I have almost finished my first semester at Korean language school. It hasn't been easy the whole time, but I'm really happy with what I've learned and the new relationships I've been forming with my classmates, in the Christian club I joined on campus, and at the young adult service and small group in my church. I feel a little lonely sometimes because I don't interact with other English speakers much. Immersion can feel lonely, even if you are surrounded by friends, because it's hard to communicate everything you want to say and can feel a little suffocating sometimes. Still, the more I make myself communicate in Korean today, the easier it will be to do so in the future. Robert Frost said, "The best way out is always through," which I think applies well to learning a language through immersion.
On Tuesday I have my last final exam, and on Wednesday my vacation starts and my dad will come to Korea- my first visitor from the US! He will spend 10 days here, and I look forward to introducing him to many of my friends and this country that I love so much.
My second semester (level 4) starts December 1, and I also have to move into a new place the first week of December. As of writing I haven't found a place yet, but I have a few options and I will hopefully be able to make a decision this week after meeting prospective housemates.
For those of you who are curious, a few of the things I've done in level 3:
given a presentation, written a formal e-mail to a professor, and learned how to do direct and in-direct quotations. I've also been doing Korean bible studies with my club and at my church. The one at the young adult service is really hard, but if I wait until it's not hard anymore, I probably won't be a young adult anymore, and I don't want to have missed out on the rich experience of attending the service and being in a small group.
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