Roberto Perez, '15, Harvard Summer School in Seoul Program-Summer 2012

After 14 hours of travel in a cramped seat I did not know what to expect in a new country. It was late June by the time I was airborne, and a small part of me was reluctant to start school so soon after only about two months of a summer vacation. However, despite struggling with jet lag for a few days, I made the right decision in coming to what I would discover to be one of the most exciting countries I have been able to experience.

I applied to the program because I had an interest in film and loved learning languages, so Harvard Summer School at Ewha ended up being the perfect program for me academically. I was excited for what the program offered on paper, but I immediately found that there was so much more than I could have expected. I worked closely with new people who quickly became my friends, practiced the little Korean that I was beginning to learn, and was able to learn about Korean culture first hand. However, in between practicing my Korean, editing lots of video clips, and exploring the country and Seoul through structured excursions, it was the little things that really made a summer in Korea so memorable.

Maybe it was those times when I was able to order a watermelon smoothie on my own, or finding that sometimes my shirt size was a two, an F, or a large. Or it could have been when I picked up a fork for the first time in a few weeks, only to opt for chopsticks moments later. Or it might have been the daily meals at Noodle Kimbob, or having freshly caught sea urchin with the ocean on feet away. Perhaps travelling down to Boryeong with some of the interns and their friends for a Mud Festival was what really made me realize how amazing Korea could be. If anything, it could have been hearing “Gangnam Style” for the first time the day it was released, days before it would reach friends back in the states.

I met some amazing people in Seoul, and I will long for the days when the subway played jolly little tunes every time a train approached and kimchi was served with every meal. My experience in Korea was absolutely unforgettable; the culture, the people, and the language have left a lasting impact, and I hope to return once more.