The last few days in Seoul had an odd feeling to them. Sitting in the lobby watching people slowly leave the dorm building with their packed luggage bags – heading back to their homes, family, and friends all over the world. Walking through the dorm halls – each door had our names on it with a flag of where we came from and I began thinking about how we were a brave group of individuals. Not everyone dives blindly into a new world, leaving everything loved behind – but we all came to South Korea to explore and live a new life. Some of us came for a temporary stay, while others have plans to spend the rest of their lives in Seoul.
My close group of friends planned one last night out in Sinchon, the college town near Yonsei, and we visited old spots we frequented during our stay for one last time. That night it sprinkled snow and I experienced my first snow. It was a happy night. Another night, a friend and I headed to Dongdaemun and I showed him how to haggle – a skill I picked up and mastered during my stay in Seoul – something I am now proud of.
A final outing occurred the night before I left Seoul and during this outing many people broke down in tears as they started saying their goodbyes. We all hope we’ll meet again – but even if that happens, we’ll never meet again in the same situation – although the memories we made will certainly be with us throughout our lives.
As I packed my bags to head home – my friend Wason, notified me that it was snowing outside – as if Seoul was saying goodbye to me. I went outside and the snow was coming down. It was an experience indeed – I wrote goodbye to Seoul in the snow. I’ll post the photograph below.
A few hours later – a few friends: Allen, Wason, and Sunny had breakfast with me as I spent my last few minutes at SK Global House. Allen and Sunny helped me carry my heavy luggage to the limousine bus stop to Incheon Airport and as we left it began to snow again – this time a much heavier snow. It was beautiful and indeed I can’t imagine a better ending to my time in Korea.
While riding in the limousine bus to Incheon Airport, I started reflecting on the first time I rode the limousine bus to Yonsei University with my first friend in Seoul, Taylor, just a few months prior. All the excitement of living in a big city and experiencing all that Seoul had to offer me. Indeed, Korea offered me an experience like no other and I’ll always remember the many people and experiences it brought to me. I have no regrets about this once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad.
As I sat in Incheon Airport waiting for my flight to depart on my laptop. I saw an overwhelming number of Facebook status updates of people saying goodbye and I felt overcome with emotion. Sadness mixed with happiness that I found a new home, new friends, and I was ending a time in my life that was at times lonely and then at times completely fulfilling. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world.
Finally the boarding began on a long flight back home to Tampa, Florida…
