"Not all who wander are lost," is a phrase that I have dutifully lived my life by. Since the fresh and curious days of my youth, I have always been afflicted by an incurable wanderlust that has pulled my spirit in a multitude of directions. Guided by the words of the great J.R.R.Tolkien, I have taken my existence by the reigns and entered a new era of my own; I am experiencing the world through newly opened eyes, drinking in the wonder and magic that it has to offer as I soak in cultures I never thought would be reachable. I had always dreamed of visiting Asia, even though the other side of the world was seemingly forever away, this was something that stuck with me throughout my adolescence and finally came to fruition once I applied for a study abroad program through Kennesaw University. Although Georgia was great, I felt like a caged bird, constantly flitting my wings in a too-small space and thirsting for a greater purpose. Although Japan had always been my number-one choice, my recent affiliation and adoration for the Korean culture, pop and traditional, had solidified my decision. In August of 2013, I hopped on a plane (suffering through a 18+ hour flight), and finally ended up where I truly wanted to be.
The first few weeks were definitely rougher than I anticipated they'd be; not knowing a majority of the language and having no idea how to get around was a burden of sorts (as if the jet-lag wasn't enough), but after a few weeks I was able to come into my own. I quickly adapted to the attitude of the country and the language, excited and feeling bold enough to take on the world. Even though I do miss my family and a lot of aspects about home, I wouldn't trade this experience for the entire world (although my bank account would beg otherwise).
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” ― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It
