The Reason For Korea

posted 27th May 2011    Written by: Katharine    CATEGORY: All Posts, Katharine, Season 4, Travel, Travel/Adventure, What I've Learned

“Nothing else matters as much as the journey.”

It’s not about teaching English as a second language.  It’s not about running away from my unsatisfying life in the States.  It’s not about where I end up after this truth-seeking journey is complete.

It’s about traveling solo because I can.  It’s about pushing my boundaries to build more confidence.  It’s about meeting new people from all over the world because I’m fascinated with accents, cultures, and stories.  But most importantly, it’s about why I chose this journey back to my homeland.

Honestly, I can’t explain it.  Something deep in my heart told me that I needed to get here.  Why now?  Because I’m on this journey of self-discovery and I knew South Korea needed to be visited.

This country is truly amazing.  I didn’t have any expectations going into this.  I knew I would struggle with the language barrier and I knew that I would feel a wave of emotions about returning to a place where my life had once started.

Being here has been much more challenging though.  I can’t read any of the signs and, for the most part, I don’t know what I’m ordering at restaurants because Koreans like to eat weird things.  Like pig intestine and pork bowel.  I unfortunately ate both of these on two separate occasions and neither one of them were good.  American food (pizza, burgers, etc.) is Koreanized, meaning they add seafood (usually squid or octopus) to it or cook it in a different oil so it tastes different.

Two of the [emotionally] toughest things I’ve experienced here is: being mistaken for a Native Korean and being a foreigner.  I’ve had four different Koreans try to converse with me, thinking I speak Korean (for good reason).  I nearly broke down and cried in the middle of the Metro platform the other day when someone walked up to me and asked me a question in Korean.  I feel like a fake walking around Seoul sometimes. Native Koreans stare at me constantly while I’m riding the Metro or walking down the street because I look like a foreigner.  Maybe it’s the way I dress, or the fact that I speak English fluently (and without a trace of a Korean accent), or the fact that I really don’t look like any of the other million Koreans walking around.

But as emotionally challenging as this experience has been for me for the last week, I’m really glad I did this.  Something told me to get here, I listened, and I have no regrets. South Korea is a wonderful place full of rich history, culture, and palaces and I encourage everyone to visit at least once.  One thing I’m taking away with me from this trip (besides souvenirs) is that I feel blessed to have been raised in America. Koreans are abrasive.  Constantly yelling at you for no reason (or because you threw your empty coffee cup in their trash can because there are no public trash cans in Seoul) and always pushing and shoving you everywhere you go without apologizing.  I can’t tell you how many times that’s happened to me in the Metro or on the street.  Frankly, I. Can’t. Stand. It.

This journey back to my homeland has been incredible.  It’s opened my eyes up to what my life could have been like and how blessed I am to have been given a second chance at life.  Truthfully though, I’m not sure if I’ll ever return here again.  As much as I want to find my biological parents, perhaps there are some things in [my] life that aren’t worth knowing.  The fact that I had the courage to return in the first place is perhaps enough for me to finally close this chapter of my life.

{photo credit: taken at City Hall in downtown Seoul}

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Comments (2)

2 Responses to “The Reason For Korea”

  • Jennifer Says:
    May 27th, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    I feel the exact same way. As an American and native English speaker who lived in Seoul for a year teaching English, I went there to experience a different culture than my own. I came away with many of the same emotions and feelings as you write about. I am very blessed and thankful for having been raised here, in America. Good post! Thanks for sharing!

  • Madam Energy Says:
    May 27th, 2011 at 5:24 pm

    I had something early on reading this post that I wanted to say in the comments section here. Your last paragraph made me forget all about it – all I can do is smile, knowing exactly what you mean. :)

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