When we returned to Portland, Oregon from our Hawaii trip, it was time to say a heartfelt goodbye. 😦 Leaving our beloved Portland behind, we headed to Minneapolis, Minnesota to spend Thanksgiving with Sunil’s family. As we drove back to the Midwest, we passed dessert climate regions and reminisced of our experiences in the southwest at the beginning of the trip.
Minneapolis was cold, really really cold. It was certainly a change from the west coast weather. However, Thanksgiving dinner and visiting family filled us with lots of love. Sunil’s mother, Linda, cooked us a fabulous dinner, including her famous pecan pie! Thanks Linda for cooking such a great meal!
While in Minneapolis, I had two missions to accomplish: running the Mustache half marathon along the Mississippi river and passing a small actuarial exam. I trained by running along Minnehaha lake. It was cold, but it prepared me for the cold wind on race day! Linda and Sunil cheered me along the course and Sunil’s brother’s family met us at the finish line, with Stella and Sydney proudly displaying home-made signs! It was an incredible feeling to get back to running again after such a long break from past marathons. Thanks Sunil for all the support and encouragement! I hope to run many more races in the years to come!
We also checked out a several local events. We went to a holiday outdoor festival that featured local food vendors and craft beers. We were amazed by the brave cold blooded Minnesotans who didn’t even wear gloves and hats in freezing weather! We also went for a pottery date. Working with wheel was challenging and required a lot of patience. After several attempts, we ended up with one cereal bowl and the other yogurt bowl with our names engraved.
By the time I passed the small actuarial exam, it was time to pack our stuff and get ready for the grand finale of our year-long adventure – a three week long trip to Korea!
SooJin & Sunil 