The vacay

I said I would write a bit about DH's brother's wedding and our vacation.  Now that I sit down to do so, I find I have nothing much to say.  The wedding was fine.  Fine, haha.  It was very quickly planned (6 weeks I think), so it was pretty ordinary.  It was the fastest wedding I've ever been to (started at 3pm, reception finished at 7pm).  I guess that is the way it is with Korean weddings.  It wasn't traditionally Korean, but mostly attended by Koreans, who aren't into dancing or partying...they just eat the meal and leave.  I got to meet all of DH's aunts.  His mother has 4 sisters (5 girls in the family), and I've only ever met one of them.  That was the big deal for the weekend.  I felt a pressure to look great, and act right, but it went completely fine and they loved me.  The only bad thing about the weekend was that DH was exhausted by the end.  He was the best man and was helping out the whole time, driving back and forth, doing errands, and keeping his brother sane.

By the time we arrived in Tofino for our vacation, he was spent!  So much that he had a huge meltdown, of which I am still reeling from the effects.  DH has always had trouble with his identity.  Being second-generation Korean has left him feeling not fully Canadian, yet not fully Korean either.  He is also not your typical "pastor" either.  He is a musician/artist, loves cutting edge bands, dresses in style, and watches controversial movies.  He has never fully fit with the pastoral image.  Anyways, why am I writing this all again?  Oh, because he has been asked to take on more responsibility at the church.  They want him to be the lead preaching pastor, which he is really good at and enjoys (he is such an entertainer and great at public speaking).  However this request has left him questioning whether he really wants to devote his life to being a pastor... He worries that he will have to forsake his other dreams in life.  He worries about having regrets. 

So, as much as tried to "rest" during our vacation (and we did!), our thoughts were still consumed by the decisions ahead of us:
- Should he take on this role, or should he quit pastoral work to try his hand at something else? 
- If something else, what would that be?
- If we didn't stay at the church, that would mean selling our house and moving, which would be tough in this economy.  This town is just too small for him to find other fulfilling work?
- I've just started this new job (only a 4 month contract).  I'm trying to wrap my head around it all.  And what will I do after it is over?
- We are scheduled to have an international student (or two) moving in sometime this month.  Welcome to the craziness!!!
- What are we going to do about pursuing a family??? 

It was really good that we took a break at the end of our trip.  I just feel like nothing got resolved.  When an issue comes up, I want to resolve it, not just talk about it and leave it hanging.  I like to tie up loose ends.  Plus, DH's meltdowns are pretty legendary.  He really doesn't have a handle on appropriate expression of his emotions sometimes.  At least that's my viewpoint, haha.  I am the opposite, however, and don't like to express some negative emotions (anger, frustration).  We really need to better learn how to deal with each other in these heightened situations. 

Anyways, here are a few pictures of the week.  Thanks for listening to my long-winded thoughts!

Us at the wedding

The beach we stayed at

Long Beach, Tofino

Long Beach, Tofino (in the morning)

Sunrise - Long Beach, Tofino

 Have I convinced you to visit Vancouver Island yet????