Winter in Europe

As soon as I finished my semester, I flew back to Cologne to be with my husband this winter.  It was our first Christmas and New Year's as newlyweds, and we drove to Paris (~4.5 hours) after Christmas and flew to Berlin after New Year's for some short getaways.
The holidays in Europe is lovely.  My husband thinks that Christmas and New Year's are not as big a deal as in America, and that might be true, but I was gushing over the sparkling lights and decorations in downtown Cologne.  And Paris was another whole story.. so exquisite.  :)

I flew back to DC at the end of January, and once again, saying goodbye at the airport was heartbreaking.  I cried throughout the plane ride home; when I woke up from a long sleep and realized I wasn't with E, I started quietly sobbing again.  The next time we're planning to see each other is in May (~94 days from today..)  I have to say, being in a long-distance marriage is so hard.  I always feel sorry for us, that we're missing out on our first Valentine's Day, birthday, and wedding anniversary as a married couple.  We're both praying to be strong during this time, to cherish the time we have apart and to do what we can to maintain closeness and communication even while separated.

Anyways, here are some random photos from my iPhone:

Christmasmarkt near the Cologne Dom.  The lights were so lovely.
Reminded me of the movie Tangled :)

These are unedited photos straight from my iPhone.
The Eiffel Tower really is this stunning and beautiful.

CLASSY McDonald's in Paris

Montmartre

Avenue des Champs Élysées

Our apartment-style hotel in Berlin.
Small, modern, reasonably priced

Weather was gloomy, so we hit up the Berlin Aquarium

Mongolian BBQ, with all kinds of meat for grilling,
including kangaroo and shark

Christmas gift from my sister
Personalized heart mugs (notice my name is written in pink:)

Underwater Hotels

I saw some photos of these underwater hotels and resorts, and I couldn't believe my eyes.  The photographs look amazing.   Can you imagine dining or sleeping in the ocean, watching fish and huge manta rays swimming by?

From Poseidon Undersea Resorts

Underwater Bedroom in the Maldives

I think this would be breathtaking and maybe a little scary too!  I would probably worry that the glass would crack or a shark would ram against the thick glass and we would cave in.  Unfortunately, I don't think I'll find out for myself anytime soon.  Reservations for Poseidon Undersea Resort range from $15,000 per person (or $30,000 per couple a week).  Oh well, I can still appreciate the amazing concept.  :)

New blog and Photo overload

New name, new blog!
I'm hoping I can use this blog to write and post pics and keep in touch with friends and family, especially since they're scattered all over the place now.. And it'll give me a good excuse to procrastinate in the middle of studying.  :)

I don't have much to say for now, so I'll just present a photo overload.
Some highlights from this year:

I got married!

One of our photobook pages.  Layout and photography by Jun Kyeung Photography

Lived in Germany for the summer.  I love how easy it is to country-hop in Europe.  The Netherlands is about a 2 hour drive from our home in Cologne, and Paris is about 5 hour drive!  It's like driving to Philadelphia or NYC from my home in Washington.. although gas is more than double the price in Europe.

Cologne and Kaub | Germany

Made a day trip to visit Amsterdam.

Went to Budapest, Hungary for E's work trip

Went to Alicante, Spain for our honeymoon. 
Alicante is a quiet beach town with beautiful beaches, warm and friendly people, and delicious food!