My Life Will Never Be The Same

Upon moving to Korea in 2011, my mind was set to spend two years experiencing Korean culture, growing in my profession and loving on students in the name of Christ.  I had no idea what I would see, eat and learn.  No idea whether I would stay, move and learn another culture or go back home when my two-contract was finished.  However all that changed on November 11th when I answered one of the most important questions of my life.  Here is the story.

Peppero Day is a romantic couple-y holiday invented by an intelligent cookie company marketing team. The cookies are long skinny sticks covered in chocolate that look very similar to the number one.  Thus, Peppero Day is celebrated on 11-11 (November 11th).  My boyfriend, Josh, and I planned to visit our new favorite place, Cafe JisanDong, to celebrate this Valentine's Day substitute.

We ate a delicious dinner of marinara shrimp pasta, clam chowder and focaccia bread.   After our meal Josh had planned to take me on a walk, so when we finished dinner I made a quick stop to the restroom.  As I was walking across the restaurant to again join Josh, who was trying to discretely talk on the phone, the owner of the cafe stopped me and offered us complimentary dessert pancakes and tea.   In the short five or six weeks the cafe has been open, this night was my fourth visit.  The owner appreciated my frequency in her new business and wanted me to continue to spread good recommendations of the cafe to my other foreign friends.  (Shameless plug: Korea friends, you've got to go check this place out! One block east of Songtan Station.)  I enjoyed the apple pancakes and apple cinnamon tea which were not even on the menu at the time, but Josh was acting very nervous and in a hurry. We ate quickly and grabbed the first taxi we saw out to a park we both like.

Ichung Park is a very popular place for people to relax on beautiful evenings.  There is a fountain that is on during the summer time, fun lights throughout, a nice walking path and a large outdoor amphitheater.   Unfortunately it was a cold, Monday night at 8:30pm.  The park was empty besides a group of guys playing basketball. No fountains were on.  The yellow lights had an eerie glow.  Josh wasn't quite acting himself either.  He was constantly looking over his shoulder and walking me around in random circles.  The best word I know to describe the situation is creepy.

But I was with Josh; I knew I'd be safe.   I would follow him anywhere, even to a deserted park on a cold Monday night.  I could tell he had something planned and was very nervous.  I suspected this was going to be the time he was going to propose.  Five minutes after we arrived at the park, we 'happened' to run into his friend, Rob.  After Josh got something from Rob, we walked toward a lit area.  He stopped me, looked at me with a face full of nervousness and love, kissed me twice, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Immediately I said, "Yes!"

After our embrace, Rob approached us again saying, "Can you reenact that? It was too fast, I didn't get a picture."  We posed again to capture the special moment.  We quickly went back to Rob's car and he gave us a ride to my apartment.  Josh was still in a hurry; his plans weren't finished yet.

We got back to my place where he had 'adult peppero' (aka Royal Dansk Luxury Wafers with Chocolate Creme Filling) and all of our parents waiting on Skype.  It was already 9:00pm, but we both had so much adrenaline we spent two hours calling friends and family spreading the news.

At our faculty meeting the next morning I announced the news to my coworkers.  Shortly after, I went to the third floor where all the high schoolers hang out before the warning bell rings and announced my news as well.  A group of squealing middle school and freshman girls bombarded me to get a look at the ring.  When I told the story to my freshman Algebra 1 class, the girls hung on every word and again screamed when I got to, "...then he got down on one knee..." The boys on the other hand were interested to see a picture of him.  I showed them one Josh and I had taken over the summer where Josh is wearing a pair of aviators, and my students swore he looked just like Daniel Craig from James Bond.  At the end of class, my students covered my board phrases like, 'Future Mrs. Berard' and 'Love is on the board' and 'Miss Merritt loves Mr. Berard.' If you ever want someone to be super excited about your love life, seek out a group of freshman girls.  Their reaction was adorable and heart-warming.

Josh and I have enjoyed spreading the news to the rest of our friends and family this week.  We greatly appreciate the excited congratulations, kind words and wise advice.   One of the most common questions we are getting is: How are the logistics of an international military engagement and wedding going to work out?

Well here's the answer: I'm going to be with Josh.  I know what I'm going to do for the rest of my life, I'm going to be at his side and go where he goes. (Yes, there is a possibility that he would get deployed if he stays with the Air Force, and then I couldn't follow him.  Look at the big picture now though.)

Josh and I will be in St. Louis, Cincinnati and Naples, FL visiting over Christmas vacation.  In January, I will return to Korea to finish out the school year teaching and Josh will go to The Azores, an island 900 miles off the coast of Portugal, with the Air Force.  We will return to the States for a visit during summer 2014 and to get married, and then together head to The Azores.

Even though we don't have every detail of the rest of our lives planned out.  He is following God, and I'm following him.  I couldn't be more excited to see where our journey together takes us.