Saying Goodbye to Seoul: Life Lessons to Take Away

Residing in another country for 4 months really opens your eyes to new experiences cultures and new values. And even from the first few days of being here I was introduced to values that I will now carry with me for the rest of my life. 

When first arriving in Seoul you go through an orientation led by CIEE. And there they lead you through different presentations and activities to help you get acquainted with living in South Korea for the next few months. 

And in one of those lessons we were taught the concept of "Hongik Ingan" Which means “to live and work for the benefit of all mankind”.  And also shown a video of how when the country was going through a financial crisis the Korean people, out of their own volition rose to the occasion and donated their gold to pull the country out of debt. 

When discussing that with my friends after the fact, we were all so surprised and amazed and how the people of Korea decided to help their country by using their own personal valuables. And with most of us coming from the western hemisphere that is pretty much unheard of. Especially when coming from big cities where people are constantly moving forward and pushing ahead no matter the expense of those around them. Both physically and mentally. 

Even just walking through the streets of Sinchon you can see it everywhere. I remember walking to class one day and an older woman collapsed suddenly, and everyone in the area stopped to offer some sort of assistance. And my default response was to just look away and keep moving because it was normal where I'm from to just mind your business and keep it moving. But seeing everyone, even those who looked like they were running late stop to help this person in need truly warmed my heart and made me second guess how I move through the world. 

From the moment I heard it in CIEE orientation, and then seeing it out and about in public I knew I had to reevaluate how I see life and how I act from this point on. In reality I don't have to just focus on myself and if I am successful, because the truth is I can still be successful while also being beneficial to my community and those around me. There is room at the table for all of us to eat and be successful together. And I want to thank South Korea for showing me that.