I came here, to South Korea two months ago, and I’m planning to stay here for a year. I won the lottery four months ago and when I first won the lottery, I didn’t know what to spend it all on. When I was just a normal middle-class girl, I used to want so many things. My own apartment, a new car, new clothes, bags, accessories… but when I actually hit the jackpot, I no longer wanted the things I had wanted before. For two months, I stayed at home wondering what I could spend it on. I mean, I couldn’t hold onto it forever. Then, after thinking through multiple times, I decided to go back to my home country to just enjoy the life I’ve been dreaming about since middle school.
During my teenage years, I had always envied Korean girls who lived a life that I could’ve lived if I didn’t choose my future over Korea. Every time I went to Korea over the summer, I was envious of their lifestyles… their everything… from smaller things like riding the subway everyday to bigger things like being surrounded by family during the holidays. To them, it was something normal, but to me, it seemed impossible. I had always wanted to become one of them, but I just could never bring myself to give up my dream and my education here in the United States.
The lottery gave me a chance to live in South Korea like I wanted to for all of my adolescent years. Before, living in Korea without a part-time job for a year would have been impossible. It was just way too expensive. After I won the lottery, I didn’t need to worry about the cost, and I knew that it was going to be worth every penny.
I just love everything about my life here in Korea, so far. Communicating more comfortably, being less self-conscious, eating Korean food all day, and most importantly, being with my family and friends. Every morning, I get ready to go outside with confidence. I never had this confidence before I came here. I then meet my best friend at the subway station to go to our college. She, like me, studied in the U.S and understands me more than any other friends I have. After school, we take the subway to the bustling city that we love with all our hearts, and go from shop to shop trying new things that we weren’t able to back in the U.S. When it starts getting dark, we say goodbye for twenty minutes before heading home. Every night, I turn on the television to watch Korean shows that I enjoy watching and read books that aren’t available in the United States.
At times when my friends are unavailable, I go outside to the city by myself and go to the top of the Namsan Tower. I look at how beautiful Korea really is from above. I think about how comfortable I am here. Then, I start wondering. What would have I been doing if I had lived here? Do I want to move here permanently after I graduate from medical school? I think about how fast time is flying by. The two months I’ve been here feels like two weeks. I just want to freeze the time and live here. Forever.
During holidays, I go to where my family stays and spend the holidays together with them… something that had stopped in second grade when I first moved to America. This was something I took for granted when I was really young. My family and I eat the tasty Korean dishes and talk about our lives, which makes me feel more love than I’ve ever felt in so long.
I don’t want to talk about it, but when the time comes and I have to go back, I know I won’t want to leave. But I know I have to. When I go back to the U.S and to my old life, I know I’ll never forget the good memories I made over the twelve months I’ve been here. I know I’m going to forever thankful for the win that left me with precious memories that will give me strength in my darkest times.