A chilly October evening, there was a reunion of two childhood friends in the courts of Gyeongbok Palace.

She and I go back to the awkward pre-pubescent days of fifth grade, when gelly roll pens and passing notes were "in". But our relationship went deeper that that; we shared the unique experiences that you can only relate to if you too are a transcontinental family.

This reunion was majestic in more ways than one - not only because of the setting (where the royals of the past once resided) but because she brought a partner along, her new fiance. We celebrated in shrieks and jumps of joy and then formal introductions were quickly followed by cracks of jokes and falls to the floor.

We moseyed around under the night sky, periodically stopping for photo-ops. We marveled at the light, ambient and accent and the reflections of the magnificent structures they cast in the pools of water. "The Night at Gyeongbok Palace" was topped off with musical performances in both modern and traditional Korean fashion. The vibrant, vivid colors of hanbok captivated our attention; synchronized drumbeats echoed in the chambers of our hearts and called us forth to further love this motherland of ours.