An Experience Cherished Forever

Hello,

My name is Kyeongjin Kim, an exchange student from Seoul, South Korea. I have spent a semester at RAC which is in a small town called Remagen. The 6 months I have spent in Remagen created so many unforgettable memories that I could cherish forever. 

When I first arrived in Remagen, I was surprised by how quiet it was, as I could not see many buildings and everything was full of nature. As I have lived in a busy city throughout my entire life, it was a little difficult to get used to a completely different environment. The buses came only once or twice an hour, there were not many restaurants or shops, and to do some shopping I had to take the train to get to other cities such as Bonn or Cologne. On top of that, I usually do not cook a lot back home, and to be honest, is a terrible cook. But since there were not many places to eat out and to save money, I had to cook often, which was definitely one of the difficulties I faced. 

However, I got used to the life in Remagen and learned to take things slowly. It would have taken quite some time to do this without the help of many friends and coordinators here. I learned how to cook authentic Italian pasta in a simple way from my Italian roommate, asked German words that I had no idea in the mart, and learned useful tips on living in Germany in general. What I liked especially about Remagen is the numerous houses on the mountains along with the beautiful Rhein. When the weather was sunny, I would walk down the street and simply stop to capture the sunlight shedding on the houses and the river. At night, there were countless stars in the sky, which I would stare for quite some time to soak up every second at that moment. 

A semester in Germany also taught me to be more open to people and get out of my comfort zone. I am quite an introvert, which makes me hard to get to people and consistently talk to them when I have just met them for the first time. However, every time I met someone new, I enjoyed talking to them and listening to their story, as everyone had different stories to share. Meeting different friends from all around the world, getting to know their cultures and lives was such a precious experience that I would not have been able to experience elsewhere. On top of that, traveling also helped me get out of my comfort zone and take one step further to understanding the world to a greater extent. I could use my time efficiently and travel to various parts of Europe, where I collected so many amazing memories. Every country was special in its own way, and I can say for sure that I could enjoy them to the fullest. Looking back, it is undeniable that the six months spent in Germany was truly an unforgettable experience. Each and every experience I had would be cherished forever.