Allowing Spontaneity to Improve Your Experience Abroad

One of the main reasons I wanted to study abroad- and chose somewhere that would be completely new and unfamiliar to me- was because I wanted to push myself and force personal growth. 

I can fall into a routine of just going from point A to point B without any extra stops, and only doing  things when I’ve planned them out in advance or have someone else leading the way. I wanted to challenge myself by coming here alone and forcing myself to go out and do things, sometimes with no plan or expectations, and just see what life brings me. I have found this to be a very rewarding exercise. 

Spontaneity isn’t usually something that comes super naturally to me, but I have found that being open to changing plans or doing things you weren’t initially planning on can often result in more interesting and fun experiences than if you are rigid and inflexible with your plans. Many times over the past few weeks I have opted to walk somewhere rather than take the bus or train, in an effort to see more of the area, and with the attitude that if I see somewhere that looks interesting such as a store, cafe, or restaurant, I can just go in and see what it's like. 

Walking into a restaurant with a menu that has no English can feel like you aren’t supposed to be there or as if you aren't wanted, but that isn’t always true. I had an absolutely delicious pork belly pasta (삼겹살 파스타) at a restaurant I just happened upon while walking around Sinsa-Dong (신사동). The menu didn’t have any English, so I was a bit intimidated at first, but I pushed through, used Papago to help me translate, and enjoyed a really pleasant meal at a restaurant I never would have found just by searching Naver in my dorm. This is only one example of this, but there are so many similar experiences I’ve had here so far. 

This flexible, spontaneous attitude is something that I not only firmly believe will enhance your experience abroad, but is also something I want to bring back home with me, and take throughout my life, as while I think it is especially effective in an unfamiliar place, there is always more to discover, and giving yourself room and opportunity to try things and have those new experiences is enriching anywhere.