With my flights booked and student visa processing, I am one step closer to the adventure of a lifetime. This upcoming semester I will be an exchange student of Kyung Hee University (KHU) in Seoul, South Korea! It is truly difficult to encapsulate the many emotions I am currently feeling… perhaps reliving the precious memories I returned home with after my last travels to South Korea will stimulate some confidence.

I am currently dumbfounded and frankly, seriously excited, at the thought of living alone in a foreign country for a whole semester! This time last year I procured the idea of studying at an international university, thinking about how awesome and interesting an opportunity like that would be, to practically being in a position where –mostly- everything is set in stone!

KHU is famous amongst Koreans and international students for its beautiful scenery and European inspired architecture. Last time I visited KHU, I saw the cherry blossom orchards bloom and fall, and I’m happy to know that this will again occur during my semester exchange. I am so excited to see the cherry blossoms bloom!

I am looking forward at the possibility to explore more of South Korea, revisit Busan, and possibly take weekend trips to Japan or Jeju Island. Korean food is my guilty pleasure, and each major city has unique and eccentric twists on classic recipes; which I am so excited to try! There is so much to do with so little time! However, since I am enrolling in 5 (the MINIMUM full time study load in South Korea is 5 topics) topics, my time to explore and involve myself in Korean culture will be limited.

I expect this upcoming semester to be the busiest, most exciting and challenging time of my life, however it will all be worth it! I haven’t looked back yet, and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me. I now have a month and a half to process and organise all my emotions, expectations and inspirations, and make this exchange the most promising academic pursuit of mine so far.

I will go to Korea soon! 나는 곧 한국에 갈 거여요!

Giuseppe Egidio, Bachelor of International Tourism/Bachelor of Languages (Japanese/Chinese), Semester 1 2018 exchange at Kyung Hee University, South Korea