Assignment #3 - Irene Kim

Up until a couple years ago, I'd never really had a great relationship with traveling. My parents are first-generation immigrants from South Korea; right after getting married, they moved to Texas to study abroad and had me. I don't have any memories of the place because three years later, we moved to Chicago, only to move to Michigan six months later. I still partially consider Michigan to be my hometown because I have the most childhood memories there, but Kentucky is definitely my home. Eight years after having me, my parents were able to find a stable, permanent job and we've lived here since.

Moving from state to state as a kid, I hated having to make new friends and adjust to new schools--but I think those experiences have ended being very valuable to me. I now love traveling, and take any opportunity to explore someplace new. The most meaningful out-of-country experience has definitely been Korea. Excluding me and my parents, my entire family lives there, so we always have someplace to stay when we visit. We don't get to go very often, but when we do, we're always greeted with lots of hugs, great food, and lots and lots of cousins. I particularly love visiting the Korean marketplace, or 시장, because it's full of food and clothes and a rich cultural community, as well as the downtown shopping area with my cousins. It's always so interesting to see different interpretations of retail chains--Costco's have traditional Korean food on their menus, and the McDonald's there are excessively high-end. In terms of social responsibility, I've found that there is a stronger sense of family obligation. Our extended family has a tendency to take any and all opportunity to get together, and anytime we go out for food or to complete a quick errand, everyone goes together. Although this was tiring at first, I now cherish these experiences and hold them in great esteem, because family always comes first. :)

As of within the U.S., the most meaningful places to me are, as previously mentioned, Texas, Michigan, and Kentucky. As for shorter trips, my family and I often visit Duluth (near Atlanta, GA) for its Koreatown, as well as Gatlinburg for hiking trips. I haven't been many times, but I would love to visit Florida again--of course for Disney World and Universal Studios. :) One of my most ambitious goals is to visit all fifty states in my lifetime, which I think would be not only educationally enriching but incredibly meaningful culturally.

All in all, traveling has been one of the most meaningful endeavors of my life, and I hope my family and I continue to pursue it as such. To visit someone else's hometown and immerse yourself in their culture is an infinitely valuable experience.