Reflections post international experience

8 Positive benefits of going abroad:

Independence

Self-confidence

Boost for professional career

Cultural Awareness

Maturity

Intercultural communication skills

Self-Realizations

Feeling of achievement (specially upon return: I did that, I can do anything!)

Proof:

        As an undergraduate student, I had the wondrous opportunity to study abroad in Argentina and France. There was a common factor upon the culmination of both programs: I did not want to leave!  I slowly began to convince myself that following graduation, I would take the risk to do as my heart desired and finally go live in a foreign country.... and clearly I was not careful what I wished for, because it came true.

        Before I knew it, I had a visa on my passport and all suitcases packed, ready to go and teach English in an after school academy in Seoul, Korea! I will never forget that before my arrival, a good friend who helped me throughout the application process told me that: teaching English as a second language would not exactly be the "life changing" aspect of the experience…that instead however- living in another country would be - and she was absolutely correct! As I write this post-reflection blog, I am still in disbelief that I have returned and my time in such a marvelous country went by so incredibly fast.

            I was truly happy abroad. As I gathered my "Lessons Learned", I wanted to share that one of the many reasons I was delighted with Korea, was not solely due to the country itself, but also the mere fact that I discovered how to live with inner-peace and self-control of my happiness. Below are 3 ways how I achieved this self-realization. I hope this post is relatable, serves as inspiration, or sparks a slight interest, to everyone pondering whether to pursue an International Experience! (not just in Korea).

Appreciating the Similarities/ Accepting the Differences-

When you embrace and integrate into a new culture, you discover and value your own.

 All those who have lived abroad will probably agree, you “get out of it” what you “put into it.” The cliché could not be any more correct in telling you that Attitude is everything! There were many aspects of Korean culture I did not necessarily agree with, others that I adopted as my own. For example, even upon my return I was still bowing to people and handing money over with two hands or with my hand upon the opposing arm (like this)  On the contrary, even though I HATED being bumped into without hearing “excuse me” or sneezing and not once hearing “Bless you” – I learned to accept it. It’s not their culture! It’s mine, and I’m living in theirs.  Learning to accept cultural differences can truly bring out the best in you. It increases your patience and helps you to be at peace with others. You become aware of your perception of people, (for instance, it’s not that they are rude, it’s that spitting in public is totally acceptable.) With that, this different perspective becomes a way to accept the differences (perhaps even be appreciative of them) For example, I thought entering in a relationship a day after a blind-date was completely unacceptable! But to Koreans, and even their families, it’s a common tradition and oftentimes the norm.

Facing the fears of unfamiliarity-

Learning to be by yourself yet not alone. Becoming a braver version of yourself.

This lesson in particular had one of the biggest impacts in my life. I arrived to the country not knowing a single person! (not true, my friend who helped me apply was there, although I had not met her before, and another friend put me in contact with his friend, who then later became one of my best friends…. You get the point) It is true that for me it was rather easy to meet people, make new friends, and adapt. However when I arrived, most of my new friends had been living there for a while, and therefore no one was nearly as excited or eager as me to visit the numerous museums/palaces/landmarks of the city. I learned to do things on my own.

I made (strict) weekend itineraries and did not waste anytime in becoming acquainted with the city. I even enrolled in Korean classes and took it upon myself to learn as much as I could about this new environment. I was reigning with independence and fortunate enough to do as I pleased, on my schedule, based on my desires, and not being afraid of the unfamiliar. 
This was huge for me! (as I’m sure it would be for any early 20s year old, small girl) To my advantage though, Korea is enviously safe. To be honest I felt safer in Korea than in any other country I have ever visited.

        But still, there were always scare factors. Talk about taking the wrong bus & being completely lost in a city (WITHOUT A CELL PHONE) and not speaking the language. Yup, this was my first month there. In one occasion, I took a taxi, and thought I pronounced my destination perfectly in Korean. Well apparently not as  he ended up taking me halfway across the city on a $20cab ride. I was furious! Another time, I remember crying, literally crying like a child, when I went into restaurants and still had no idea what to order. Something as simple as “I don’t want pickles” or “Do you have chicken?” became a mission…… How brave of me!! Another memory that just passed through my head is the first time I went to E-mart (like a wal-mart/target?) and I was in dire need of going to the ladies room. I asked a lady in English, she looked at me clueless. I felt too embarrassed to make any motions of “what you do in a bathroom” so I got a pencil and on my receipt I drew the stick figure man/woman & just kept saying “BATHROOM” out loud  (you would think I would have learned how to say this in Korean before I arrived, right? Nope) Anyways, after what seemed like 5 long minutes, she understood and pointed me to the bathroom. Directions to the bathroom- so simple- yet such a challenge. 

Overall, I learned to be happy with/by myself, and laugh at my foreigner mistakes. I treated myself to ice cream whenever I pleased! I have the most peaceful memories of walking along the fun city, in deep thought, smiling and talking to strangers. Even if you are not necessarily abroad, I recommend everyone do this once in a while.

Creating new Comfort zones-

Opening your heart to others for the simple denominator of being foreigners.

I came to the conclusion, that the best part of my trip was the wonderful people I met along the way. I had my group of coworkers, my neighbors, and my college friends. I even found a community of a Spanish Catholic Church, in which I made new friends and truly felt at home. Proving to myself that I could step out of my comfort zone, and create a complete new one (which I ended up loving just as much) was greatly uplifting and refreshing. I also developed a sense of adaptability, which I think will be a useful trait to have for the rest of my life. Adapting not only to housing, the system, and the culture, but most importantly, adapting to situations. I learned to make the best of scenarios that I most likely would have never gotten into had I remained at home in my old comfort zone. I was pushed and challenged on a daily basis ... and as with every aspect of life: What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Lastly with this idea of creating new comfort zones, I wanted to mention the friends I made. The coolest, most adventurous, fun, exciting, open-minded, silly, accepting, and diverse group of people I could have ever encountered. WOW, did I get lucky! But that is just it- I do not conclude it was just luck- instead, I think that everyone who is willing to take the risk of stepping out  of their comfort zones, has a common denominator, deep engrained in their system, of  acceptance. Perhaps (long-stretched here) of loving the world and wanting to explore it. All of the foreigners friends I made while in Korea, are people with such diverse personalities, that to be honest, I doubt we would have been friends back home, simply because at home we were not in the same comfort zone group, but abroad we were. We created our new one.

 

Conclusion: Go abroad! Explore! Grow and adventure! It's exactly the right time and perhaps never will be again.