what does love mean to you: chelsea style

i promised you guys a treat today & here it is! meet chelsea & jeremy. they are a gorgeous couple who packed up their lives & moved to korea. koreeeea! {maybe i'm more blown away by that than you}. chelsea's also the one that does those Travel Tuesdays posts with beautiful pictures, along with some of the most inspirational quotes, that are supposed to "cure" my wanderlust but in reality it fuels it! for example, these are some of my favorites: 1 // 2 // 3

the fact that they live abroad is one of the many reasons why i asked her to be a part of this months series on love. moving can be a taxing thing on any relationship, but moving to an entirely new country as newlyweds -- i can't imagine the emotions. chelsea talks about how living abroad has shaped all forms of love in her life -- her love for jeremy, her Creator, family, & friends. 

enjoy!

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Hey there! I'm Chelsea and I blog over at Lost in Travels. After my man and I got hitched two years ago, we started getting cold sweats every time we even thought about ‘settling down’ in our hometown. We wanted to do something out of the ordinary, something adventurous. We wanted to spend our lives traveling the globe. So what did we do? Sold all of our belongings that wouldn’t fit in two 50-pound bags and took the first flight to South Korea to teach English to snot nosed adorable little kids and never looked back!

As you can imagine, living abroad can either be a blessing or a curse for a couple. In my eyes, it's the exact opposite of long distance dating. Before we were married, we spent the first ten months of our relationship long distance, on opposite ends of the country. We hardly saw each other, only talked on the phone, and heavily relied on the presence of family and friends for support and advice.

Once we moved overseas, it was quite the opposite. Starting out we were working at the same school which meant seeing each other 24/7 in the most literal way possible. Knowing very few people, we were our own support system. In addition to that, the time difference of being 15 hours ahead of our home town made it difficult to just pick up the phone and call people closest to us. We were told by friends who had paved the way for us in Korea that living abroad was the best thing they ever did for their marriage, they had grown closer together than they had ever imagined. I wish I could say that as soon as we touched Korean soil, it was marital bliss. But that would be far from the truth. The first few months were hard; in addition to trying to get used to everything new in our lives (new career path, new language, new food, the list is endless) we were also still adjusting to married life since we moved just four short months after tying the knot. I remember thinking at one point 'I thought living abroad was supposed to be easier!' Thankfully, after a few months of being in Korea, it clicked. We grew accustomed to the new culture around us and more importantly, we grew together, worked together and began reaping the benefits of living abroad as a married couple.

As hard as it can be living away from family, friends and virtually anything familiar, we have found the benefits far outweigh the hardships that we have encountered from living abroad. Here's how I've personally experience love overseas:

Marriage: While becoming our only friends overnight, in a strange land, were we lived, worked, ate and socialized together 24/7 was a challenge at first, it has turned into one of the biggest blessings I've ever had. Not only did we have more time to spend with each other than we ever did in the states but we were also our only support system for the first part of living overseas. Back in the states I had the bad habit of calling a friend or my sister when we had a fight. In Korea, I didn't have that option. It forced us to sit down and figure it out completely on our own, and quickly. Because who wants to be mad at their only friend for too long? We learned quickly how to rely completely on each other and I don't know of any situation where that would have happened for us if we lived stateside. Living abroad has taught us to love in a completely different way than I ever thought possible and I am eternally grateful for that.

God: We went to a large church back in the states and I never even thought of ever going to a smaller one. That is until we walked through the door of a local foreign church in Korea, made up of about 30 members, and felt right at home. I can honestly say that I have never been so challenged, motivated or inspired by a group of individuals before. Who knew that it would take a move to Korea for me to feel the closest to God?

Traveling: It's no secret that we have had the 'travel bug' from early on in our marriage. But the love for traveling, experiencing new cultures and meeting new people has never been stronger than it has been living overseas. We're constantly scheming on where to go next and how we can go to more places. More than that though, it's a love for people that has grown from living here. Experiencing different cultures has made us think more about the people around us, has made us understand the world better and has opened our hearts and minds to this big world around us that we so desperately want to see all of.

Thanks so much for having me Laurie! Be sure to stop by the blog or twitter (lost_in_travels) and say hi! I would love to meet you!

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be sure to stop by & say hello to chelsea, the inspiring traveler/teacher/beauty queen/sweet friend.

blog // twitter

the other posts in the love series can be found here, here, & here. thank you to all the wonderful ladies who were a part of this series. it's funny how similar, yet very different love is for from one person to the next. y'alls perspectives were greatly enjoyed. i loved having you all!

now, hello march!

what does love mean to you: kellene style

meet kellene! she's a crafty chick that can cook & has an awesome sense of style. & you'll notice her red hair. i mean, can it get anymore more gorgeous?! she blogs over at this lovely little day. her blog focuses on the things she loves. & speaking of love, she's been asked to be a part of this month's series on love. kellene has a different perspective of love that probably many of you share with her, but also several of you don't. so, meet kellene & enjoy what she has to say about love.

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When Laurie asked me to write a post for her series of guest bloggers on 'love' I was really surprised at first. Anyone who reads my blog knows that romantic relationships are rarely something that come up... Actually, I don't think I have ever written anything about my romantic life on my blog. Don't get me wrong, I adore romance and love in all of its many forms, but I am in a very "transitional" point in my life right now and although I have kissed a boy or two this year, a relationship just isn't on my "to-do" list.

That doesn't mean I don't have love to share though, and I think that is exactly what Laurie thought too when she contacted me! In fact, I spend a great deal of my days thinking about love, just not the romantic love that we all have on our minds this time of year. {Side note: **Don't be fooled, I do a fair share of daydreaming about being swept off my feet by some European dreamboat or sensitive soul who loves the great outdoors... but that is not the point of this post. ;) }

This is me, Kellene Elise, from This Lovely Little Day :)

Being single gives me time to focus my love on the people that are around me all the time, the people that may get forgotten come Valentine's Day. First of all, my family. I have a Mom who believes in everything I do no matter how off the wall it may be, and a Dad that would give anything to make sure his little girl is happy, and a brother who I can easily call one of my best friends. How could I not be thankful for a crowd like that to come home to?! My brother will take my call anytime of day {usually after 1am} just to listen to me talk about boy problems, work stress, or about how I don't fit in in Kansas...

Amelia looking out the window on our way home from Wichita,.

Speaking of my brief adventure in Wichita, that was when I adopted my little baby girl, sweet Amelia. My parents had rescued our greyhounds Tucker and Parker shortly before I left and I was feeling quite lonely in my apartment down there. And I was constantly thinking about how I missed the pups at home! I knew I needed a pet, so to the Kansas Humane Society I went! I only went to look but as soon as I saw Amelia and held her I knew that I couldn't leave that day without her. And we've been inseparable every day since.

Cuddling with Amelia

Wynnie and I getting sushi in the summer... One of our favorite things!

Maybe the most powerful kind of love I experience everyday is the love of my friends though. When I think of my best friends, my college roommates Abby and Wynnie are the first to come to mind. When Wynnie graduated she moved to China with her boyfriend and taught preschool for a year. Every time we video chatted it was like she was right there and everything was the same! And Abby is amazing. When I decided to move back to Michigan, Abby took a half day at work, got on a plane, flew 1000 miles down to Wichita, and helped Amelia and I pack up our life, and drive 19 hours home. If that isn't love than I don't know what is! I literally cried in the airport when I saw her!

Abby and I in our roomie days!

I will admit that I can't wait for the day when I find someone to share my life with. We'll be parents to lovable dogs {and Amelia!} and there will always be someone around to eat all of the sweets I am constantly baking! But for now I am loving my friends, my pets, my family... and leaving cupcakes in the kitchen every week for my 3 male roommates. Not a bad life. And certainly overflowing with love. :)

Wishing you all a lovely little day!
xoKellene

Kellene's favorite quote.

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after she emailed me her post, i immediately replied back telling her it was perfect & i love it! i knew her perspective would be appreciated. you always hear about "love" in its most romantic forms, but her forms of love are the easiest for people to obtain, yet we rarely hear about it. i guess it's because those forms of love are thought as being "boring" & romantic love as more exciting. true true. but i love how kellene shows that she doesn't need romantic love right now. that she has all the love in the world right next to & all around her. thank you so much for sharing, my hot red-headed friend.

be sure to get to know & follow along with kellene:

blog // instagram // pinterest // twitter // facebook // shop

happy valentine's day + what does love mean to you: caroline style

happy valentine's day lovers! M's always been the romantic in this relationship. so, when i woke up this morning i knew there would be some homemade husband valentine gift waiting for me. & sure enough there was -- an "I LOVE YOU" sign made out of sticky notes on our sliding doors. daw. & all i got him was a pair of shaved legs.

i have a special treat for all of you. meet caroline. for those who don't know her & clayton, prepare to be swept off your feet. i've been an avid follower/reader/student for a while & there's probably nobody better than caroline herself to talk to you about love on this specific holiday. you'll immediately understand why i asked her to be a part of this month's love series. she's such doll. enjoy!

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Happy Valentines Day!! My name is Caroline & I blog over at jcaro.com. This past May I married my husband Clayton. He's my absolute favorite person on this earth, & through our time of dating & now 8 months marriage I've come to know love in a deeper way than I ever knew possible.

I will go on a “Valentine’s Day Date” with Clayton. If you spend any time on my blog, you know he's my best friend & I treasure him more than anything here on this earth. He sees my ups; he sees my downs & loves me all the more. I laugh the hardest when I'm with him; I feel the safest with him, and I probably make fun of him more than anyone else. it's mutual.

When it comes to sappy, I am the queen. I love cheesy romantic gestures. I love Clayton's notes, surprises, & flowers. I treasure the hours spent helping my brother make a Valentine’s Word Search for his first girlfriend. I loved secret admirers and quirky gift exchanges. I love holidays, I love flowers just like every girl, and I love love.

But, the problem with Valentine’s Day is far too many people leave the day feeling unloved—both those in relationships and those who are single.

It’s not the day’s fault. We should celebrate the one we’ve committed our lives to and the one we're going to spend forever with. We should set time aside for the warm, sentimental moments that make our heart race. We need to celebrate our partner because in the next week they are probably going to drive us up the wall, lead us to tears, or make us question our own sanity as we stomp out of the room. But, we don’t dwell on the latter reality. It is the warm, sappy moments that we—especially young women—envision and crave. We picture candle lit dinners, petals on the floor, classical music mysteriously coming out of the walls {or, whatever other cliché picture comes to mind when you think of a romantic Valentine’s Day}.

The problem is these expectations are unattainable.

Clayton is the sweetest. He still makes my heart jump sometimes; I want to spend any free time with him. He's selfless & makes me want to love the Lord more. & he serves me so well {it's midnight & he just spent the last hour revamping my resume for me, that's love!} even though he's all those things, we don't live in a scripted Hollywood romantic comedy. The expectations from culture simply aren't attainable {nor should they be the goal} when we are two very human people without makeup artists, scripts with the cutest of lines, & a soundtrack to go with our lives. Love might have flowers & chocolate, but true love really is...

• something beyond feeling; it's commitment that says whether I like you or not today, I love you. I choose you over & over & over again
• it's swallowing a good comeback because you realize that unity is better than winning
• it's learning to communicate without holding up defenses
• it's hearing criticism and realizing it comes from a place of edification
• it's about... it not being about you.

... true love is work. I cried at every birthday party all through elementary school. My tears came with such clockwork that my mom applauded me the first year I didn’t cry. I would wait so long for my party and the anticipation would build for the best night of the year to celebrate ME. When it came and didn’t live up to the Mary-Kate and Ashley hype in my mind, I cried. I think that’s a bit like Valentine’s Day. For some who are single, Valentine’s Day has evolved into a focus on what is missing for idealized, romantic moments. For those in relationships, the expectation for those same idealized, romantic moments remains unmet... because we don’t live in a movie.

These expectations don’t lead to love. They inevitably lead to being let down.

I challenge you to align your expectations with reality and remember what Valentine's Day is really about. Valentine’s Day is an excuse to buy chocolate for yourself and friends. It’s a reminder to love and cherish those around you. It's a reminder for me to convey the love I already have welling up within me for Clayton. It is not a reminder you are single. It is not a reminder that your spouse isn’t romantic. It’s not a reminder you don’t have much money or that you have to work too much. It’s a happy and simple thing. It’s a random Thursday with chocolate & a reason to show love yourself. Let anything beyond surprise you—not be the expectation.

Share some love instead of calculating what's coming your way. I guarantee that's the purest form of love. Pure, selfless love.

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i told you, she's fabulous, right? & together, she & clayton are a great team. 

you can find her here:  blog// twitter// instagram 

happy valentine's day! go express some love!

ps -- happy birthday to our teenager, maggie. 13 is a milestone! 

friday's letters {11}

dear shannon thanks for being a part of my love series. it's always nice to read & see others who express love in so many beautiful ways. i hope to have that shiny love-glow that you wear everyday & hope to pass it on to my children as you have done with your charming son. 

dear sewing machine you have been the bane of my existence. every time i think i have it right, it all goes wrong. so, CALLING ALL YOU SUPER WOMEN out there! please show me your skilled ways with a sewing machine. being half-asian you would think my fingers would be nimble & i would be naturally meticulous, but i guess being raised by a south-alabama-ian belle negates my asian genes. thanks mom.

dear katie did what i LOVED your Bachelor quotes this week. they had me rolling. tell your boys to keep up the good work ;)

dear valentine's day i'm so excited about you. there's still lots i need to do in order to prepare for your epic night.

dear kia commercial you were probably my favorite super bowl commercial this year. you know, the one where the dad is explaining to his son where babies come from. how cool would it be if it were true? i like the idea of mini astronaut babies & animals traveling to earth to their mommies & daddies. CUTE.

dear home internet it's about time you start working again. going on three whole days without you is something from a horror movie. didn't see that one? must have just been me then. without my phone's hotspot i would probably be dead at the starbuck's down the street. 

have a fabulous weekend!

what does love mean to you: shannon style

this month i want to focus on love. duh! obviously, because it's february. specifically, what does LOVE mean to you. is love a feeling? or is it behaviors? how is your love different towards your spouse versus your siblings or pet? simply, what is love to you?

this month i will have four awesome bloggers who want to tell you all about what love means to them. so without further ado, meet shannon. she's a woman of many talents. she's a wife, mother, home school teacher to her son, God follower, & an inspirational blogger. her blog is focused on the love for her family, her faith, & simply the things that inspire her. she's an amazing woman & when you read what she writes, you find yourself being able to relate with her. i follow her on instgram & i love seeing the images of her son -- he's such a ham! you can easily see & feel the love radiating from her & her family. she's the first in the series to share with you what love means to her. enjoy.

Hello, hello!

I'm Shannon...A.K.A that girl who likes to talk about love a lot on her own blog!

Recently while I was preparing a blog post, I started to see that a theme within my writing
was occurring. I was writing & thinking about love way more than ever in my life!
I mean I thought love was cool and all, but I never really realized up until recently
 how truly powerful and important love really is!

 {hey, I'm late to catch on to things sometimes!}

So when Laurie, who by the way I think is pretty much AWESOME asked
 me if I would share a bit about what love means to me, I was so excited to do that!

It is the most beautiful thing we can give to another and to ourselves.

It's the ultimate design of how we are to encounter one another. 

I personally am totally blessed in the love department!

I have to say first that the love I have from Jesus is crazy awesome!
He is my newest love affair and I have recently found out that I have always been his!
The love I receive from him brings peace to me on those days when GASP! I'm not perfect.
His love reminds me that it's ok and encourages me to try once again where I have failed.
He is the constant in my life and for that love I am truly grateful!

I'm also married to this crazy guy!

This guy shows me that love is fun! He shows me that love is exciting!
He and I just celebrated 6 married years together and wow, oh wow has it been crazy,
 tough, eye opening, beautiful, fun, and everything in between!
Through it all he and I still are in a love affair! I love this guy like crazy and I'm pretty
sure he likes me too!

He blesses me with surprises, romantic dates and all that mushy girl stuff every so often.
Through our relationship I have learned that love isn't always easy, but it's always beautiful.
 That whole thing you might have heard about "love is a verb, you DO love" it's true.
 You love even when you don't feel like loving...But guess what, by doing that your heart
ends up growing, and your love becomes deeper and your spouse feels loved unconditionally...
so it's a pretty good deal!

I'm also the mother of this amazing, crazy child!

Ahhh, I could probably go on for days as I tell you what getting to love this boy
does for my heart and also being loved by this boy does to my heart! This boy
is special, like truly special. He is 100% boy and 100% tender all at the same time.
Jayden shows me that  love is tender, love is cuddles, love is a smile,
 love is time together, and recently that love is forgiveness. 

And finally, what happens when you put all this together?

You get a beautiful,crazy, fun, loving family and a blessed life!

If you'd like to see more of this madness and read more of my thoughts you can find them at:

BLOG//TWITTER//FACEBOOK//INSTAGRAM

i hope you enjoyed that as much as i did. it's obvious that she has a huge heart & an immense amount of pure love for her family & God. this love in evident in all areas of her life & i think that's something i know i'm working on in my life. i want that "love glow" that she has.  check her out at Imperfectly Perfect Grace & be touched.

& share what love means to you. i would love to know!!!
xoxo