Winter Break

My sister and I with the headbands she made...

At my school we get a one week winter vacation which unfortunately happens the week after Christmas but regardless, I got into contact with my younger sister and decided to make a surprise visit to my family in America.

We actually came up with a pretty elaborate plan. Because it was Christmas time, my family wanted to send me a package. My sister lied and told them that she had a friend at FedEx who could get her a good deal so they put a box together and gave it to her so that she could “send” it to me. Of course, she just kept it at her apartment because she knew I was coming.

Our conversation on Kakao Talk

Then, I also told my parents that I sent a package but that it was on the “slow boat to China” so it might be a little late. I also told them that Jenee needed to send some things to her family, too so we went ahead a shipped it to her parent’s house and when it arrived my sister would go and pick it up (for reference: Jenee’s family lives in a larger city about a half-hour from my family).  

Fending off suspicions...

As the time got closer, I also started to tell my mom about my “plans” for winter break (which were all actually just Jenee’s plans with her brother who was visiting during that time) just to throw off any suspicions.

Our plan begins to unfold...

My flight was scheduled to arrive on Saturday around 2PM which would have put me arriving at home around 3PM (the airport is in the town Jenee is from). 

Will our plan work?

So, on Friday night my sister told my parent’s that I texted her and that Jenee’s parents had received the package so on Saturday she would go pick it up. She made sure that both sets of my grandparents (and my aunt) would also be coming over around 2 so that they could all “open the package together” while video-chatting with me.

Delayed flight

My international flight landed in Seattle as scheduled but for some reason my domestic flight was delayed by about an hour and a half so I was lucky that the airport had free wifi and I could contact my sister and tell her I would be late.

Unfortunately, she was already at the airport waiting for me so my family already knew she had left to go pick up the “package.”

When I arrived (around 3:30) my dad called my sister as we were leaving the airport and of course a message went out over the loud speakers something like “ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT BLAHBLAHBLAH IS NOW BOARDING.”

….right as my sister was all, “Yeah, dad I’m driving…I’m about half way back but it’s super foggy so I’m having to drive reeeeally slow.”

I had a panicked moment when I was sure my dad had heard the announcement in the background (which would be really hard to explain if we were in the car…driving) but luckily he didn’t catch it so we were safe from spoiling the surprise there.

Of course we weren’t half way home though and the roads really were foggy so the whole way back I was worried that most of my family would give up and head on home but when we arrived (around 4:15) everyone was still there.

My sister and I snuck around the side of the house and went in through the garage. She went first and I followed after her. Everyone kind of looked at me like, ‘Who’s that?’ and then they all realized and it was priceless.

They were SO surprised.

I was surprised that no one even suspected, since there were so many times my sister and I almost slipped up and gave it away.

But anyway, long story short, I got to spend a nice week at home visiting my family…eating American food…playing with my dog…it was a really nice break!

I was super excited to get reunited with this little one:

She was just a palm-sized puppy with her eyes still closed when I left in August and now of course she is an adorable little bundle of energy. I’m really glad I got to see her again before she gets all grown up.

I even got to see her get a bath, which was adorably pathetic:

And of course I was also reunited with my baby girl Tori:

Tori and Zoey resting on my lap

My sister and I took some pictures together, too. It was cold and frost was on everything so the scenery was really pretty.

By the end of the week I did find myself missing my little home in South Korea but more I was more reluctant to go back. I think it pretty much solidified my decision not to renew my contract in September and instead head home and embark on the next chapter of my life.

Now that I’ve made that decision I know there is a lot more I still need to see and do before I leave in 8-months.