While my Plus3 South Korea experience has come to an end, I couldn’t have been happier to go with such a great group of students and make so many memories. After the long, enduring flight on our way back to the US from Korea, I can say that the jet lag I experienced was miserable, but so worth it. Being immersed in the culture of Seoul, I had great experiences that I will hold as memories for the rest of my life. My experience in Korea helped me become more adaptable and culturally competent in professional settings. I also developed my innovative thinking and creativity as I explored the different companies on our visits, learning about their systems and what makes them so creative and modernizing. Additionally, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit traditional landmarks and historical sites, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of Seoul’s history.

Beyond my professional work in Korea, I broadened my educational foundation in many meaningful ways. Being immersed in this foreign country, on the other side of the world, I was getting a glimpse of everyday life in Korea from their citizens’ perspective. The simple things, such as going to a local noodle house or Korean barbeque spot, allowed me to interact with Koreans, as some did not speak English. This language barrier was an opportunity for me to develop my cross-cultural communication skills. Additionally, we visited numerous large-scale companies such as Hyundai, Samsung, and TKE Elevators. My favorite company that we visited was Hyundai, not only because of my love for cars, but also the exceptional tour that we were given of the plant. The tour brought us through the entire manufacturing process, from the sheet metal to a beautiful vehicle ready to be sold at a local dealership. At TKE, we got to try out a few of their training mechanisms for their employees to know what to do in case of emergencies. For example, we tried the free fall machine, where the employees would be able to recognize the feeling of free falling, so that they could understand the difference if they were working on an elevator and something were to happen. We also tried the harness machine, which we got to strap into and try out the harnesses the engineers and elevator mechanics would use in the elevator shafts. This was a cool and fun experience that made the visit even more enjoyable. At the Samsung Innovation Museum, we were walked through the progression of Samsung’s technology. It was so fascinating to see the “old timey” devices, such as the televisions, and then the “futuristic” modern ones. My favorite part of this visit was seeing Samsung’s smart systems in action. All of their devices and appliances were connected to one another, and each was available at the push of a button on the cellular devices. On these visits, we had to prepare questions to get a better understanding of their systems. This allowed the visits to be more interactive with our tour guides and with some of the employees of the companies, as we got to know the team and their company better. Some of the companies have plants in the U.S., so it was a great opportunity to see the differences in how the South Korean plants run their operations.

Being in a foreign country, we needed to stay in groups throughout the trip. This was necessary for our safety so that no one would get lost or left behind, as the subway and public transportation systems were frantic at times. Throughout the trip, my group had to take videos and pictures of our group’s experiences at the historic landmarks, companies, and throughout the city. The purpose of this was to create a video at the end of the trip that captures a collage of all the memories we made on this journey. We also had to prepare a presentation at the end of the trip, where we gave a business pitch that we had brainstormed for a possible thriving business in Seoul. For our idea, we recreated the trash can as a smart version, automatically sorting general waste and recyclable materials. We chose this idea because there are not enough trash cans around the streets of Seoul, so we want to offer more accessible disposal opportunities. The main focus of our design was smart sorting, which is helpful due to most disposal areas having 5 different bins that were labeled in Korean. This is difficult for people, and especially foreigners, to know how to dispose of their materials. Smart sorting can also make it easier on users not to have to make the decision of which bin to dispose of in. Additionally, our trash can would heavily improve the waste management system, as no materials would be in the wrong category of disposal. Working on these projects, it was helpful to understand each other’s skills to know how to effectively complete these requirements. For example, one of my teammates had experience editing videos, so she was in charge of putting together the final video. This is an example of how we utilize each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which was achieved through our communication with one another. With the help of our pre-departure meetings, we were able to build connections with each other to make the entire trip a whole lot more enjoyable as a team.

Another key aspect in my development in Korea came from the social environment of professional life. Day after day, we had to wear appropriate business attire for company visits to look prepared and eager to learn about companies. This was a development in my comfort level to continuously be in a professional environment and surrounded by foreign technology. This environment is daunting to students, so overcoming the overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by such a large-scale corporation daily is crucial to prepare myself for my career. At these sites, my group had to analyze smart systems to build our creative thinking and come up with our smart system idea for our project. We had to cooperate with one another to understand these systems and figure out what made them so successful and innovative. This also enhanced my communication skills as we had to learn about the problems that these companies are facing, and learning how they dealt with it and how they strive for improvement in their product development and technology. After visiting so many companies, my group realized how competitive the tech industry is here, as it is held to such a high standard. This made me think of the pressure that comes with working at some of these big corporations like Samsung or Hyundai. Another aspect I developed was my responsibility to be a good role model to my peers in this professional setting. I worked on this by maintaining good posture throughout the visits, paying attention to the speakers, and asking intriguing questions that can allow everyone to become more engaged.

One of the biggest takeaways from this trip was the lifelong learning that I indulged in, making memories that will last forever. I am so grateful to have been able to go on this trip and have a global experience that I will never forget. I made many new friends on this trip and got the chance to wander the city of Seoul with them. A few of my favorite memories included shopping in the Coex mall, the Myeongdong district, and hiking. At the Coex mall, I found numerous clothes that I had to buy since the style in Korea is some of the best in the world. In Myeongdong, my friends and I tried many different street foods and went to a lot of the shops in the huge area. Lastly, our hike in Bukhansan National Park was one of the best experiences of my life. Reaching the top of that massive mountain was a great feeling, and to see the entire city of Seoul surrounding me was a beautiful sight to see. One of my favorite things about Korea was its focus on becoming a modern, tech powerhouse, while keeping its traditional landmarks and villages clean, original, and isolated. This truly shows how the country values its old ways but continues to progress with the modern world. I wish other countries would focus on this more, as it remembers its roots and what brought the country to where it is today. I am now comfortable putting myself in a new culture that is different than my own. This will be useful in my future travels around the world, which may be in the form of vacations or career-related. This trip was also inspiring for my future travels. Every moment, from guided tours to spontaneous street vendor stops, taught me something valuable about personal growth and global perspective. I am even more excited to travel the world as I grow up, and I hope to one day go back to Seoul and show my friends and family.