The 1000 Kilometer Summer

This summer was a complete whirlwind for me. Every day was planned out. No lie! I felt like I was going a 1000 kilometers an hour! I vacationed in Manila, toured around Korea with my family, attended two classes for graduate school, zoomed around a motorcycle across the Ontario, relaxed at my cabin, and reunited with college friends at a wedding. I think I traveled close to 1000 kilometers each trip this summer! Regardless of time and distance, here are some highlights from my hectic summer.


DESTINATION: Korea
DISTANCE: ?????????????????????????????????????????????

It takes 15 hours and 50 minutes via Tokyo to fly from Minneapolis to Seoul. Math is not my strong suit and I’m not even going to attempt to figure how the kilometric distance. (Is kilometric a word?!)
I have been anticipating my family coming to Korea for two years and was absolutely tickled pink when they arrived in June. I took them all over Daejeon, Seoraksan, and Seoul. We hiked mountains, ate bulgogi with a random family, shopped, scrubbed down at the jimjilbong, and marched all over Seoul. I can’t believe I managed to get my family around Korea with my limited Hangul. This adventure is definitely one of my favorite Nelson family vacations.

Korea photos:








DESTINATION: Canada
DISTANCE: 1286 kilometers
I finally made to Canada. I suppose dating a Canadian gives one incentive to visit!
I toured the Ontario province with Alan on his motorcycle in early July. Let me clearly state I have NOT converted to motorcycle riding, but I enjoyed the brevity of being a “motorcycle mama” for a week. (If anyone else ever takes me a on ride, I usually have a breakdown after five hours on the bike. I wish I was kidding!)

We went to a cabin for 4th of July, dinner cruise, Niagara Falls, and his hometown. Alan and I met up with three of my coworkers from TCIS from dinner in Toronto. Such a cool city! After visiting the Toronto area, Alan drove us to North Bay and Sault St. Marie to meet some of his relatives. We eventually drove back to Minnesota (a.k.a. the Canadian Riveria) in his aunt’s Mustang so I could get back for grad school. I could definitely convert to becoming a “Mustang Mama”. :)


Canada photos:







DESTINATION: Chicago
DISTANCE: 622 kilometers

This weekend was a preview for NPU Girlfriend Getaway 2010!! My good friend Rebekah got married in late July, but it was a mini-college reunion of sorts. I got to enjoy some sister bonding with Mals in the car on the way to wedding, then smashed into a suite with Mallory, Davia, Stephanie, and Aubrey for two nights. It was such a fun weekend of reminiscing and girl bonding. I can’t wait for next summer!

North Park Girls: