My term as an exchange student has been accomplished and my time in Korea is already up for now. It's been such a wonderful time aborad and I'm so glad I was able to document my travels, cultural experiences, and my life studying abroad through this blog.

Its time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the Seoul-TASTIC.

The Good

Living overseas in a foreign country was a first of many experiences I got to learn and grow from. There are many things you learn living alone, especially when there are challenging obstacles like language barrier and cultural norms. I'm happy to say that I was able to adapt very well to living in Korea and have been enlightened through various circumstances since my one month reflection. Life in Korea is so much more convenient and efficient as its such a buzzling and busy city, and I can truly say that Korea has become my second home.

Secondly, the friendships I made were priceless and made my exchange that much more memorable. I miss them all so much, and if it wasn't for that community I was always with (especially with Emmaus), I wouldn't be as attached to this country and city like I am now. They made my experience so much more and I miss living with them, eating with them, going to to classes with them, fellowshipping with them and having their presence around me every day. Its so nice meeting people from around the world and I know its not the end, but just the beginning of  lifelong friendships. I can't wait to travel in the future and be reunited with these amazing people.

The Bad

There were a few hardships too, and for one thing, I really wish I had consumed more fruits. I love eating fruits and it sucked having to pay for overpriced fruits or have to leave it out of my usual diet. Though, this was out of my control as fruits are fairly expensive in Korea since they tend to be eaten more as desserts rather than part of a meal, and exporting fruits into Korea is more expensive (I'm assuming as it didn't make sense for apples and oranges to be so expensive).

On a more serious note, I wish I balanced my time better abroad better, as I was on a student exchange. I know studying abroad, you feel you can get away with your grades and let assignments slide, especially since my school transfers credits and not the official grades, but that was no reason for me to leave things last minute. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually tried pulling an all nighter to finish a paper-that was a first! I know it works brilliantly for some people, but for me, not at all... and if the paper wasn't for my taekwondo class (where organization, grammer, and structure wasn't a big deal), I think I would've failed miserably. AND, if I ever choose to pursue grad school or a Masters, they're going to look at all my transcripts, so if it wasn't for God's grace, I don't know how I would've managed.

Living in a city like Seoul, I also wished I budgeted better. Everything was a new and fresh experience and I feel so blessed being able to receive the scholarships I did to finance most of my trip. However, I do wish I planned my personal spending better. I knew I would shop, eat, and explore a lot, and for the most part, I did stick pretty well to my budget, but near the end, I just starting blowing my money on souvenirs, gifts, and myself as I didn't know when I would be in Seoul the next time. I guess its justifiable being in a new country and all, but yea just a tip for you future exchange students out there!

The Seoul-TASTIC

I'm so glad to have chosen Yonsei University as my first ever student exchange. Not only did I have the best term of my life being involved with the student clubs, connecting with local, foreign, and international students, but just being in this "Ivy League" school itself was such a blessing. I got to be part of so many student activities and went out of my way to attend events I would never been able to participate in or be a part of at my home university. I think a lot had to do with my mentality as an exchange student, and with that, your constantly wanting to try new things, having fun, and get out there. Living on campus also allowed me to enjoy everything much more, as 'home' was just a few minutes walk away. I did a lot of things that was outside of my comfort zone or "usual" circumstances and I grew so much as a person as a result of doing so.

I am really thankful for this experience and I highly encourage You to be an exchange student if you ever have the chance to. It can be anywhere in the world and I'm positive you will love it. You just never know who your going to meet, what you will experience, and how your life will be change.

I guess that brings this blog to a close (at least for now). My adventures will be continuing, but I have yet to decide if I will continue writing them on this blog, as it won't be "Pho-to Seoul" not more.

You will have to wait and see.

Go on an exchange!!! 

PhotoSeoul Exchange Accomplished =D