I can clearly remember the day I got off the 8 am plane to rush over to Ewha University, take the Korean placement exam, and feel the desk shake as if I were still flying in midair. So much has happened since then, and looking back at the past month I spent at Ewha, it is hard for me to believe that the engaging classes, the exciting cultural fieldtrips and unforgettable memories with my new friends are all coming to an end. Tomorrow I am already flying back home to leave the program—saying goodbye to my teachers, classmates, relatives, and to the bustling shopping bazzar in front of the school—but I know my many memories and lessons learned through the program will not leave me but will in fact stay with me for a lifetime.

Ewha Womans University is an outstanding place to study the Korean language and culture. From the classes to the Peace buddies, to the Friday activities and culture classes, there were countless opportunities for all of us to get the most out of our time here in Korea and just feel comfortable knowing that our summer was in good hands. The staff here was so kind and helpful and constantly willing to lend a hand when needed and all the events were meticulously planned and organized. My classes gave me a chance to look at things in a Korean perspective and immerse myself in the culture of my heritage.

The one thing I truly appreciated about this program was the atmosphere that could be found both inside and outside the classroom. The students of the Ewha program were from difference places all around the globe. Yet, every single one of us joined in one location with the same goal: to learn about Korea and become more cultured people. My favorite part of this program was the people I got to meet and learn from and with. Every student here had a different story to tell and seemed so enthusiastic about their time in Korea. I admired the way the students here knew how much the Korean culture meant to them individually—as a part of their heritage, interest, or even as a hobby to learn—they felt a genuine desire to learn more about what it meant to live in Korea and to be a Korean.

Now, reminiscing on my summer in Korea, I recall an animated story I saw on TV that truly made an impression on me. In the story, a teenage girl was talking to her father about what a horrible day she had at school. She was agitated and upset and let her father know how frustrated she felt with her situation. Without a single word of comfort, her father rose from his seat and walked slowly into the kitchen. Shocked at her father’s unexpected action, the girl followed him into t