthy to eat every day. We stock our kitchen with more fruit and veggies than ever, thanks to the new, big market next door.

I go to Korean classes two times a week, and my first test is coming up at the end of the month. Junkyu's friends compliment me on my Korean skills and how they've improved, and I can tell a difference when I go out; I'm much more confident and able to get things done in Korean than I was before.I'm still keeping track of what we spend so that we can save for our American wedding, which is in October. We sent out Save the Dates and now I'm excited to put on my white dress and eat cake and dance! Our Korean wedding was awesome, but I'm ready to show Junkyu my hometown, my family, and my culture.

This past Wednesday was my birthday, so we went out together with two of my friends, one who lives in Korea and one who is moving back to England after living in Japan. The latter stayed with us for two weeks and it was really fun showing her our city and introducing her to Korean food.Along with our two kitties, we truly feel like a family, though we'd like to start having kids in a few years. For now, we are enjoying each other's company, learning about one another, and taking life as it comes day by day.