Guess it’s time to wrap up these updates!
The past three months felt like forever but also like they went by in the blink of an eye.
I’m back in NZ now, savouring the last few days of warm weather before it gets cold again. I say that, but it has just started raining pretty heavily (and suddenly?!) outside.
The last week in Korea was so hectic. Everyone on the programme probably also felt the same way, but to list a couple of things that needed to be done in the span of the last seven days:
- Study for two days of final exams.
- Finish getting gifts and souvenirs.
- Pack the suitcase.
- Get another suitcase as all the stuff didn’t fit into one.
- Say goodbye to friends.
- Clean the room and check out of the dorm.
And all while having class up until the day before our flight back.
The past few months have been a rollercoaster with many fun new experiences, but not without its bouts of homesickness. That being said, I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity to live and study in South Korea, vastly improve my language skills, and meet new friends from other countries. While I may not live in South Korea again, it’s definitely a place I would visit again in the future. I didn’t expect to feel much culture shock but experiencing it helped me to understand myself, the way I see others, and the world around me in a more comprehensive way. Especially with my attempts at journalling consistently, along with the occasional blog, I’ve been able to record my experiences in a way that I’ve been able to look back and reflect on daily. Perhaps I will be able to continue writing in a journal – making myself reflect on my experiences was a great way to check in with myself and try to understand how I was feeling at any given moment fully – and in addition to keeping track of my personal journey and growth, is also a fun way to look back at my memories abroad.
I’ll end this blog with a couple more pictures from this study abroad experience, but to anyone who’s read my updates, thanks for reading until now!
Also, a special shoutout to Wendy, who was my acting personal therapist and the best roommate I could have asked for <3
