Visiting Extended Family

In the truest sense of the word, extended family refers to those non immediate family members such as aunts, uncles or grandparents who live in or near the same household as the nuclear family. Therefore, “visiting extended family” is by definition, a bit incorrect. That being said, it is the best way I can think of to describe the relationship our family here in the U.S. works to maintain with our family in Korea. I have and always will consider them a close part of our extended family. Maintaining a strong relationship with the in-laws is never easy. It’s even harder when they are 8000 miles away!

This past weekend I dropped the wife and kids off at the airport for the long journey to Seoul, South Korea. I will join them soon and we will return together. It is our first trip to Korea since 2019. When we married, I made a pledge to my wife that we would visit at least every other year. Other than a couple of years with a global pandemic or poorly timed military deployment, I’ve been able to keep my promise. 

They say old friends and family can pick up right where they left off, as if they had never left. This is certainly the case with our extended family. When our family touches down in Seoul, it’s like we never left! After the hugs and warm welcome at the airport, there will be a lot of catching up to do from the past three years. Of course, we keep in touch long distance via email, text and phone, but nothing replaces the warmth of person-to-person interaction.

Unfortunately, my nephew who is close to my sons’ age will still be in school and my brother in laws won’t be able to take the whole four weeks off from work. But I’m confident we will have some good times. Most importantly, we’ll get to spend some time with my wife’s aging mother and father. They are happy just to see us in person and treat us like royalty when we are in town!

Of course, one can’t exactly spend four solid weeks engaging with family members. When not spending time with kin, we will be eating, shopping, touring and generally enjoying the awesomeness that is Seoul! This trip, we booked a hotel in Gangnam (yes, like the song) right in the center of it all for a few days. It’s nice to have teen boys that can enjoy the sights, sounds and food the city has to offer. Seems like just yesterday we were pushing them around Seoul in strollers!  

My wife and kids were very excited before they left, and I am looking forward to heading to what I consider my second home in a couple of weeks as well. There’s been a lot of things I haven’t gotten exactly right on our family’s journey through this life. However, I’m proud of the connection we’ve been able to maintain with our extended family over 8000 miles away and for over 20 years. My wife and I knew going into a multi-cultural, international marriage and family would present some challenges. I think we’ve done pretty well!

Our trip to Korea will fly by and before we know it, we’ll be getting back on the plane heading home. I’m confident though, the memories we’ll make this summer will last a lifetime for all of us. Certainly, a more meaningful summer vacation than the standard trip to the lake or beach. Our unique family dynamic gives “going to Grandma’s for the summer” a whole new dimension…and I wouldn’t trade anything for it!

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