Focus on…Inventing

Could you imagine creating a false identity and infiltrating the very inner circles of New York’s elite? Well, it happened except for the parts that didn’t. I finished watching Inventing Anna on Netflix which is a new show created by Shonda Rhimes on Netflix. A motivational figure in my life invited me to think about the ways we “invent” ourselves. If you think about it, we’re constantly inventing ourselves. I’m doing it this very second and you are too. We’re adapting and evolving to the environment and scenarios arounds us.

As I’ve begun to experience Korean society I’d be remiss to say I didn’t feel over stimulated sometimes. The smell of beef bulgogi simmering in the hot pot, the neon hangul(Korean Alphabet) illuminating the back alley ways of the city streets or the combined inaudible sound of the hundreds of people talking. It’s a sight to see. I’m consciously trying and succeeding to invent a version of myself that is comfortable with the uncomfortable. Let’s use my day(02/21/22) as a case study. If you want to truly experience Korean society you have to get your vaccination approved by a local health clinic. Without this approval, you can’t do tasks such as eating at a Korean BBQ establishment or browse your favorite clothing boutique. Getting this covid vaccination approval form was no easy feat. After a tumultuous walk through campus littered with graduation banners. Side note, in Korea graduation banners of the graduates are made by their friends to celebrate their achievements. Followed by a bus-ride where we were definitely “those foreigners” we arrived at the health clinic. We probably spent 2 hours enduring bone-chilling wind hitting us. Eventually, I received my Korean vaccination approval and was free to venture about. Me and some friends unanimously decided that we needed some food immediately. The restaurant we went to served some Chinese food and it was delicious. At that point, you may be ready to call it quits for the day. I know I was. However, I’d only scratched the surface of the night.I hadn’t hung out with my boys yet so I found the energy within me to hang with them and honestly I’m glad I did. Not only did we kill it at Karaoke but I got to try a delectable gourmet donut. At least, that’s what the advertisement said.

The days are long but the nights are longer here. There’s so much to do and I understand that it is impossible to do everything with my limited time here. I am actively inventing and living a version of myself that eagerly welcomes the unknown. Whether it’s deciding to go on an adventure with a Peruvian student I’d just met or take our Seoul city scavenger hunts to new heights, I’m open to all of it. I can’t wait to see where the “Inventing of David” takes me. As you constantly reinvent yourself, remember to center yourself in the qualities that make you, you. School starts soon and I’m pumped for all of what this semester will hold.