The short and exciting roller coaster ride has officially come to an end. My time in South Korea felt like flying with a boomerang. I launched myself very far from home, I saw very beautiful skies and a whole new side of the world… and then quickly felt myself fly back with that boomerang, back to my college town home from where I first began this journey. Saying goodbye to a place you were so excited to meet personally is of course a hard pill to swallow. As I say in Spanish, “Sientes un nudo en la garganta,” which means you feel a knot in your throat, not in your stomach, because as you try to say something you feel all the feelings stuck within you, you want to smile, you want to cry, you want to laugh but you realize it's a peak moment. For me, my return home was hard but I knew it would be. I would say as someone who has now gone through this that when your study abroad ends you might feel that you have to decide between jumping right back into your old routines or taking a moment to feel what you just lived, but that can be hard. I would suggest to not let yourself stay away for too long when you return, do both things, go back in quickly and also share all you did. If you don’t want to feel that you are talking about it too much, record little videos of your memories, write them out, draw them, whichever way you like but don’t treat your experience like something you had and then lost treat it more like a rollercoaster ride as i’ve said before!
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A little on my thoughts as a Latina-Americana — it’s crazy!! As Latina girls we sometimes tend to attach a lot of meaning and feelings to what we live through so I would of course say– Chica, lo extraño!!! My identity is a mix of cultures and that comes with having a mix of environments and a mix of people's thoughts around me. For my Latino family it's always a joking environment when it comes to my study abroad and sometimes that is challenging because it feels as if your goals or dreams are a flower in your hands that you don’t want others judging or tearing at. Even when we all know that the jokes are a way for them to try and talk with you, studying abroad can mean a lot to you. For days or times when you feel like this, look up a video of someone that shares their memories or perspectives or call up a friend you met there! It feels wonderful and it’s almost as if you recharge yourself because you are able to feel that happiness that was born when you were abroad.
Lastly I do have one thing I want to share, as a friend looking out for you or as an older sister that wishes for her younger siblings to live an even better experience than she did. Don’t be scared to cherish people that seem to be temporary friends. It might sound a little confusing but I feel that at the end of the day people are so central to the times we hold dear. I know that for myself I’m always trying to be cautious avoiding wrong decisions or embarrassments but if you don’t push yourself to have special people in your study abroad life it will never be like that dream experience we think of. I was blessed to meet some amazing people that I really, truly did not want to let go of but that would have never been possible if I hadn’t gone through the nerve wracking moments of trying to befriend them in a foreign country. So, if you are researching about others' experiences before deciding to go or not or if you are about to go and want a suggestion mine would be:
“Don’t question yourself when it comes to talking to new people. Whether they are locals of the country you're visiting or if they’re also internationals like you, it doesn’t matter. Throw your little self into a conversation, you can do it!! No matter the outcome, it will open opportunities for you and you will be happy afterwards!!”
그럼다음에봐,화이팅!!
By Jazmin Hernandez-Espinoza, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
Korea University Exchange, Fall 2023