Tell us About Yourself​

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Throughout my life, I’ve had to move to another country just after settling in. Adults said that frequent experiences would numb your emotions—positively or negatively—to the transition. However, the sorrow brought by farewells and the excitement from anticipation of a new home always felt new. I had to develop immunity to such intense emotions and learn to temper them as I followed my mom’s relentless international travel.

With age, the goodbyes grew harder because I could express my feelings and empathize with others. I felt disconnected and lost when I moved from Korea to France the day after my elementary school entrance ceremony. After I hurriedly left behind my first European friends to return to Korea, I had to readjust again. Korea no longer felt like home, and I needed time to reestablish my Korean identity.

Later, I found myself moving to neighboring Japan before graduating elementary school, only to land back in Korea before finishing middle school. What could a mere middle schooler do when faced with “adult business”? Like a baby, I cried after forcing a fake smile in front of my friends.

The blurred distinction between my various cultural experiences and personal identity has always confused me. Nevertheless, I built resiliency by adapting to each environment and learning the values of change and loss. Farewells still hurt, but I now view these moments as rare exposures to novel, international communities. Seventeen years and seven relocations later, I’ve learned to cherish memories, capitalize on my current situation, and anticipate future challenges. The components of my identity will not only harmonize but solidify as I openly embrace change, the one constant of life.

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