Months have turned into weeks and now only 2 remain until I leave Seoul, South Korea and head back to my home in Mississauga, Canada…what an incredible ride its been!
Alongside the conclusion of this amazing adventure there have been a few other significant chapters completed in my life. As of yesterday my final assignment has been submitted and thus my degree-in-waiting (at home) has been accomplished – I have finished my undergrad! Although my “master plan” had always called for Masters to begin immediately after my undergraduate life I never expected such a unique opportunity (this exchange) to complete my final year, or rather extend it. As a result, I was forced to give myself a year of pause in studies; I would need 2012-2013 to carefully sort through my options and apply for all those schools I aspire to join, not to mention all those scholarships I wish to gain! Remarkably, fate has still been generous to me…despite worries this year would be otherwise “wasted” between periods of application, I can now say I have a year of full-time work ahead of me (my first such job) and it couldn’t be in a more perfect field (although time will tell~). To learn more about the organization I will be working for, check them out here!
So as one form of education ends for me, a new opportunity has appeared but also a new realm of people I love and trust. One of the greatest parts of this exchange (as I may have mentioned in many past posts) is the people I have met. These aren’t your average people, either (though I wish there were more of them!) – they are students now excelling as “exchangers”, teachers, thrill-seekers, explorers and especially volunteers! Some of the most memorable friendships I have made in Korea were through a volunteer group known as Mannam and the new sub-project I am a growing part of called Mannam International (check out the links!). These groups volunteer in such an enormous scope, so frequently and in so many places you could live here without doing anything else!
Alongside this dedication to supporting the community comes the amazing network of friends that host dozens of free clubs, cafe nights, concerts, dinner parties and fun networking and game events year-round! Overall I can’t think of a better compliment in my exchange than with this dream team – bridging the gap by working between locals Koreans, Foreigners and the community at large. You can check out their facebook and new blog if you are interested too!
So what is the theme here? Lets just say…don’t ever neglect any morning or night, that sunrise and sunset helps make life bright; with the close of one chapter there’s a fresh one anew, and so again the sun will rise and with it, so will you!
Cheers~