All people experience different seasons in life. Each is designed to teach us lessons that will eventually shape who we are. And even if we don’t have control to some of these events, we can always choose how we will let it affect us in the long run.

2016 was a particularly hard year. Due to helping some students who experienced sexual abuse, some of my repressed childhood traumatic memories came back. And my usual happy days slowly turned into teary nights no matter what I tried. Now, when people hear about my so called “great depression,” they also always hear next about the place that led me to my healing.

My visit to South Korea in 2017 started by meeting two angels, a young firefighter-doctor couple, in Busan who helped my friend and I find our accommodation. It was my first contact with Koreans, and I would never forget how they literally turned from their usual downtime night jog, after a tiring shift, just to walk us to our building. It was a promising start, and though some may say that not all Koreans are the same, I’ve never met one who was impolite and unaccommodating to a traveler like me.

I remember walking by Haeundae Beach, fine sands on my feet, and my college friend busy gushing over the “I Love my Bros” air balloon currently hovering. I remember the rain that fell while we were roaming around the colorful Gamcheon Culture Village, while watching the waves kiss the rocks along the shoreline of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, and while immersing myself with the history and nature of Songdo Skywalk. I remember thinking that I didn’t care if my clothes and bags were getting wet, because all it felt like was that the rain was washing away my tears and pain.

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