I submitted a small piece to Infusion, Fulbright Korea's magazine. Per it's about section, "[t]he magazine aims to capture the diversity of the Fulbright Korea experience by publishing work from Fulbright Korea senior scholars, junior researchers, English teaching assistants, and program alumni".
Though I aimed to see my name in print, I'd been offered the opportunity for a web publication. Which is still a fantastic opportunity!
My editor and I worked on my piece I titled "Spring - 봄" for a little over a week. Between our teaching schedules, life schedules, and sleep schedules, we were able to create the piece below. I want to give a special thanks to Kyle, for seeing my piece's potential and helping it bloom.
Unfortunately, it wasn't published online. But that's okay. You win some, you lose some.
However, fortunately for me, I have an online platform that allows me to publish whatever I want.
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Springtime is for new beginnings and cleaning up the hot messes you’ve carried through your life the previous year.
As 2019 began to trickle in, I noticed bits of 2018 overflowing into the new year.
And the thing is?
I felt every moment of it.
I'm pretty sure most, if not all of us can summarize 2018 exhaustively as, 'What the what?'
Not to worry, I'm not about to relive 2018. I'm talking about new beginnings, remember? While others are busy spring cleaning and getting ready for the next year, Fulbrighters in Korea are focused on whether they choose to renew or not.
For some of us, the decision is easy, while others struggle. Like the onslaught of pollen, so many thoughts fly around clogging up the path towards decisions we wish to make, and really...we just want to breath again. At the beginning of our grant years, we all came with goals in mind.
As each day gets carried off by the falling leaves, frozen fingers are challenged to keep up with the changing seasons and its new demands. Through our grant year we are tested and we change our minds about our goals, possibly multiple times.
I've spoken with various Fulbrighters in Korea. Some of them have similar stories, whereas others are definitely having a much different experience during this 'should I stay or should I go' period. Just like the beginnings of spring, it's a hot/cold situation. Winter still clinging despite everyone hoping to see flowers bloom and not wear long padding anymore.
A Fulbrighter explained it as a game of Uno when someone plays the Reverse Uno card. In one breath, the decision is going down a steady path, and the next...it's going the complete opposite. It's these moments that we weather out. We talk to our fellow Fulbrighters, we continue having our experiences in Korea without pause. A few of us are at ease during this time, and they are the lucky ones. They get to play an Uno game without many plot twists. The other game that is being played has a multitude of unexpected twists and turns, and there isn't an end in sight until all the cards have been played.
And a decision has been made.
If a Fulbrighter isn't jumping between hot/cold and Reverse cards, then did they really move abroad? Did they truly challenge themselves and commit to being cultural ambassadors?
A Fulbrighter's first year is a year of realizations and new experiences. From humid summer days at Orientation to cool evenings during our first months of teaching to the freezing winds bringing snow, we start to learn more about a country so different from our own.
A country that thrives despite the weather or hardships around them. Just like a Fulbrighter.
As snow melts and the cherry blossoms touch the sky, we begin to make our final decisions. The decision that will outline the next three hundred and sixty-five days of our revolving lives.
Do we stay for a second year, and deepen our bond with Korea?
Do we stay for a third?
Do we switch programs, because we just completed our third year and aren't ready to leave yet?
Do we stay calm, because the decision was never really a problem to begin with?
Or do we go home, and see what happens next?
So, perhaps Spring time isn't just about new beginnings, but for the hope of something more.
And maybe that’s something worth carrying into the Summer.
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There you have it. My first adventure into being published (not on my blog). Tell me your thoughts. What did you think about Spring? Could you move across the world for a year? What would you do in Korea if you could visit? Would you stay for a second or third year? Don't be shy!
And as always,
#SaveOurToya
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