Aloha all!
I am now fully settled back into life in Hawaii and finally have some time to sit down and reflect on the past semester spent in Seoul, South Korea. Needless to say, studying and living in Korea for these past four months was truly an amazing experience. And I would not have been able to do this without the generous help of Mr. Graeme Freeman and Mrs. Doreen Freeman. I can definitely say that this was the best time that I've had in my life. Every time I think back to the memories of living in Korea, it still feels unreal to me. I never would have dreamt that I would be able to live on my own in a foreign country for such an extended period of time. After living in Korea for so long, it really feels like my home away from home. Even now, I feel "homesick" when I think of Korea and all the wonderful people that I have met there (or it could just be the reverse culture shock speaking).
Although I miss practically everything about Korea, what I will miss the most is the group of lifelong friends I made there. Not only did I meet many Korean friends, I also met a large number of international friends. Although most of us are separated now, I am glad to know that I have friends all across the globe. This was a true "international" exchange experience as I got closer to my international friends and learned more about their countries. This experience gave me new interest and reason to travel to many other countries in the future.
After doing this exchange program, I feel that it has changed me in many ways. Not only have I learned many things throughout this trip, but I have also gotten to know myself a little bit better. This experience has molded me into a more independent and wiser person. I can now say that I succeeded in living on my own and taking care of myself in a foreign country. It has also taught me to fix what I don't like about myself and overcome my fears. One example is that I've always been a shy and timid person and I've always wanted to be more sociable around people. Being in a foreign country and not knowing anybody gave me the perfect opportunity to break out of my shell. Although I still and always will have my shy personality, I feel that I have improved and become a more well-rounded individual than I was before.
To wrap it all up, my semester in Korea was amazing, crazy, unforgettable, and definitely too short. If ever given another chance like this I would take it in a heartbeat. As I finish up my last semester at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I need to start thinking about jobs and my future career. Although many things are unclear at this point, one thing is for sure: I really fell in love with Korea while I was there and I am longing to go back as soon as possible. I don't know what the future may bring, but I hope it will allow me to find myself in Korea again.
No comments:
Post a Comment