Recently, I had to say goodbye to a good friend.

Jungeun came here last January from Korea to study English. I had signed up to be a Conversation Partner for a student in the program, and Jungeun and I were paired together. I'll never forget how excited she was to be making her first American friend. Needless to say, I was very happy that I had been given the opportunity to be that friend.

Becoming a conversation partner has been one of the most rewarding opportunities I have ever been given. It is truly amazing to see the excitement and desire many of the foreign students have to meet people and experience American culture. Although it may be intimidating, especially for someone who isn't comfortable with the language, this type of arrangement makes it easy to initiate the friendship. And while its purpose is to help the student learn English, the experience is beneficial in many more ways. Understanding people and building personal relationships is such a vital part of our lives, and this provides a way to do so for two people that have lived completely different lives. The things one learns are really innumerable, and truly, you begin to see that there is an understanding and a communication between human beings that transcends words.

That being said, I will truly miss my friend. She is now living in Minnesota, where her cousin also lives, and will continue to study English at a college there. Going into this, one knows that eventually there must be a goodbye, after which it is not known when you will see one another again. Even so, the experience of making such a good friend is definitely worth it, and surely something I will do again.

Jungeun and I

My awesome farewell present