New Beginnings

Everything is different. From the food to the people, don’t get me wrong I love it but I do miss home. It’s been 4 weeks now since I’ve moved to South Korea and 2 weeks since I’ve started school. Back home in the UK my school started a new program where us high school students had the opportunity to study abroad. I never really gave it any thought until my parents told me what a great experience it would be for me to learn another language and embrace a different culture. After months of debating to myself on what I should do I finally gave in and decided to go to China (the options were: America, Australia, China, Kuwait and South Korea). Preferably I wanted to go to America or even Australia but my parents were adamant that I go to a country different to the UK so basing my decision on the people around me I chose China, I mean this was a safe bet right? Living here in London there are a lot of Chinese people, I have a lot of Chinese fiends therefore have a little knowledge about their culture as well as their language oh and not to forget I love their food!

1 week before I leave home for a year and enter a new country makes my nerves kick in. I’ve been researching, researching, researching and researching A-Z about China. I’ve also come across some interesting information such as China having the largest population in the world which is probably why they are only allowed one child per household. Also bowing isn’t as common as many people believe it to be, this was actually something I was looking forward too. If being a week away from entering a new country isn’t nerve racking enough I get a phone call from my school. At first I thought the whole thing was cancelled which I must admit made me a little sad yet also relieved however this was not the case. My destination to China now changed to South Korea. Apparently due to my late application I wasn’t able to get a place on the China program therefore I now have to go to South Korea, Seoul.

Great just great I think to myself. I’m going to a country I know nothing about and the fact that on the application list South Korea had many spaces left made me wonder why? Is it a bad country? Surely not otherwise they wouldn’t be sending us there. Either way I was 1000 times more nervous then I was before and all the information I gathered on China was nothing but a waste of time! The only thing I knew about South Korea is that they are the founder of the product ‘Samsung’. I begged my parents to let me stay at home but they weren’t having any of it. They sat me down and together we searched the school I will be studying at and the accommodation I will be staying in, I must admit it looked nice indeed but I still felt sick inside.

Tomorrow I leave for South Korea and everything is packed. I’ve double-checked everything and have finally just got into bed. My friends got together and did a surprise leaving party for me; this made me teary although I didn’t cry in front of them. One year is a long time but I told myself whenever I get the chance I’ll be coming back home and I’ll also be on Skype everyday so to not worry but enjoy this time. Oh how I wished someone was coming with me maybe then I wouldn’t be as scared. It's now 1:33am and I sill can’t sleep. I’ve gone back to ‘researching’ but this time on South Korea; I hope they don’t change my destinaion again. Heres an interesting fact, you may think due to South Korea and China being Asian countries that they are the same but they’re actually more different then similar. Yes they use chopsticks but bowing is a must here and there’s no smoking or drinking like a hooligans in front of elders (not that I have ever smoked or drank but living in the UK almost everyone does).

I don’t know when or how but I finally managed to fall asleep. My parents dropped me off at the airport and I’m sure I saw a tear appear in my dad’s eyes.

'Be good, study hard and make us proud' my mum firmly says to me.

'Don't get into any trouble especially with boys or you're coming right back home and will be grounded forever' I can see the stern look in my dads eyes.

'Dad!' I say trying to cheer him up.

'I know, I know, I trust you my daughter, this is why I'm letting you go' as he says this I see how sincere he is and can't help but to get a little teary. I’m truly going to miss my friends and family but I’m ready for this I know I am, I’ll go there and study hard as well learn a new language and culture. Then I’ll come home to a proud family and my lovely friends whom I’ve known for over 10 years. I didn’t think parting would be this dramatic but it is I wonder how I’m going to survive a week little own a whole year. Finally I board the plane and rest my head back as my 11 hour flight begins.

Notes