Many people dream of being exchange students, and I was one of them. Being an exchange student in Norway, a country not well-known to Koreans, made it even more special. "C'est la vie" is a French phrase that means "that's life." It expresses emotions of being both happy or sad. I learned this phras

Looking at all the photos that I took last fall and winter, it all feels like a dream. All the beautiful scenery and beautiful smiles in the photos were taken when I was an exchange student. Those times showed me a different world and broadened my perspectives. I always had a vague dream of living a

I decided to study abroad because I just wanted to live in the USA at least for a year. I expected to use English, live alone, have new experiences, and meet many people there. I have heard that regrets come from results not from the process. I am still trying to keep it as a core memory and not reg

Imagine reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English 24/7 in a completely different country that has a totally different culture! Wouldn't it be exciting? Every day is a challenge and a series of achievements. It might be a little stressful because it's harder than you think to be thrown int

When you arrive at Oslo airport, you can first see the word, 'Velkommen' which means 'Welcome' in Norwegian. Imagine you are in a country alone where you have never even heard the kind of language they use. A strange country, strange language, and strange people made me feel like I was all alone. Ne

'The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must destroy a world.' This is one of the sayings in Herman Hesse's novel 'Demian.' I would say this expression encapsulates my exchange student life. While living in Korea, I finally realized that I was 'a big fish in

Do you know about SIWA, the leadership group of SMWU? It has continued friendship with the Mujigae Camp, the group which mostly consists of Korean adoptees' families in the U.S. Despite the Covid-19 situation, foreign exchange programs have not stopped for SIWA. At first, we were disappointed becaus

Imagine waking up in the morning and seeing the Alps rising up in front of your eyes. It's an everyday part of life in Konstanz. If things I have never experienced in my life become the most common things I meet in a new place, it is only natural that I feel awkward in the gap between them. However,

There was a phrase that I always kept in my mind during my student exchange period. "Don't be shabby by poverty for a while. Throw away the idea that you have something to lose. Treat every situation as a device of romance. It is a privilege of youth." It was the past four months when I wasn't afrai