I am now going on Summer #3 spent mostly on my own, however, this year has been blatantly different. Most of my past Summers were spent in sadness, loneliness, and a desperate hunger that was overshadowed by my sadness. After I left my last teaching job and put my focus on learning video editing, the basics of drawing, the basics of photography, and the foundations of graphic design, I didn’t give my brain the chance to process and heal until later on. During this pandemic and quarantine, I’ve allowed myself to face my worries one by one however I needed to do so. I almost feel proud to say that I let myself cry, laugh, learn, and go forward after encountering each worry (it has been a lot of crying). It feels really good to look back and see that I embraced every negative and found ways to make something good out of it.
This year is my final Summer in South Korea. It’s surreal to even type that. There’s a finish line, and at the beginning of the season, I made the decision to make the conscious effort to make amends with this country so that I can leave with peace in my mind and heart. I know that if I leave without doing so, I will feel an unnecessary bitterness, and who wants to live with that feeling? It’s been difficult, and the extra hot days don’t exactly make it easy to smile, but they do make the best days to enjoy an ice cream or an iced coffee and appreciate the flavors I can only taste here.
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