To everyone else in the world... this part of baseball season is called post season, or play off season, but to me it is more realistically labeled "the season of unknowns."
This is it. The part of the season that I have way too much to do, to be sitting here writing this... but I’m procrastinating. Probably. Honestly, this time of year is pure chaos. Regular season baseball has ended. Travel for playoffs will start in the next few days. We don’t have a plan. There is never a plan. So I pray, a lot. Like more than usual. Sometimes for guidance. Sometimes for clarity. But mostly for sanity. I’m mid pack…. in multiple bags. One suite case for playoff travel, the backpack in the corner I haven’t emptied from the last trip, and the ever growing piles of boxes for sending back to the states. I’m constantly thinking about what to add to the stack. Do I bring everything or leave some behind? Is that truck that Bryn had to have at the dollar store worth packing across the world? Probably not, but the second I decide to leave it… she WILL notice! I don’t want to wait until the last minute to organize it all… but honestly, everything that is left in this apartment that isn't in a suitcase is essential. I can't pack it all yet.
Speaking of essentials… if we come back looking crazy, mind ya business! I’m out of my prescription, our vitamins are almost gone, my shampoo and face wash are dangerously low, the deodorant is so thin the container is starting to scratch me with each use. We are too close to the end of the season to ship more here. So, choo- choo, hear comes the hot mess express... and I am the conductor. It is what it is! I have accepted it.
With that being said, it is the time of baseball season when we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Texas is so close. Our friends and family are so close. Whataburger is so close. Yeah, I brought up fast food! Judge me. Our meals right now consist of random foods from the freezer that we are trying to clean out and the stuff I put in the cabinet at the beginning of the season that I never wanted to make. Let's just say, what we have left doesn’t exactly mesh into a typical meal. And the ranch is almost gone so even ordering pizza isn’t promising. We are tired of eating the same thing over an over, we have fallen into a routine of ordering from the same handful of restaurants. But even though we are ready to eat Wings N More, real Mexican food, and shop at H‑E‑B, it’s bittersweet because we are visiting our favorite places here, knowing it could be the last time.
If I have missed your call/ text/ message but I’m posting on Instagram it’s because we are in a season of life that I never want to forget. So I quickly post the picture. I look through videos that fans have posted, and I share them. Because even if Bryn doesn’t remember everything she experienced here, I want her to have the photos. And believe me… your message is important and that is why I haven’t answered. I want to answer with intention. I want to give everything you said the time it needs and the answer it deserves but life is crazy and I haven’t had a completely free moment to dedicate to it. I promise I am thinking about you throughout the day. I’m telling myself that I need to respond. I am making a mental note of everything I want to say. But coming back to you is even more important, so I am making sure I have everything in order to leave the home we made here. All while trying to enjoy every last second.
This is the part of baseball season that every wife dreads (the guys probably don’t love it either). The season of unknown for the future. The season of extra prayers. What happens next year? Where will we be? Off season is great if there is a plan for February. Otherwise off-season isn’t really off-season, because baseball is always on your mind. So, we are taking in every second that Bryn gets to visit dada at this dome. We will stand happily and watch him sign jerseys for heroes fans. We will make those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before each game and try not to be stuffing our faces when they put us on the big screen. We will yell “go dada” as many times as her heart desires. And my personal favorite thing to do on gameday is pull out her jersey and listen to her she say “dada shirt!” and then watch as her eyes light up and she makes the connection on where we are going… “dada baseball game?!” She may not remember it all one day, but I will. And it’s important. We are building our lives on these moments. Teaching our daughter just how vital it is to support each other, in whatever we do and wherever we go. Living in a different country and experiencing the culture, it’s eye opening. It’s incredible. Watching Tyler play baseball is my favorite thing to do but watching him do it here has been even more rewarding. Meeting fans and knowing how much they love Brynlee has been amazing. Every moment from the time Tyler steps on the field, bows his head, and thanks God for the opportunity to be on the field... to the second Bryn chases him across the outfield at the conclusion of the game, is a dream come true. This experience as a whole, has just made my heart so full. So, even though we miss our Texas home, playoffs are still on the forefront of our minds. It is nerve-racking. It is exciting. It is our focus and being able to do it as a family is something we will never take for granted.
Seoul we love you. We love the people we have met here. We love that Bryn can play outside and instantly make friends without worries. I love that I can leave my back pack sitting in my seat at a game and never once worry if it is going to be stolen. We love the ease of food delivery! We love that there is coffee on every corner. We love that we can jump on a train and get anywhere we need to for basically a dollar. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a city girl. I never imagined living in a place with 25 million people. Maybe its because I love walking out on my back porch and seeing our cows in the pasture, I appreciate the extra space that our house provides compared to an apartment, or maybe its the fact that I have no patience for sitting in traffic and enjoy a good drive down a back road. But I guess if this year taught me anything, it is that it doesn't have to be one or the other... because this city has been different... and I love the culture here. It has its hard moments but this city holds a little bit of my heart, on the 29th floor, of our incredibly tall apartment building. My daughter learned so much here. Tyler and I learned so much here.
So we are blessed that it is still baseball season, but the glimmer of off season is exciting too. *When are we leaving?* Regular season is over and playoff season is surrounding us. *How far can we go?* Fall has officially hit here in Korea so even that season is changing and between the cold and the rain, *what do we wear?* All questions we ask everyday... and literally have no clue the answer to. This is our season of unknowns… and if you are looking for us, we are soaking it all in. We are appreciating ever single moment. We will be back in Texas before we know it... but for now, we appreciate that we still get to call South Korea our home.
*yes, I realize that I probably should have used baseball photos for this post... but family pics just came in and I couldn't help myself!
If you want the best photographer in SK, you gotta call Jennea: https://www.jennaelee.com You won't regret it!*