On a cold winter evening of February 2020 my teenage daughter and I boarded a flight to Seoul. We were to visit my husband who had been working and living in South Korea for almost a year. It was a much needed time for our family.
Little did we know that this flight would change our lives for a long time. Within a week the Pandemic in South Korea reached its peak. Soon all national borders were closed. The Covid cases increased each day. Work got tougher for my husband who had to keep production going across sites. He was at work for really long hours. Our week long vacation turned into a no ticket back home situation. We were three people tucked away in a small service apartment in an equally small industrial town. It sure was a cold dark winter of 2020.
Help and smiles comes from unexpected places. A sign board outside a bar in Itaewon.
An American School in the neighborhood took my daughter mid-term in grade 9. She had her online classes to look forward to. The staff and children extended a warm welcome over the net and made her feel apart. In no time she had settled.
Now came the challenge to make this small serviced apartment feel like home. Before my husband left home my staff gave him a big bag of Amore Beaute goodies - handmade quilts, pillow covers, table cloth, tea towels. Each gave what they were best at. It was this love that brought in the warmth. I took it all out of boxes and draped the home. Yes, the serviced apartment is now our home. Home that has kept us safe with moments of fun and laughter.