Announcement: Alaska!

Well, we received the contract this morning which makes it official. This August, we're moving to Alaska!

Deciding where to go next year was very difficult. We considered Abu Dhabi, Eastern Europe, Japan, and other Asian countries. However, after several months of job hunting, email sending, researching, and weighing our options, Alaska became our destination of choice. 

Although many wouldn't consider living in Alaska to be a foreign experience, I am expecting to go through more culture shock there than I have in South Korea. We're moving to a native village. That's code for the bush, or where men hunt, wear flannel, and grow gnarly beards. 

We are moving to a town called Newhalen. Below are some facts about the place we will soon call home:

• Newhalen is only accessible by small plane (a 1-hour ride from Anchorage)
• Newhalen is located on the north shore of Iliamna Lake
• The population is 182
• 95% of the population is made up of Yup'ik, Alutiiq, and Athabascan Eskimos
• Thousands of sport fishermen visit the area every summer for trophy rainbow trout fishing
• In the district, Grizzly Bears outnumber people

Above: An aerial shot of Newhalen

South Korea has provided us with so many incredible experiences and opportunities. However, we're excited to move to a place where the pace of life is slower. Busan is a bustling city and people are always on the go. In Newhalen, we'll be forced not to go anywhere.

We can't wait to embark on this journey. Until then, though, we have many more adventures still to be had here during our last four months in Korea! Thank you all for staying up to date with our travels.