The world is wide, diverse and beautiful!

Hello, everyone. I am Habin Kweon, an exchange student from Ewha Woman's University in Seoul, South Korea. I was born and lived in Seoul all my life. So one semester in Remagen was really impressive for me. Seoul is the capital of Korea and the largest city. So it's comfortable and fancy, but I couldn't relax with the natural scenery. But Remagen here gave me a completely different experience from Seoul. Remagen gave me the leeway and the opportunity to reflect on myself.

To be honest, I didn't adapt to Remagen's daily life from the beginning. Unlike Seoul, where the lights are lit until late at night and there are many shops and restaurants open 24 hours a day without holidays, Remagen has no buses after 9 p.m., and all stores are closed on holidays. This Remagen's daily life was inconvenient for me, who likes to go around late at night and spend time in stores or restaurants on holidays. But as time went by, I knew I could enjoy the weekend without doing these things. Every weekend, I was lost in thought while taking a walk on the Rhine River, and I rode my bike and ran aimlessly throughout the village, blowing away all my worries. The scent of strawberries from the strawberry field that I encountered while riding a bicycle gave me unforgettable memories and ecstasy. All of these were things I could never do in Seoul, and I wouldn't have known if I hadn't come to Remagen. Instead of being fast and convenient in Seoul, I also had to move busily. Sometimes I forget what I'm busy with, and sometimes I just live a busy life without the purpose to keep up with others. However, as I came to Remagen and walked and rode a bicycle with nature, I became a person who knew what I lived for and who I was.

Also, while I was in Germany, I realized once again how diverse the world is. Meeting and talking with many friends at RAC, it was very fascinating to see people from various nationalities and backgrounds gathered in one place. And when these diverse people were together, I could hear about their culture naturally and learn a lot. In addition, I felt a lot of positive synergies when these various people gathered. I travelled to many countries in Europe while I was here. Remagen was very close to CGN Airport, so it was really convenient to travel anywhere in Europe. While travelling around Europe, I was able to see historical sites and landmarks of each country, and through them, I was able to learn the history of each country and the cultures created by these histories. The culture of feeling and learning while travelling was completely different from what I saw in books. Until now, I had heard that the world was really wide and diverse, but I didn't realize it. However, while travelling, I deeply realized how diverse the world is and how wide the world is by communicating with people from various countries and walking through alleys in various countries. And I was very touched when people who thought they would be just different from me felt love in the same place as me and expressed affection.

Besides this, I learned a lot here. At first, I was reluctant to give a presentation, but I experienced it in almost every class and got used to it. I played, talked, and travelled with various exchange student friends, and made many unforgettable memories. The semester I spent here in Remagen, Germany, and even in Europe, became a great asset in my lifetime, and everything I learned, thought and felt here had a very positive effect on my values.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the teachers, professors, and friends who have been with me for this perfect semester.