(photo credit to wordporn’s Facebook page)
It’s time to talk about goals for my study abroad experience! Studies show that this is really useful in managing expectations, and I love studies! These are all goals which I have discussed briefly with people who have studied abroad before, so it seems like this list is a good place to start. I’ll find out after I get there if I was right. Here we go…
Goal #1–Learn a whole bunch of Korean.
Like, enough so I can not only order things in restaurants and sing along to k-pop songs, but so that I can also write papers and subtly scream obscenities at passersby back home whenever I please.
Goal #2–Buy a whole bunch of Korean skincare products.
Because A) I have Korean skin, meaning their products are almost guaranteed to work better for me, and B) let’s face it: they just do it better. When we’re talking about a country whose beauty product consumption rates are the highest in the world (http://www.globaltrade.net/f/market-research/text/South-Korea/Hygiene-Cosmetics-Health-Medical-Equipment-Cosmetics-Industry-in-South-Korea.html), we’re talking about something these people spend A LOT of their day thinking about. Don’t worry, though–I promise no surgery will be involved. I will not come back with a different nose. Or forehead. Or chin. Scout’s honor.
Goal #3–[try to] Figure out what’s up with North Korea.
The class I’m most excited about taking is called Politics and Society of North Korea. I’m pumped about it because there’s so little that we know about the state from the outside world, especially from the Western world. Especially after starting to read a fantastic book called Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden, I am totally fascinated and disgusted by the way things work over there. It’s like those doctors who feel drawn to working in the trauma unit: I just can’t look away. I hope to have a whole new understanding and a fair amount of empathy for the citizens of North Korea when I get back. And who knows, maybe I’ll run into Dennis Rodman along the way and he’ll give me an invite like he recently did for CNN’s Chris Cuomo. I’m pretty much the same level as him, right?
Goal #4–Find out if I like living abroad.
Please, all of my grandmothers and aunts and parents, take a deep breath. I don’t mean forever. I want to find out if living abroad could be an option for me post-graduation in case I decided to do and was accepted to a program like Fulbright, Peace Corps or teaching English abroad. I’ve heard several people say that studying abroad was a deciding factor in knowing that a program like this would be an option for them…or for knowing it wouldn’t be.
Goal #5–Eat ALL OF THE FOOD IN KOREA.
I am such a foodie. I have been accused on more than one occasion of eating like a grown man, which is significant because I am a 5 foot tall woman. I have a bit of a belly, but I like it that way. It’s like in high school movies when the athletes always pack a ball and the cheerleaders always wear their uniforms: I like to warn people about my hobbies. I love food and I love cooking, so I hope to find some awesome recipes that I can duplicate and share with my roommates after arriving back stateside.
Goal #6–Connect with my roots.
If you’ve read my blog at all or looked at my profile picture or met me, you have probably noticed that I am Korean by heritage. I was born in Seoul and was adopted shortly thereafter. Basically what that means is that I have a Korean body and an American brain. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to blend the two, at least in the brain section. It’s not that I want to find “What if I were…”; it’s that I want to find “Who am I because…” I have been blessed with amazing parents who have been very understanding and helpful in this process. Thanks to my mother’s help, I have found the name of my adoption agency and birth mother. After I have been in Korea for a few weeks, I plan to visit my adoption agency and see if they can find information on my family history for me. I understand that only about 3% of adoptees find their birth families, and that’s okay with me. I don’t think I’m any less of a person because I haven’t ever met my birth parents. But I certainly won’t forgive myself if I don’t try. Look forward to my post about that adventure as it happens.
Goal #7–Defy gender stereotypes by beating a bunch of Korean boys in basketball.
I once dated a Chinese guy who was totally dumbfounded that I could play basketball and was even more shocked when I beat him in HORSE (once, twice, three times…yeah, it got old after a while). Asian societies in general are largely very skewed to favor men, and females who have fairly liberal mindsets or skills often attributed to males are often looked down upon as “strong girls” (which is, strangely, an insult). As a female with a fairly liberal mindset, especially one who looks like the people in my host country, I’m interested to see how people react to me. The society is rapidly becoming more accepting to the concept that women can be equal to men intellectually and to certain LGBTQ* issues–for example, the annual Korean Queer Culture Festival in March–but many still hold attitudes which Belle from Beauty and the Beast would moniker “positively primeval.” I’m not hoping to change the whole society, but I’m thinking that if I find some people who will accept me as I am–an annoyingly stubborn and headstrong young woman–then I’ll have found some real gems.
Goal #8–Give back.
This sounds cliche. That’s because it is. So you can be sure that I am saying it with the utmost sincerity, because I hate cliches. (I will now avoid the cliche where one would normally say that they “avoid cliches like the plague.” You’re welcome.) Volunteering has become a really big part of my life since I started working with the International Book Project in 2012. I make a serious effort to go at least once a week, and it is a great stress reliever as well as a great cause. As part of my study abroad experience, I’ll be volunteering with The Back Project, a Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) sponsored program which connects students studying abroad in South Korea to North Korean refugee students. As part of the program, I’ll be helping these students learn English and learn more about the world in general. I’m so excited for this opportunity, and I’m always grateful for the chance to make a positive impact on someone’s life. So look forward to posts about these adventures, as well!
I have a million other things I want to say, but this is already long enough. As always, feel free to leave comments about what you’d like to see in future posts. Up next is Rachel the Stress Machine: Packing Edition. Look forward to it!
There and Back Again 