On March 5th, 2011, I left my beloved country South Korea for the United States. My parents sent me away to Chattanooga, Tennessee where I could receive the abundant fruits of American education and expand my horizons. For the first time in my life I was completely separated from my parents, and I embarked on my independent life.
No matter how liberated I felt, loneliness always shadowed the freedom I had. Unlike my excitement to live in the States, the reality was different. I was an alien; I had no one to rely on but myself. From learning a different language to adapting in an unacquainted environment, I felt like I was sent into an exile.
The language barrier and cultural difference aroused a strong feeling of alienation. Since I had difficulty with expressing my thoughts, all for me to do was listen and observe. The longer the silence lasted, the lower my self-esteem became. Furthermore, I began to lose my sense of connections with people because of my linguistic handicap. Becoming the minority, I often felt anxious to reach out to people that I became afraid of making mistakes and embarrassing myself. …show more content…
My interests led me to join a mission trip to Cincinnati, Ohio my freshman and sophomore years. The place I loved the most was the Sandwich Window where I openly interacted with homeless people. It was impressive to see how I could brighten people’s day by simply talking to them with a big smile. They gave me hugs and showered me with compliments; I even bonded with a talented artist who drew a picture of me that I still keep in my photo book. The amazing experience I had about 10 days of the mission trip turned my world upside
No matter how liberated I felt, loneliness always shadowed the freedom I had. Unlike my excitement to live in the States, the reality was different. I was an alien; I had no one to rely on but myself. From learning a different language to adapting in an unacquainted environment, I felt like I was sent into an exile.
The language barrier and cultural difference aroused a strong feeling of alienation. Since I had difficulty with expressing my thoughts, all for me to do was listen and observe. The longer the silence lasted, the lower my self-esteem became. Furthermore, I began to lose my sense of connections with people because of my linguistic handicap. Becoming the minority, I often felt anxious to reach out to people that I became afraid of making mistakes and embarrassing myself. …show more content…
My interests led me to join a mission trip to Cincinnati, Ohio my freshman and sophomore years. The place I loved the most was the Sandwich Window where I openly interacted with homeless people. It was impressive to see how I could brighten people’s day by simply talking to them with a big smile. They gave me hugs and showered me with compliments; I even bonded with a talented artist who drew a picture of me that I still keep in my photo book. The amazing experience I had about 10 days of the mission trip turned my world upside