Recycling Korean Style

It is so refreshing to be in a country where recycling is regarded as a must and not a maybe. I must admit, I was stunned (in the good sense of the word) to discover that Korea has a mandatory recycling program (and they take everything - styrofoam to the hard-to-recycle yogurt containers). Growing up in the States, recycling is not as accepted or practiced, and I have never understood why.

Thanks to my mom, I was raised with a "green" mind. I don't remember a time when our family did not recycle, thanks to Mom's efforts. She ensured that anything and everything recyclable was not wasted. I was shocked when I went off to college in Columbus, leaving home for the first time, to find that no recycling program was available on or off campus. Luckily, my roommate, Genevieve, is as green as I am. We saved all of our recycling products, and whenever one of us went home, toted them off to our parents. I'm sure our moms loved the extra work to take it curbside come trash/recycling day! However, Gen and I felt good about our efforts, knowing we were doing a small part to ensure a better life for tomorrow.



I am a true believer that Americans need to be more self conscious about trash production. My realtor explained the Korean trash and recycling pick-up, but then interjected that most Americans living in Korea just take their trash on-post to a dumpster. I guess separating trash from recyclables is too much work for some. I felt so embarrassed when she told me this! No wonder other countries form opinions that we are wasteful!




I read some disturbing news while in Hawai'i about plastic and trash in the ocean. I get sad and very upset when I read/hear new like this: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/10/19/SS6JS8RH0.DTL&type=politics
I took action and invested in some "green" grocery bags. They are reusable cloth bags, and at least I know I am doing my part to reduce plastic garbage. Plus, they are so much stronger. They hold 2-3 times the amount of groceries, and for $.79 apiece, they were a great bargain! I highly recommend you try them :) Plus, I recycle EVERYTHING here. Recently, I filled up two 13 gallon-sized bags with recyclables and only one with trash. I saved 66% of my "trash" from going to a dumpster! Think if we ALL did this!



There are still improvements I want to make in my "green" life. I want to drive less, walk more, use public transportation more, and take shorter showers (for those that know me, this will be a HUGE sacrifice). Plus, I recently looked at the Honda website, and a new hydrogen-fueled car is for sale. The car's emissions are clean and clear water. I am so excited for the things Honda is doing to improve the planet! I hope other companies follow in their footsteps.



I challenge you to think and be "green." I know we can make the world a better place for tomorrow if we change our lifestyle. Think of the impact - especially on and for our children!

Just Some Pictures

Ryan and I had these pictures taken when I was on leave before coming to Korea. It was such a beautiful time of year in Kentucky! Of course, we took the puppy girls with us (Allie - little grey dog; Mia - little black dog). Just thought I'd share!

Number 26

Thank you to everyone who made me feel so special on my 26th birthday! I received so many calls and cards from family and friends, and I can't begin to thank everyone enough! Crystal, my friend from Hawai'i that is here, also threw me a party at work (yes, I had to work on my Birthday - sigh). She brought cake, presents, and even sang to me! She is so sweet! One thing I did miss....a call from my 97 year-old Granny. I didn't get to hear her sing this year :( I guess I will have to call her and make her sing to me! She ALWAYS calls on birthdays, but I guess that me being halfway across the world threw her off a little.

I received these pictures from my sister-in-law, Amanda. They are of my niece, Chloe, and are sooooo adorable!

Here's one of me attacking my birthday cake - do I look like a Cullen (for the Twilight fans out there)????

Congratulations are in Order

After a very stressful week assessing for an aviation special forces unit (the 160th out of Fort Campbell, KY), Ryan has been accepted to the unit. Congratulations to my Saaaweetie.

There were 45 applications for the unit, and only 17 were invited to assess for the open positions. Five of the 17 happened to be Captains, and Ryan got the one and only Captain position the unit had open. I am so proud that I can't even put it into words.

Having a husband that is in special forces is scary - I won't lie. I know he will be doing things that he won't be able to talk about (and we talk about EVERYTHING), and there are deployments that I am going to have to accept not knowing where he is or when he will come home. I worry less knowing that Ryan has been trained by the best and worked/trained hard. He is the most dedicated person I know to the United States Army.

I once met some wives in Fort Rucker, Alabama, where Ryan and his buddies were going through flight school. They all complained about how much time the guys had to spend training, flying, and being away from home and families. I'll admit, I like to have Ryan home, but I also know that the more he trains and learns, the safer he can be at work. I need him to be safe at work. Flying a helicopter is a dangerous job (his life insurance premium is proof !), and I need his full concentration on his job, not worrying about trivial things at home.

So here's to my brave, intelligent, and wonderful husband - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I love you!!!