My world changed when I began volunteering. I believe that all high school and college students should be required to volunteer for at least one in their life ... Thanks to this unique opportunity, I got to know people from different countries with different cultures and states of mind ... This trip enriched me with an indispensable experience and unforgettable memories ... I was a shy person in the beginning, but now I am more confident. I also encountered a lot of obstacles that I had to overcome, such as culture shock and work-related problems, but I was able to complete my activities smoothly with the help of the other friends.
I believe that volunteering encourages people to think of others and become compassionate young adults. It is definitely the perfect way to discover something you may be excellent at, or develop a new skill. Besides, volunteering brings together a diverse range of people from all walks of life - a way to understand the values of helping people in need. Furthermore, I took a chance to improve my English-speaking and Korean-speaking skills, to contribute as a volunteer and to develop myself by practicing. This brought me a unique experience, the understanding of the life of people on the island, new encounters, etc.
In conclusion, I finally got out of my "normal" world and stepped into the world of other people. What I have gained from those activities were so precious in comparison to the short amount of time I gave for the volunteer work. Thank you very much for everything, Jangdo.
Helping people isn’t always easy. The workcamp is not the work of an individual; it is unconditionally a team effort. As much as I want to help people, I’ve never been an extrovert and I feel out of place in large groups. Living in a small space with six girls and eating together with at least nine people for most meals is therefore not exactly my forte. I knew, coming into this, that I would be mentally and physically challenged not only by the volunteering but by the volunteers. "For the first time in my life, I realized that as an adult, when you feel backed into a corner and unable to overcome a hardship, you cannot simply run and hide. You have to face it head on, and become a better person in the process. And so I did that, and I feel more confident in my ability to overcome hardships now as a result. I wouldn’t have been able to do that, however, without the help of my teammates. We laughed together, cried together, and grew together. Even when I felt too weak or pathetic to go on, they lifted me up, and we all carried each other over the finish line. In life, I know there is more than one finish line, but I feel so lucky to have met such amazing people. We are all still friends; some of us are in different cities, or even different countries, but we all share the same life-altering experience of ten days on Jangdo. It was unbelievably challenging, but unbelievably rewarding. And I cannot stress enough just how big an impact that experience has had on me.
We often have funny scenes in which English and Korean are used at the same time, which is also a manifestation of our mutual tolerance.
For six days and five nights, we work hard together to complete the task and then rest together. We slept and ate like a family in the same space. Of course, we also play around like ordinary friends and make some jokes.
At this point, I also deeply experienced a kind of cultural charm of Korea. Our Korean members express their gratitude without hesitation in front of each member's work results. This is not only a respect for each other, but also a good manifestation of personal cultivation. I regret my shortcomings in this regard, but I sincerely thank every member of our group.
More often, less than a week brings me more touching. Due to the epidemic, our project had to shorten the time. In addition, I was the last member to join, so this experience is both precious and lucky for me. I have lived in Korea for nearly four years, but I always feel that I can't fit in. Because I used to have a very deep stereotype. For this I am ashamed. But it is precisely in the changes of some things this year that I learned to let go of some things ... When our Korean members warmly greeted old people they didn't know, we also said "안녕하세요" like a group of children. There was no resistance at that moment, it was all-natural instinct ... On the last night, we saw a sky full of stars that were almost invisible in the city ... The idea at that moment is that everything is worth it.
These six days and five nights are special experiences for each of us, with good and bad things happening. I really appreciate this opportunity given to me by workcamp, my other nine friends, two special members, and the residents of 생일도. In this opportunity, I rushed into the waves after a long absence. Reconfirmed me that my choice was not wrong.