For Christmas, my Mom asked me to make her a list of things I'll never take for granted again, once I return to America. However, I'm posting it now since I come across weird things on a daily basis, so I KNOW there will be a "Part two." Without further ado, here are 5 things I'll never take for granted again: 1. Sandwiches without corn in them.Allow me to say that one more time for the people in the back. THEY PUT CORN IN ALL THEIR SANDWICHES. Now, even if you are an avid corn-eater, you don't know true disappointment until you have to literally SEARCH for a corn-less roast beef, chicken or even ham sandwich. I'm not saying that corn-less sandwiches don't exist in Korea, I'm simply stating that ever since coming here, every cafe and convenience store I walk into has offered nothing other than the above- mentioned atrocity. So, needless to say, I've given up my hunt for that basic American-style 'wich, for the time being. 2. Long Bath Towels.Everyone knows that when packing for a long trip, you only take the bare essentials, and buy everything else you need, after reaching your destination. Well, since my luggage also had to be under a certain weight, I didn't think of bringing a bath towel with me! Much to my dismay, I discovered that Korean people use, what I would lovingly refer to as a handkerchief, to dry themselves off after a shower. Let's just say that my first couple showers required lots of... patience... that is, before I finally found a store that sold a beach towel! 3. Going to the bathroom without having to check behind the toilet for a cat.Now... I just want to preface this by saying that I've never SEEN so many cats roaming around in one place, before coming to Daegu University. It's so strange. The cats especially like to hang out near the bars, because drunk college kids are more likely to feed them. Anyways, back to the story! So, when I say that my school has an "open- door- policy," most people would think I mean something different than what it actually is. I mean, a LITERAL open- door- policy. Like, the outside door of our school is always open. Which, for those of you who may not have put 1 plus 1 together yet, this means the cats can easily get into our school buildings. Long story short: I went to the bathroom, with a cat laying behind the toilet the entire time, and only realized it's presence when we made eye contact as I reached for the flusher. Going to the bathroom with a cat in your stall can really change a person. It was very strange. I will never be the same. 4. Toilet paper inside the stall.Going along with the bathroom theme, I will never again take for granted toilet paper being IN the bathroom stalls. In Korea, there is ONE toilet paper dispenser, located on the wall outside of the stalls, for everyone to share. It goes without saying that I am STILL constantly forgetting to grab it before I enter the stall. Trust me... forgetting this one, does not make for an ideal situation. 5. English.This one actually surprised me! I have been trying to learn Korean for almost 3 years now and have such a passion for the language that I am constantly trying to practice and hone my skills. I have even gone outside my comfort zone and joined a couple clubs on campus to make more Korean friends and further increase my comprehension of the language. It's even gone so far as my Iranian friend (who speaks fluent English) telling me that she hears me speak Korean so often, when I speak English, it sounds more like a foreign language! All of that being said, at the end of the day, I still miss my native language a lot more than I ever thought I would. In fact, I almost burst into tears of joy last week, when a young boy at my church came up to me to ask if he could practice speaking to me in English sometimes. I simultaneously felt so proud of my ability to speak my language and also so proud of this boy for showing an interest in learning it. I'll be looking forward to having a weekly conversation with my new little friend. But little does he know, that I will benefit just as much as he will.
Thanks for reading! Love always, Gwen
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Hello everyone! I'd like to preface this post by saying that it was the most difficult thing I've ever done, to say goodbye to all of my family and friends, and venture off to an unfamiliar place. It can be extremely difficult to disconnect yourself from everything normal and comfortable to you, but once you have ripped off the band-aid and said your last 'goodbyes,' the world is yours to explore! For those reading this post that may be considering going abroad, for an extended period of time, I'd like to allow you inside of my brain for a bit- But be careful! There are most definitely cobwebs in there! ...You've been warned. So, without further ado, here are 5 Things to do Before Leaving your Family and Friends, (that will also make leaving a little easier): NUMBER ONE- Talk to people who have been abroad, before you go! They know EXACTLY what you are feeling and can offer some comfort to you, before you embark on your journey. It may even be a good idea to write down some things you want to ask them. In my case, before I left, I spoke to my friends Sooyeon (from Korea) and Naeem (from Pakistan), who had just studied at my American University. They were both beyond helpful, in terms of my mental preparation for leaving my home-sweet-home. As small of a task as this may seem, the amount of wisdom and comfort you will receive from this simple phone/video call, is invaluable. Those less than 30 minute face-time chats, with people who had experienced all of the emotions I was feeling, were pivotal in putting my mind at ease about going to a place where everything in my life would soon become very foreign to me. My friends reminded me that despite the inevitable pain in my chest I will feel from missing my family and friends back home, I will also be gaining a lifetime- worth of global experience and fantastic memories that, a year from now, I won't want to trade for anything. NUMBER TWO- Have a going away party! This was something that I honestly didn't know how much I needed. I just thought "Oh, it might be nice to see some friends before I, ya know, completely drop off of their frame of reference." But, when the day came, it was SO great to have so many familiar faces there to wish me well on my newest adventure! Plus... some people even show up like wise men, bearing gifts (and also cash). So that's just an added bonus! ;) It also helps give a sort of "closure" to both you and your friends, who won't be able to see each other again for a while. NUMBER THREE- Be spontaneous with your family on your last night! Okay. Anybody who knows me, knows that I'm obsessed with my two little brothers... but like, in a totally healthy, non- creepy way! So, on my last night in the U.S., I heard my brothers both giggling from inside the younger ones' room. Now, although giggling is usually a good thing, those of you with younger siblings knows that this sound can only mean one thing: They are plotting something. Most likely involving a way to make you embarrass yourself. So me, being the intellectual human being that I (sometimes) am, tried to avoid that room at all costs... until I couldn't any longer. I tried to creep up the stairs, past my little brother's room, but he SWUNG open the door and screamed "RANDOM DANCE PARTY" at me, as he dragged me by the arm into his room. I laughed so hard that night I was crying... but not just from the laughter. I realized something, while videotaping my younger brother attempting to "twerk" on my middle brother: 1. Ew... 2. I did not envy my middle brother in that moment. But also, 3. I was really gonna miss them. So, that was a really long- winded way of saying: Do something WEIRD your last night with your family. Have a "Random dance party," in Club Little Brother, with his $10 Bluetooth speaker. I promise, you will laugh until you pee... and then laugh some more. (TMI? ...Sorry!) And now... please enjoy some clips from the dancing that my little brothers will most definitely kill me for releasing onto the internet:
NUMBER FOUR- Realize that your friends and family will move on with their lives when you are gone. *cue dramatic voice* "What light from yonder window breaks. It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun." -Romeo and Juliet (1597). What a load of bologna. As much as you and I may think we are the center of everyone's universe, that could not be further from the truth. Of course, all of your friends and family will love and miss you when you're gone... But! The sooner you realize that their lives will continue on, the better. This was actually a very hard realization for me, because I still wanted to go to all the sporting events, new movies and even out to dinner with my family- but I can't... unless they'll allow me to be 22 hours late to supper, that is. Since I've been in Korea, even scrolling through Facebook has become a bittersweet activity. On the one hand, it makes me so happy to see all of the familiar faces from home, smiling next to some newly- acquired car keys, new job uniforms or new pets. On the other hand, knowing they are all moving on while I am still in the very uncomfortable and lonely beginning stages of being by myself in a foreign place, puts a great deal of longing on my heart. So, in short, you will have incredible experiences abroad, and so will your family and friends at home! Make sure to keep in touch with them and use their love and support to propel you into your wide- open potential! You've got this! NUMBER FIVE- Start a blog! haha Of course this one has to be on here, right?? As you hop from adventure to adventure (while somehow sneaking food in every now and then), it's going to become WAY too difficult to remember which social media accounts, relatives and strange passersby that you have updated about your journey! This way, you can make sure all of your experiences are documented in one place, that you can look back on whenever you're feeling sentimental. Plus, did I mention it's FREE?? You can update your family and friends at the SAME time, while causing minimal stress for yourself! Isn't technology wonderful?
But also, keeping a journal/other form of records for your travels is always a good idea! It will be a refreshing way to organize your thoughts, by sitting down once or twice a week, and just writing. ALRIGHT!!! That's all for now! I sincerely hope you enjoyed this blog post! Please enjoy browsing through the rest of my website to learn more about Korea and check back soon for another life update! Love always, Gwen AuthorGwen Allen is a college student currently taking International Studies and Business courses at Daegu University in South Korea. Gwen is passionate about bringing the world closer together and loves introducing people to Korean language and culture. She tries her best to go through life without falling on her face. Sometimes it works. ArchivesCategories |