Arrival to Seoul, South Korea

            After a year of debating and months of preparation, on a sunny Thursday morning, June 21, 2019 my dream of flying to Korea had finally arrived. I was excited yet nervous. Traveling outside the country was no new adventure for me, but studying abroad and being away by myself was definitely a first for me. Thankfully I made Korean friends prior to my trip, they were actually Korean exchange students who attended HPU last fall. As I grew up on Oahu and they were new to the island, I was glad to be their tour guide and show them the ins and out of the island. Throughout the semester we built a strong bond that stretches out across the ocean. It was actually thanks to them that push me to study abroad in the summer.

            My biggest fear when getting to Seoul was transportation and accommodation. Because I arrived one day earlier than my initial program start date, I had no idea where I would stay or even travel outside of the airport, plus I knew the bare minimum of the Korean language, so my fear of getting lost was high up there. Thankfully I was able to reach out to my friends in Korea and they were excited for me to visit their country. Their kind generosity led, to meeting me at the airport, showing me a little bit around Seoul, treating me to my first meal in Korea and even staying the night with them at their home. They even bought me a cake and sang a song for me. Not only did they meet me on my first day, but also taught me how to take the subway and how to travel around town. Sadly we could not meet up with each other as much as we would have liked to as they did not live in Seoul, and they too were busy with their schooling, they still provided me with helpful information to make my trip in Korea fun and memorable.

            So, if you are unsure of studying abroad I really recommend that you make friends with the international students, we have at HPU, whether they are exchange students who are only their for a semester, or full-time student. HPU has a wide variety of students from around the world and getting to them and creating a strong bond who knows may eventually lead to them also inviting you to their home country. Also, it is also nice to know that there are people we already know in the country you wish to travel too.