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| Photo Credit: Olivia Ng (Thank you ♡) |
First of all, I would like to take this time to thank my loving, caring, hard working, generous Dad who has passed away on August 14th, 2016. May you rest in peace. You will never be forgotten and will always be missed. You were one of a kind and you cared very, very much for all of us. I'm happy that I got to hear you while I was in Japan. I'm very, very glad to hear from you that you were happy for me and for what I've accomplished. I've still got a very long way to go but thank you for believing and trusting me. I won't let you down.
It has been over a month (2 months now since re-editing this) since I've been back home from Korea and Japan, July 6th. It's been a very emotional, nerve-wrecking, and hectic the first few weeks of being home and running back and forth but I am slowly trying to get used to it again. Even though I looked so forward to finally coming back home, I didn't think that I will miss Korea so, so much. I especially miss hanging out with my friends, seeing them everyday, and eating together. Would it be weird to say that I actually miss walking around, taking the subways and buses in Korea? I've gained much weight from not being as active as I was and being plain lazy.
I've always wanted to travel to South Korea and it finally came true thanks to studying abroad. It may be because of the influence of Korean dramas & movies, music, k-pop stars or something else, but I am proud that I was able to travel across the world due to those reasons and interests. I am really proud that I was able to travel alone, live alone, study alone, and spend time traveling alone without my family (even though it would have been great for them to be there). I did miss them but maybe not as much as they missed my cooking *looking at you Alex.* It was only during family gatherings that I would miss going home so much.
It was the most awesome time of my life to be able to make choices without worrying about what my parents would think or without asking them first, or waking up late and staying up late on weekends to catch-up on my dramas, or to hangout with friends whenever I wanted, or going whenever I wanted, or staying up all night and waking up early to hike up to see the sunrise, or traveling for nights and having so much fun with my friends. It may seem like nothing to some people but it meant so, so much to me since I've never go the chance to those things. I felt a sense of freedom and independence but I also missed that part of my parents here and there while I was living in Korea. I liked that I challenged myself to go out of my comfort zone and speak to people I never knew I would. I loved that I was able to use Korean and practice it while I was going out. It greatly improved my listening skills and vocabulary. I liked that traveling was so inexpensive and easy that going anywhere would be possible.
--- BUT of course, I didn't really do any of these activities by myself. A BIG shout out to Shena for helping me and being there for me while I was in Korea. I found great friends *awesome friends* and people while I was in Korea. I know for sure that those girls changed who I was before I left for Korea about one year ago. It felt weird to not see any of then for the first week since we saw each other everyday. Watching them and spending time with them, I learned so much of what is important and what is not. I am very thankful for them and I miss them lots & lots & LOTS! I am so thankful for you girls who took care of me. It may seem that I didn't express myself much or said much but believe me, the past year was the most I have ever expressed myself, talked about myself, or did anything related to myself to friends. You girls are the most strongest and encouraging friends I never knew I would have.
Side note: I didn't make any new Korean friends. I did join clubs my first semester but my exchange partner didn't seem to be available or interested enough to speak with me. I also didn't make much of an effort to speak to many Korean students due to my personality. Korean students are also really into studying since Yonsei is one of the top 3 universities. I don't regret not making any new Korean friends since I was able to find ones who cares about me ---
Eating Korean food everyday was so great that I miss not getting to eat it everyday here in the state. I should have ate much, much more. The prices were so cheap and so delicious compared to here. It also seriously felt weird to be back and see so much diversity, and I mean so much diversity, that I felt I, myself, was a foreigner once again. I just felt so use to seeing Koreans around and so used to seeing study abroad students as "Korean Students" that it was a bit of a reverse culture shock. When I went to travel in Japan, I found myself answering yes in Korean rather than in English or in Japanese. It took about a week for me to change my habit of saying yes in Korean to yes in Japanese. I found myself bowing more when greeting someone or trying to get out of the way. I already kind of did this before leaving for Korea. I also found myself doing so much more that it would be hard to stop.
On the other hand, the culture shock I found when I was in Korea was the humidity. I hated it so much. It was horrible. But it's only for a few months that I experienced it. I was happy I didn't have to stay to experience it again. Because it was the summer, it's not rare to occasionally smell sewer water while walking down the street since the sewers are not that deep down. It may take a while, or never, to get used to it but it's manageable for me. It was also scary for the most part how motorcycles would drive onto sidewalks to avoid traffic or to do it just because no one is there to stop them. It was also scary to see buses running red lights just because there are no cars or pedestrians in sight. Or how crazy fast or crazy in general they drive to be on time. This also includes taxis. I mean, it's nice to be at your destination faster than usual but driving over the speed limit, waaaayyyy over, doesn't scream out safe to me. I was scared to death! It's also surprising to see different types of taxis that are available in Korea. At all cost, AVOID the black taxis. AVOID them, unless your rich and and afford those. Someone made the mistake of taking one from the airport and paid over $100 when they got to their dorms. It only cost $10 to take the bus from the airport to the front of the dorm or only about a total of $4 to take the subway. Either way, don't say that I never told you.
A cheaper alternative to hotels are Korean bath houses if you are staying or traveling for a few days. They have lockers provided and food is really cheap. It was a culture shock to see people walk completely naked in the bath area while I walk covering myself. It was fun to wear the clothes they provide and eat the eggs, drink the sweet rice drink, and food provided at the small shop. On a side note, DON'T hit yourself or others with the eggs because they are rock hard! Someone's going to get a bump or cry from being hit by those eggs. It seriously hurts... BUT, it doesn't hurt to try it once.
The most important part: Yonsei University. I really enjoyed my time at Yonsei University. During the beginning of the semester, the main entrance and around the school was being reconstructed but only in a few months was everything completed. It became so green and really pretty. Underwood, the back buildings, were especially beautiful with vines going up the buildings and the structure made it look even better, as you can see from the first picture. Classes were as difficult with as much reading and studying needed to be involved. Of course, all the classes I took were taught in English, except Korean Language. Unlike my friends and classmates who disliked, or hated, the structure of KLI (Korean Language Institute), I really enjoyed it. It was actually my favorite course at Yonsei. My most difficult class was Chinese Characters. I really thought I was going to fail that class, but I passed. Woohoo~~
Without a doubt, my experience in Korea changed my who I was and how I make my decisions. My friends especially had a huge, huge impact on how I view things. Thank you girls!
Living in Korea allowed me to experience a life that I would have never been able to experience if I stayed in Sacramento or attended Sac State alone. I'm thankful to my sisters, friends, and professors that encouraged my studying abroad. It was totally one of my long term goals that happened so quickly for me. Thank you all!!!
♡ Christina
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