The lost months
Trip Start
Nov 20, 2008
1
14
28
Trip End
Nov 2009
Hanam-si,
Korea Rep.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Being abroad is hard. I came to Korea to figure out what I wanted and make changes. I spent a few months "enjoying" my time. I spent a lot of time at Live Bench, singing noraebong with the Hanam-si band and drinking soju and cass. It was hard, I missed home, but tried not to think about it. I guess it was one of the toughest times of my life. I wish I hadn't had to go through it, but with it came clarity and confidence in the person I want to be. On the flip side, I did meet a lot of great people. This was the time in Hanam with a great group of foreigners that I became close friends with. Many of them have since left or moved to other areas in Seoul, to be replaced by other foreigners who are also great people, but I haven't got to know as well
Everland
. You meet so many interesting and diverse people doing a thing like this. The situation you are in creates a comradere that makes friendships that are different than in the real world. Unfortunately, I've found that most of the people who've left have done so never to be heard from again. I love hearing the stories and meeting the people who have ventured away from their homes, friends and families to end up in the same small place in South Korea that I am in. However, the relationships I left behind in America have remained stronger and more important to me than most of those I've made here. Its not that way for everyone. The happiest expats I've met are those who have started dating Koreans, mostly guys dating Korean girls. One guy even married his girlfriend and has been in Korea for 4 years already. Those people are the ones who tend to immerse the most in the culture, learn more of the language, and like the food the most too. Korean culture is interesting. They are very friendly to forigners, but still keep us at a distance. I have been invited to the homes of only 2 Koreans in the past 10 months, and those were very special occasions. Korean culture reminds me a lot of college. There is a lot of drinking, and a lot of fighting, but they seem to have a lot of fun doing it. Anyway, it was a rough, long 4 months, but I got a lot out of it, and the past 4 months have been much better!
