Sunday, June 29, 2014

Insane Military Wife

In my experience, there are two general types of wives in the military.  There are the ones who do EVERYTHING and the ones who stay home. 

There is nothing wrong with either one of those types, and both have their issues. 

The wife who does everything is involved in everything she can possibly be involved in by her choice.  (yes, I said her...most spouses are women, so forgive me if any men read this.  Sorry!)  If she a church goer, then she's in the church, the choir, the nursery, doing a Bible study and helping organize meals for the sick.  If she's all about her kids then she does PTA, fund raisers, team sports, volunteers at the Youth Center, and probably runs a tutoring group out of her home. 

The wife who stays home tends to cook, clean, organize, read, write, craft, ect.  As long as she can stay home and do it, it's done.  Some tend to do a zillion freezer meals.  Others are the authors of those tricky Pinterest crafts (I hate you, by the way).  Still others have probably read every book in the library, so they get bored and write their own.  Then there are those who have the magazine style house (I hate you too). 

Can you see where I'm going with this?  Can you see the eventual overload that comes with both of these types? 

Military wives are a special breed.  They have to have an awesome coping mechanism or they go crazy.  Unfortunately, our coping mechanism can make us crazy. 

I'm one of those insane military wives, and I'm the kind that does it all...or at least tries.  When my children were in school, I ran the Airman's Attic (a military Goodwill...kind of), was on the board for PTA, was part of my Bible study group and organized music for the once a week meetings, did all that annoying fundraiser stuff, organized dances, helped my husband with work issues that popped up, kept a pretty clean house, cooked meals for people who had just had a baby, took a friend of mine to all his doc appointments, took his daughter to a good chunk of her appointments too.  Oh, and helped with homework, kept my kids from killing each other, let my husband vent about people that caused him problems and still found time to have coffee with my friends and occasionally drag them out to, like, the zoo or something. 

Oh my goodness.  I'm tired just writing that. 

Now that I homeschool...I homeschool.  Yeah, ha ha.  So, I teach my kids...something...everyday.  We go on field trips, and I drag my homebody friends with us, I still help my husband with his people problems and venting, still keep a decent house, still cook, but I don't do the PTA thing anymore.  Now I just go from extra activity, to the grocery store, and back again. 

It's summer time now and my friends probably hate me.  Namely because I hate my own house.  I can't stay home.  I have to go, do, see something - even if it's just the swimming pool for the fifth time that week.  We take public transportation to museums and explore the open air markets.  Not for a school assignment or searching for something in particular, but just...because.  I've heard more than once from my friends get complaints from their kids because "Miss April takes her kids to the...(fill in the blank.  Why can't you take me??"  Yeah, I'm not good for the kids who have parents that are homebodies.  Sorry friends.

Every now and then, it all catches up with me and I just can't do any more.  There's a time when I wake up one morning and I don't have the energy to get out of my pj's.  I think my kids actually look forward to these day when they can watch all the TV they want and play unlimited video games.  After all, those days don't come often. 

I can't speak for the wives who stay home.  I do know, that every now and then, they go a little crazy too.  That's usually when they come hang out with me.  Ha ha! 

So, yup, military wives are just a little insane.  I'm not sure what that says about our husbands!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Things I've Learned About Korea in the Last Year

Living in Korea has brought some interesting experiences to our family.  I've found some funny things while living here...so enjoy!

1.  If you have blond haired, blue eyed daughters...hide them!  Or cut their hair, dye it black, and give them colored contacts.  They will hate you for it...right up until they see another blond girl accosted by a herd (that's right, I said herd) of little, old Korean ladies.  They love to smile, and rub their hair, and speak to them in quick Korean.  Even if it is really obvious the kids can't understand a word they say!  We've had ladies follow us down the street, just to pet my daughters!

2.  Koreans are astonishingly giving.  I hate being beholden to anyone, but in Korean culture, once you are accepted as part of their family...they do A LOT for you!  We have a friend who has "adopted" us into his family.  So, every time we go to Busan we are not allowed to pay for ANYTHING!  Thank goodness we were able to convince them to come visit us at Osan so we could return the favor!

3.  Koreans drive like nervous teenagers, and yet somehow, I haven't seen any serious crashes.  I've watched their feet swing back and forth between the gas and brake pedal like a champion racer.  And there is nothing gentle about how they push on the pedals either!  I've never been so grateful for seatbelts in my whole life. 

4.  Koreans can make anything!  They are the MacGyver's of the world.  I've watched a man take sticks and nut shells and make a beautiful forest creature out of them.  I've seen piles of scrap be turned into art.  Seriously, give them toothpicks and scrap cloth and you will be amazed.  No lie!

5.  I will never learn the language.  Never.  I've picked up a handful of words in the year I have been here, and I probably butcher them.  Koreans are just too polite to say anything.  I can't read the signs either...it's like looking at a pretty,modern art picture, trying to figure out what it means.

6.  The people here can EAT!  And eat, and eat, and eat.  And they still stay so skinny.  I'll never be able to buy clothes here.  I'm a size 12 by the way.  I always think I'm being rude when I refuse seconds, but I'm afraid if I agree then I'll end up wasting food...or get sick trying to eat too much.  I don't know how they do it!  Now, granted most of it (if not all of it) is really healthy and they can all tell you the good things those foods are supposed to do for your body.  I just can't take in that much in one sitting.

7.  I've learned to try everything at least once.  I mean, really...when I am ever again going to be able to say that I was offered duck's butt?  (Really, I've had it...surprisingly spicy!)  Or that I was able to pick out my own eel?  Or had some kind of fermented bean paste?  Sure, there's a good possibility I won't like it, but hey...I tried it!

8.  The trains here will take you ANYWHERE!  Really, anywhere!  The subway and speedy trains are awesome.  And pretty cheap!  OH, and there are buses (I haven't been brave enough to try them) off base that, again, go anywhere.  And when all that fails...just walk.  I'm pretty sure my legs and tush are going to be amazing when I get back to the states. 

9.  Never go to any tourist attraction on the weekend.  The massive amount of people at them will crush you.  Shudder.  They pack people in here like sardines!  I'm all about my personal bubble...yeah, it's been popped here.  Whimper.  So we travel and see things during the week, you know, when most people are at work. 

10.  Korea is beautiful.  There really is something here for everyone.  Hiking, night life, culture, museums, festivals, shopping, eating...you name it...it's here!  You just have to leave base to find it.  And maybe get lost a few times.  And definitely stuck in traffic at least 10 times.  Oh, and spend more than you planned to because, I mean really that deal is just too good to pass up! 

I like it here...most days.  I still really feel like a foreigner and stick out like a sore thumb, but the things I've seen and done here are amazing.  I hope my next year here is just as amazing!