SPRING!

I don't think I've ever been quite as excited about a season change as I am about spring coming to Daejeon. Winter here was not as snowy or as cold as Iowa, but being apart from friends, family and the usual comforts made it seem longer and more dreary.

But! Spring has sprung--or is in the process of springing! The cherry blossoms are astonishingly white and beautiful. Grass is sprouting. Buds are opening up. Temperatures are rising, the sun is shining, and spirits are lifting. So what if people are rather unnecessarily freaked out about radioactive rain from Japan (scientists have assured us that we are safe)? So what if spring means the onset of yellow dust from China and the return of mosquitoes? I will welcome spring with open arms! Please enjoy some of my favorite pictures from the seasonal transformation.

Now, didn't that just make you a little happier? Happy Spring everybody!