So. Here we are in 2023, a post covid era, and if you’re reading this, you may well into your college career. You’ve been working hard, trying to earn a degree that will pave the way to your ultimate lifestyle, but you need a change. Before you enter the rest of your life, you want to do something. Something big. Well, now is the time to study abroad.
To be frank, I’m not talking about a savvy summer program gallivanting across Cyprus. No. I’m talking half a year in a destination completely alien to your norm. I’m talking living alone, navigating life thousands of miles away from what you know as home.
It’s hard, no doubt. You're ripped from your norm and catapulted into a completely new life (I mean, hello adulthood). You’ll want to leave; you’ll want to go back home and crawl into the comfortable sheets of your bed after eating your dad’s home-cooked chicken parmesan on a Sunday night.
It will be difficult. The most difficult. But it will be one of the best things you’ve ever done, just like it was for me.
Homesickness
About 1-3 weeks in, you’ll be heartily reminded that when the going gets tough, you can’t just drive two hours from school and spend the weekend at home. May I present to you the phenomenon that is “homesickness.”
Whether it’s family, a sense of routine, or local stops you know well, for some time, everything around you is going to feel quite abnormal. The advice I give to you now is advice I got from my best friend at home.
Build a New Routine
Try to stop looking at this place at a temporary stop, and start making it your home. For me, that included things like buying myself flowers every week, something I adopted at home to bring some more life into the space.
Taking baths is another thing I love to do at home that, regardless of location, is not that simple to do in a college dorm. Luckily, I became quickly introduced to South Korea’s public bath culture. Not only did this give me a sense of normalcy in my routine, but it also helped me to feel so much more comfortable in my own body. If you’re ever in South Korea, I highly recommend you go to at least one.
At home, I have the privilege of utilizing my father’s entire kitchen (much to his and the “dish fairy’s” dismay). And as someone who shares blood with an Italian mother, I like to say that, "I cook for my mental health.” Food has always been my way of connecting to myself, connecting to the cultures of my family, and connecting to cultures across the globe.
Now, Korea has some of the most amazing food I have ever tasted. I tried to take one day a week to cook myself a meal, either one of my favorite comfort foods from home, or, some of my favorite Korean dishes, like kimchi jeon. And when in doubt, I would call up a friend to join me for some Korean BBQ.
This was great because it brought me out of my room and into my environment, I got to socialize with my new friends, and of course, I got to indulge I the amazing food of a new culture (cultural emersion 101 = just eat everything).
Burnout is Real
Awesome! You're finally starting to feel a little more at home in a whole new place. You’re finally getting used to everything, but maybe too used to everything.
I mean, the whole reason why you shipped yourself across the globe was to get as far away as possible from the normalcy of home, right? Especially if you’re exploring a new culture while simultaneously focusing on school, burnout can hit quite hard.
Personally, I tend to get burnt out quite easily, and in the beginning of my trip, this even perpetuated my homesickness. But, worry not, there are many things you can do to manage burnout. In fact, studying abroad gives you a whole new beautiful set of tools to manage burnout!
Take Trips
Take yourself on little vacations and dates! Not only will this allow you to absorb even more of the environment around you, but it will also allow you to leave and come back to your accommodation as if it is your actual home. Two of the most rejuvenating things I did on my trip to South Korea were my solo trips to Busan and Jeju.
If I every move to Korea, I want to move to Busan. It had everything I love. The beach, the city, the people, the food (definitely the food). This was my first solo trip, and I went much earlier in the year than some of my friends did. I think I finalized all my bookings three days before the trip, got on a train, and went.
It had been on my bucket list for years to see the cherry blossoms in Japan or Korea, and the day I went to Busan was the first day of cherry blossom season there! I still remember walking around my first night: it was raining, but the rain against the street lamps highlighted the cherry blossom trees perfectly.
I especially enjoyed taking this trip by myself because it was like a breath of fresh air. Not only was it the perfect break from a new norm, but I proved to myself even further that I had what it took to be on my own.
I was not going to go to Jeju Island at first until a friend of mine I met in Korea told me I definitely had to go. And boy, am I glad I did. My trip to Jeju was certainly better planned, but I think that’s because I had gained a bit more experience.
The place I ended up staying was just so cute and fun! It was like it's own little community. During the day, I would do things alone, but then meet up for a meal with my new friends later on. It was such a relaxing trip for me, filled with some of my favorite things, like a museum for greentea, senic watefalls, and of course, a hotspring.
And don't worry if the cost of travel seems overwhelming. I highly encourage you to go on day trips, or even take yourself on little dates! Try picnicking at the Han River. You can dress a little fancier, rent a blanket for just 5,000 KRW, bring some of your favorite snacks, and enjoy a spectacular view.
Or, take and evening hike up to Namsan Tower! (Bonus: there's Cinnabon at the top!) Though these things are Korea specific, find those little things that give you that little break from your new norm and make you fall even deeper in love with your new world.
You WILL Change
A lot of people say that you might go through some “big spiritual awakening” when you study abroad. Now, while I’m not sure if that’s totally true for every person, I can tell you that I will NEVER be the same person I was before I came to Korea.
I mean yes, of course, little remnants of me still exist, but the growth I've experienced while studying abroad is just absolutely tremendous. I can definitely say that after doing this, I am much more prepared to advocate for myself and live on my own.
The level of change will not be the same for everyone. I think that all depends on where you started before you came and what you make out of your time. For a while, I didn’t feel like I had really experienced any large shift.
Noticing my change came in the form of little things, like being super comfortable on public transportation, or, as a very, VERY, geographically challenged individual, no longer needing to use a GPS everywhere I go.
I was dressing differently, I was walking differently, and little by little, I started to feel certain shifts. But if you really want to appreciate how much you’ve changed and how far you’ve come, you need to do something totally out of your comfort zone (as if traveling to a whole new country wasn’t enough).
Do something hard. Something that scares you. Something you hate. Which brings me to my final point.
Take a Hike
I hate hiking. Absolutely hate it. I hate the climbing, the bugs, the weather, everything. You see, nature and I have somewhat of a “love hate relationship,” emphasis on the “hate.” So, when I heard my study abroad program was organizing a ten-hour hike up four mountains, of course my first thought was, “I’m in.”
My favorite thing I did when I came to Korea was hiking the Seoul City Wall. As I said, there were many things I did during my study abroad that I loved. But this, this was that moment for me. That moment when you realize exactly what you’ve done and how far you’ve come.
Before coming to Korea, needless to say, I was not #livingmybestlife. But that climb, it was the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Even if, like me, you HATE hiking, if you ever get the chance to come to Korea, this is something I highly recommend you do.
I had many moments on my trip where I just wanted to buy a plane ticket, quit, and go home. But, every single time something was hard, and ever single time I felt like giving up, I remembered, Hey! Wait a second, I climbed four major mountains. I mean, hold on, I climbed four major mountains . . . in Korea! I can do anything now!
Just Do It.
Studying abroad will not change your life for you. It will allow you the opportunity to change your life all on your own. I had many debates about where I should go, if I should go, and for how long. By the end of my stay, I will have been in Korea for 5 months. And to think, right before I came, I almost decided not to go.
Just like everyday life, studying abroad does not make you immune to trials and tribulations. Along with the several highs of this trip, just like those four mountains, I’ve also hit some pretty low lows. But the difference between me before my trip versus me now, is that I keep moving up.
The old me would’ve have curled up in a blanket, hitting a permanent snooze on her alarm clock. The old me would have given up her chance to come to Korea because she was scared. And don't get me wrong, I was terrified! But, here’s the thing.
There’s not magic tincture of advice I can give to get you there. It is all up to you. Whether to get on the plane or tell your dad to pick you up from the airport is totally up to you. But when you get there, yes, it will be one of the hardest things you have ever done. But if you take charge of your experience, and if you really allow yourself to live, it will also be one of the most amazing times of your life.
So there. My ultimate piece of advice on studying abroad, or anything that scares you… Just do it.
