It has been 2 years since living abroad...

Today is my 2 year anniversary of being back home. Sometimes I can't believe it has already been 2 years and other times I feel like it has been longer. Living abroad does something to a person that changes them forever. I still have days where I wish I can move back and travel the World and be with other expats but then there are days where I remember where I am and am so thankful to be here. Today, I am going to talk about how it has been for me to settle back into living back home. I am not going to talk about everything I have done over the past 2 years, because you can just look at my Instagram account for that, I am going to describe how living in Korea for 2 years and living back home has changed me and how I look at things now.

(Again. I love lists, it helps me sort things out better, so here is my list:)

• Family:
• One of the hardest parts about living abroad was not being close to my family. I missed them so much and would talk to them everyday if I could. But when you are in another Country with no family around you, you start to develop relationships with the people around and form your own little family. (Shout out to my Boseong family! I miss you and all our times together!) It's funny when you are away from someone, you miss them and then when you are back into the same routine with the same people you tend to forget how important they are to you. Now that I have lived with my family for 2 years now (way longer than expected) I am constantly having to remind myself how lucky I am to have a family that loves me and takes care of me. I am truly blessed with the people God has put in my life and sometimes have to remember to not take things for granted.

• Friendships:
• One thing I don't understand about America (and I am not the only one who has noticed this, my expat friends agree) is why is it so hard to meet people and build friendships? This was one of the most difficult problems I was facing when I got back home. After being away for 2 years, my life was completely changed. People from the past had moved on with their lives and I was trying to create a new one while also trying to figure out how to live in America again and get over reverse culture shock. In Korea, everyone becomes friends with one another, even if you just met. This is because we don't have anyone else to cling to, we don't have our groups from high school or college, we only have each other. I write this, not because I don't have any friends at home, I am so thankful for all the friendships that God has put in my life, I seriously have the best friends ever. I write this, because I feel like it is a good reminder for us to think about others as we meet new people. I know what it feels like to be the one to not have friends and the feeling of being uncertain on how I was going to meet them, but I got out of my comfort zone and went to a church that I found online and met the most wonderful people there. So the next time we meet someone who is taking a leap of faith to meet new friends, remember to help them feel welcomed and appreciated because we weren't created to live life on our own. 

• Reminiscing:
• I love talking about Korea. I was forever changed by my time in Korea and will always call it my second home. Coming back home, I quickly realized people like to hear about my time in Korea the first time they hear that I lived overseas but any time after that, I have talked about it too much. Maybe people don't think like that at all but that is how I feel sometimes. After 2 years this is why I am blogging about it years later. Please forgive me if I call my college "University" or call the Singing Rooms "Noraebangs" or use the Korean face masks that no one has seen until now, or love taking people to Korean food. Korea is a part of me that I do not want to forget and if I can remember the little things that I enjoyed while I was there, I feel like I am still there. I believe everyone goes through this in their own way once you have travelled overseas for either a missions trip, vacation, or occupation. You come back with life experiences that the people back home don't understand and you wish they could understand what you just went through but they can't. Another little nugget of advice, (take it from someone who has felt this feeling multiple times in my life after my various mission trips) people want to come home and feel like people are interested in hearing about their time and stories. They want you to be patient with them as they process everything they went through. So, if a loved one, friend, or acquaintance has just gotten back from a trip listen to their stories and be patient with them as they learn how to take their experiences and bring it back with them in the now. 

• Travelling:
• Of course this is on my list! This is probably one of the most things I miss about being back home. Luckily, this is something I have made sure to continue while being back home and have actually been able to go to some really cool places in Oregon and even got to take a trip to Canada. I hope to be able to travel the World again one day but until then, I will continue to explore Oregon and the places near me. There is so much beauty in the World, even in your own Country, State, and City! Go explore and see the beauty that is around you!

If I don't wrap it up, I am sure my list could go on. These are a few things that have been weighing on my heart as I come to the 2 year anniversary. I am not sure if anyone will read my little blog, but I felt like it would be a good finish to my Just Justine blog and a great way to process my thoughts. 

Thanks for supporting me and being with me during every season of my life before, during and after Korea. I love you all and hope for many more adventures in my life that I can update you on. Until then....