The Kimchi Chronicles

The midnight run

Posted on 11/17/2009 at 6:11:40 PM

On Sunday, one of my friends unexpectedly left Korea. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise because she had mentioned she might leave, I just didn’t expect for it to be so soon. Whether it’s because you’re extremely homesick , you miss a significant other,  or you just miss the food from home, living abroad isn’t easy. It really pushes your limits and tests your psychological strength. Like another friend of mine said, some people may not leave right at the beginning, but there will be breaking points along the way. I don’t see myself leaving Korea before my contract is up, but I know what he’s talking about. The honeymoon stage of living in a new country is wearing off. It’s not that the excitement isn’t there any more, but once you establish a routine and realize that you don’t have to go crazy and see everything at once, the novelty begins to wear off. I’ve had moments were depression sets in. I can’t share this experience with the people I’d like to share it with the most, I can’t understand or speak the language (something that is becoming increasingly frustrating with each passing day), I can’t talk to people or ask them simple questions, and I get really lonely. I knew these feelings would come eventually, so the best thing for me to do is keep busy. So although it’s hard at times, I’m having the time of my life right now. It’s just a matter of overcoming those feelings and accepting that this is a completely different style of life than what I’m used to. I did way to much to get here and I can’t imagine disappointing so many people by being selfish and just leaving. This is honestly one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life so far, so I’m going to enjoy it while I’m here.