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So, I went to Korea this summer. That really happened. Can't wrap my brain around it sometimes.

I went with my brother and sister-in-law in order to document the adoption of their youngest son, who is now home with the family and he's amazing/smart/funny/strong/amazing/daring and did I mention amazing? I could wax poetic at length about him and how thankful I am that his parents were willing to let me tag along and get to experience it with them firsthand. I am so thankful.

I wish I could post the photos I've taken of him, because honestly, they're my best work from the trip, but wanting to avoid any complications with the governments involved, we can't really post images of him until everything is finalized. So, instead, I'm going to show you all some of my favorite images of the rest of the trip. Starting with this one.

This was taken at Gyeongbokgung Palace in the heart of Seoul, built in 1364. Translated to English, the name of the palace means "Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven." We watched the ceremonial changing of the guard here-- well worth it, if you're ever in the area! If you're interested, you can check out the Palace's wikipedia entry here.

The palace was absolutely packed with crowds, which can make grabbing "clean" images a bit difficult. This is one time when my tendency not to get shots of entire rooms/scenes comes in handy! I loved these old carved-stone "guardians" along all the pathways. I just waited for one to line up with the gorgeous colors of the building in the background, got to a low vantage point and shot away.