The Day of Independence

The morning of Independence Day was a very nice and relaxing morning compared to how busy we were the day before. We were able to tidy up around the house and get ready for the festivities which would ensue. A major part of the day was the Liberty Festival. Heather and her family spent a lot of time hyping up how cool this was supposed to be so I was getting worried that it would end up being disappointing. The part that they were most excited about was the Taikwando presentation; they talked about how the athletes could jump so high in the air and kick boards with ease but I'd have to see it with my own eyes. 

Little A, with her new black belt, would join with the rest of the class in a part of the presentation and she'd have a chance to break her own board. When we went to the practice, Monster, who frequently participated in Little A's class, was allowed to join and he was even given his own uniform! Heather and Kevin just knew it would be impossible to get him to wear anything else ever again now that he had this treasure. 

The first thing we saw when we arrived at the Liberty Fest was Spiderman. Monster really likes super heroes as a whole; sometimes he will only talk like Batman. But seeing Spiderman, in person, was the most incredible thing. When Spiderman left to battle crime, Monster was bummed out but he seemed to understand Spiderman's responsibilities.

The taikwando performance was put on by elite athletes and my jaw dropped to the ground when I saw them. Pictures just don't do it justice! I'm glad Kevin was able to get a few good videos of it. The athletes were breaking boards left and right! There was a segment where a blindfolded athlete would hear a bell near where the board was being held up and the athlete would be able to break the board without seeing it. How crazy! Little A's teacher was able to break two bricks just with the side of his hand. WOW!

Something that I don't think I ever got used to seeing was these massive planes everywhere. I could hear them all the time if I couldn't see them.

We left the Liberty Festival to get some dinner and on the way back to the festivities, Monster seemed super ready to celebrate America's independence.

I typically don't like fireworks, but these were really cool (and pretty far away). It was an unforgettable experience to celebrate Independence Day on a US Air Force Base not too far away from North Korea. I hope they got to see the fireworks too.