It’s weird that while I made sure my intimate family came to my wedding in Korea, and we had a huge family reunion two days after I returned to the United States last week, I didn’t truly consider my wife entirely "part of the family" until she went out to our farm in Indiana and met friends to party. Our farm in Indiana is so important to understanding my family as a whole that anyone that hasn’t been out to experience it hasn’t really begun to know us as a group of people.
Luckily for me, four of my college buddies made it out to see me this weekend to help speed up that process. I put in the longest commute of a several thousand miles, but one of the people drove around six hours to hang out with us. He said it was the least to do since I came all the way back in the country just to visit. One of my brother’s friends came from Maine by car, and other even purchased a car after his last one died this week because he had to come to this party. It’s clear that our family’s parties are something not to be missed. We had somewhere up to forty or more people eating, drinking, and having a really good time. For everyone from the party that might be reading this, thank you so much for coming. It means so much.
It’s weird that my college buddies and I still all "click" as a group. Two of my friends have purchased houses in Ohio, and I just got my new apartment in Korea. Someone was starting a job, and I’ve got a new one waiting for me when I return to Korea. Weird parallels. We are in completely different fields and doing very different stuff, but life has a way of keeping people on a familiar path. Our old jokes and mannerisms returned in a few hours of company. Just like old times. My parents have been meeting with the same friends at the farm for the past 30 years, and I intend on making the tradition stick with our clan as well.
This is why travel is so important to me. During this trip, I think my wife has grown to understand me much more. She now sees exactly where my mannerisms come from, my roots, and what I am like in a different environment where people knew me as a child. It has been an excellent way of sharing the things at home that I find valuable even if I am aware of them or not. Who you are when you are the host of a party and when you are just someone along for a good time is completely different. Being around my friends brings out another side of my personality.
There isn’t much more to say, other than to enjoy the pictures if you have access to the Flickr account, or trying to email me to get access if you don’t already have it.
