Flat Stanley Takes Tongyeong - Part 2

It's been a busy week for Flat Stanley and me, and we've taken a lot of pictures in Tongyeong so we can share them with you! Instead of posting them all on here, I've put them on my photo site for you to browse through! So have a look and see Tongyeong, South Korea, for yourself!

Link to Photo Site

Flat Stanley Takes Tongyeong - Part 1

This week, I have a very special guest visiting me in Tongyeong (통영)...Flat Stanley!! The HR Director at my last job, the Hilton, asked me to show Flat Stanely around for her son Jacob. He arrived on Monday and we're having lots of fun already! Here is a little look at our first two days together (I'll be using FS for Flat Stanley):

FS getting a look at how elementary school students in Korea live at Tongyeong Elementary School (통영초등학교)

He attended the 6-8 class with me

FS enjoying lunch in the cafeteria at school...and yes, they eat spaghetti with chopsticks!

 FS tried some custard-filled 'fish bread' (붕어빵)

Taking the bus down to the harbor

FS loved the views of at the harbor

And enjoyed the Turtle Ship (거북선)

FS taking a stroll through the fish market

And finally, some delicious gimbap (김밥) and kimchi (김치)!! Yum!!

 The first two days have been fun...more adventures in Tongyeong for Flat Stanley to come!!

NC On My Mind!!

There are certain times during my days in Korea that 'take me home'. Today, it happened to be this girl's "North Caroln" shirt. I'm about 99.99% sure that the shirt is supposed to be representing my former state, but nobody at school seemed to mind the error! This girl was really confused as to why I wanted her picture, but I got it nonetheless!! So to all of my friends in NC, this is for you! :)

Good-bye Hilton

October 4 was my final day as the Convention Services Coordinator. As with all of the other good-byes in my life, this one was bittersweet. I met some wonderful people at the Hilton, and I will definitely miss them! Before I left, I snagged a few pictures with my co-workers:

Michelle Minto!

Rosa!!

Hugh-y Lew-y!!

Mr. Lang!!

That's all for now! The next post will be from Korea!!! :)

A Visit From Home!!

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and younger sister, Ryan, came for a visit to North Carolina! I was super excited and very happy to see them! Prior to their visit, I hadn't seen much of NC myself, so it was a good time for all of us to experience it together! Here are our travels in pictures:

Our first stop was Wrightsville Beach!

A totally different beach scene than I'm used to!

Johnnie Mercer Pier - (Note: You have to pay $1 dollar to walk on this pier...WHAT?!?)

The USS North Carolina. We didn't tour it, but it was a nice sight!
We also went to the Bellamy Mansion in Wilmington.
Back in Raleigh, we enjoyed lunch at quite a famous place around here...Roast Grill!
We also went to a book signing for Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks!!

Me with my favorite author!!

In Durham, we walked through the Sarah Duke Gardens. They had some really beautiful flowers!

Our final stop was Bennett Place in Durham.

We had a good time together, and I was happy to finally see some sights of NC and, of course, to see my mom and Ryan!!

MUVB at NC State

I was so excited when I realized a couple of months ago that Mercer Volleyball would be taking part in the NC State tournament. I was even more ecstatic when I learned they would be staying at the hotel where I work!!

Since it's been a couple of years since I worked with MUVB, my 'little freshmen' are now seniors!! I can't believe it!! So that means I only know three girls on the team, but it was still fun to see them! Of course, I still know the coach [Noelle] and we enjoyed seeing each other and chatting it up like the old days! Here are a few pictures from the two-day tourney:

I was also excited to learn that the NC State volleyball team plays at Reynolds Coliseum, home of Kay Yow Court.

"When life kicks you, let it kick you forward"

It was a great weekend, and I really enjoyed cheering on the Bears!!

Hugh-y Lew-y's

Last weekend, I was excited to go to a little get-together with some of my co-workers and former co-worker. Hugh, one of the Sales Managers at the Hilton, had everyone over to his house for some chatter and delicious dinner! I finally got to meet Hugh's wife, Sherrie, and she is such a sweet woman! I also got to meet Brian's (another Sales Manager) girlfriend, Cortney! She used to be in the same position as me at the Hilton, so it was just a Hilton-filled night! Also there was Emma Kate...my lovely friend and former co-worker!

Here are a few pictures from the evening:

Brian, EKG, and Hugh

The ladies: Sherrie, Cortney, me, & Emma Kate

What a cute couple!! Cortney & Brian

Our wonderful hosts! Hugh & Sherrie

Emma Kate! Sad that Scott couldn't be there!

It was lots of fun and I enjoyed getting to hang out with such great people! :)

Volleyball Time!!

Oh how I miss watching college volleyball sometimes. Since being out of college sports for the last two years, there are certain things that spark my attention and make me crave to be working in the sports world again.

One plus side about my job at the Hilton is that I get to work, alongside with my co-worker, with the sports teams coming into our hotel. Imagine my excitement when I realized that volleyball teams were amongst those coming! I really enjoy watching the sport of volleyball. I think it is such an awesome game and I am always amazed by what the players can do!

This weekend marked our first set of volleyball teams at the hotel. To add to the excitement, I found out that one of the former players at Mercer is now an assistant at Villanova, and I would get to see her at the hotel! Julie was a junior when I started my two-year graduate assistantship at Mercer and so we got to spend two seasons together. She is such a wonderful girl, and I was super excited that I would be seeing her in North Carolina!

Furthermore, to add to the excitement was that Penn State, the two-time defending national champions, would be playing Villanova at the Carolina Classic at UNC. By the time I found all of this out, I was just giddy!!

So Brett and I headed out to Chapel Hill to watch the Nittany Lions of Penn State take on the Wildcats of Villanova. It was a good match and it was just great to be back in the volleyball atmosphere! Here are a few pictures from the match:

Miss Julie Darty...former Bear!

Action shot! haha!

Penn State during a timeout

These girls were huge and amazing!!

It was great to see the match and to see Julie! I can't wait until Mercer comes to play at NC State in a couple of weeks!!

Jack Johnson - To The Sea Tour

Last night, I had the chance to go see an amazing performer...Jack Johnson! My roommate ended up having an extra ticket, and I gladly accepted the offer to join in the fun! I can't remember the last concert I went to...I'm thinking maybe it was Daughtry in Macon a few years ago.

Anyways, the concert was held in an outdoor venue, the Time Warner Cable Pavilion at Walnut Creek in Raleigh. It was really hot, but still worth it! Unbeknownst to me, people tailgate before concerts...is that new or am I just out of the loop?!? So, we headed to the parking lot at Walnut Creek and chilled for a few hours. Things I learned from being in the parking lot before a Jack Johnson concert....Jack Johnson has a very eclectic mix of fans and Cornhole is a very popular game in North Carolina.

Our crew...Brett, Scott, Shannon, Elizabeth, & Nick.

Tailgaters and Cornhole

After a few hours in the parking lot, we headed inside to secure a good spot on the lawn and to get excited for the concert! ALO was the opening act and they provided some good music. G-Love followed...and for the life of me, I can't figure out why someone would self-name himself something that looks like "glove", but whatever. He was alright.

Hanging out before the show.

ALO...the opening act

G-Love...the second act

Finally, it was time for Jack Johnson!! I can honestly say it was one of the best concerts I've been to! I really appreciate artists that sound exactly the same live and on their albums. Jack Johnson put on a good show and I really enjoyed it!

To The Sea Tour!

Jack Johnson!!! Singing one of my favorite songs...Banana Pancakes!I think everyone enjoyed themselves!He closed the concert with my favorite song...Better Together!!

It was a great night and I'm glad I got the chance to go!