December{12/16-12/25} 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

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Monthly Favorites

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Moods:

Excited, Adventurous, Curious, Relaxed

Welcome to my last blog post. December's second part is the final arc of my journey. Let’s start by talking about the biggest enemy and the final boss! FINALS EXAM WEEK. The midterm season taught me a lot about preparing and studying at least a month beforehand. Knowing my weakness is memorization I knew I needed to give myself a month to study the material and that I did. My exam week ran from 12/16-12/22 which is a bit later than those from other Universities but I liked this because it gave me more time to study. I had three final exams and all went pretty well I was still anxious about my grade results but at least I was done. (writing this on 1/12, I am proud to announce I could pass all my classes!). During this time I was also packing to head to my hotel accommodation as my dorm move-out day was about 4 days ahead of my departure date which would be on Christmas. I highly recommend packing as soon as December 1st comes up as it saved me a lot of stress from reorganizing stuff from scratch and it being such a busy time it helped a lot with managing responsibilities. My move-out date was on  12/22 (the day of my final exam) so I was glad I packed in advance so that I would just be hauling my stuff to the hotel. Special shoutout to Suk Wen and Olina for coming out to help move my stuff because it was a STRUGGLE. Throughout this week it felt great to check in to the hotel (FYI it is the same hotel as when I first landed in Korea) and just relax. The moving-out process in Sogang was quite easy as all you had to do was clean your dorm empty and notify your assistant when you were leaving. 

Apink & Dreamcatcher Concert: On the dates of 12/21 and 12/24 I had tickets for the groups Apink and Dreamcatcher. Let’s first talk about Apink! So this group is my favorite girl group from the second generation and so I was glad that they announced they had a concert while I was still in Korea. The journey to the venue was quite alright as I took a bus there, although it was quite crowded with others who were also gonna see Apink. I was so excited and they did not disappoint. They sang my favorite songs such as Mr.Chu and I don’t know quite older songs but I am glad they sang it to commemorate how far they have been active in the industry. I was so in love with the Christmas theme they had going on and I returned with ticket cards that I will be taking home with me. Second-generation groups are just so talented and amazing performers. Now moving on to the best group to ever exist as a full-fledged Insomnia. Dreamcatcher! I am so happy that they had a fan meeting announced just the day before I left Korea! I thought this had to be a sign from the study abroad higher-ups because I was able to see them. Let me tell you!! They always ATE with their performances! Like Apink they had a Christmas theme going on which was so amazing to watch. They sang all of my favorite songs such as Boca, Scream, Odd Eye, Bon Voyage, and Maison. I remember screaming at the top of my lungs because I just could not believe I was able to see them live in Korea. I just felt grateful for this moment and that this was such a gift for me. To those reading and are K-pop fans yourself I do hope you can see your favorite groups performed because this feeling is something I cannot describe other than JOY and pure happiness. 

I've spent my final moments in Korea going shopping for gifts and eating to my heart's content. As finals ended, I was able to enjoy myself and the company with my friends. We did a lot of stuff together which included, going to Noraebang and singing to our heart's content, eating lunch and dinner together, going to a ski rink, and shopping in Myeongdong and Seoul Station for snacks and items to bring home. Take the time to visit Christmas attraction as well! This was my favorite memory in Korea as we were just in disbelief that we would be leaving soon. I also took this time to pack as I had bought additional items to bring to the airport. I knew from day 1 I would be bringing overweight luggage home so the only problem was just trying to fit everything into three suitcases. Luckily everything did fit and so it was only time until we moved out of the hotel. Before the night of heading to the Airport, we celebrated two birthdays for our dear friends Caitlin and Alexis as their birthdays fell on this month. It was quite fun to plan this as it was a surprise party for both individuals! Throughout the night we sang Happy Birthday and just enjoyed each other's company as, Olina, and Suk Wen would be leaving the next day. Our other friend Arisa (another scholar) left earlier and headed home back to Hawai’i, so we missed her dearly during this time as well. 

Final Message to My Study Abroad Journey:

As I am writing this short paragraph on the taxi ride back to Incheon Airport, I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who supported me throughout this journey. My mother, my family, and my friends back at home THANK YOU for always being there whenever I felt homesickness and needed someone to talk to. Thank you to past scholars whom I reached out to such as Maria and Mandy for their advice and wise words. Thank you to Caitlin, Arisa, Suk Wen, Alexis, Olina, Siena, and Keiko for making my adventure of studying abroad never lonely. I am glad to come back home proudly saying that I grew independently, gained so many friendships, discovered what my likes and dislikes are, gained a blind box addiction, and itched to travel and see the world again. I cannot thank you enough Freeman Foundation for their generous support as without them I would have possibly struggled to financially fund my study abroad ventures. To THOSE who made it at the end of reading my blog and journey, DO IT! GO SEE THE WORLD if you ever have the opportunity to study abroad, PLEASE DO. It is scary at first, but I can promise you that you will never regret anything you did in your host country and these memories you make while abroad will be a special one to take when you're older. I have never thought I would be able to see what the world has to offer if it weren't for my program and the people who supported me, but importantly MYSELF as I grew so brave throughout this short moment. If you have any questions or need any advice, please please please do not hesitate to reach out to me either by email: at favis@hawaii.edu or if you ever see me at the Shidler College of Business. 

This was Russell Quelnan, Fall 2024 Freeman Scholar. 

THANK YOU <3

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Locations:

Incheon, South Korea

Seoul, South Korea

Tokyo, Japan