When she was four, she started periodically visiting her family in South Korea. She would spend two to four weeks in South Korea at a time. Even at a young age, she experienced two cultures at once, which expanded her horizon and paved the path for her future self. Over 10 years later, Grace Kim ’29 continues to return to South Korea, growing every time she goes.
For Kim, each visit is memorable, but there are some things that make each new experience better than the others. She enjoys the contrast between the scenery of big cities such as Seoul, Busan, and Gwangju, and that of the quieter villages. She particularly enjoys visits to the villages near her grandparent’s houses, such as Cheongju-si and Pyeongchang-gun.
“Last year I went to Seoul, visited the Starfield library, and wore a traditional Korean dress called a Hanbok at the Gyeongbokgung Palace,” Kim said.
Aside from her immediate family, who live in Fort Worth, the majority of Kim’s family lives in South Korea. She balances her time there between family moments and fun activities. For example, she has been able to catch a few concerts, such as the TWICE concert, and tried parachuting near her grandmother’s hometown.
Another part of her yearly visits that Kim enjoys is the food. In America, Kim’s mother sometimes cooks Korean food, but most of the time Kim eats regular American cuisine. However, some of her favorite foods are Korean such as tteokbokki, which are like spicy rice cakes; hotteok, which are sugar cinnamon and nut filled pancakes; and naengmyeon, which are cold noodles. She especially loves bingsu which is a Korean shaved ice dessert. And of course, coffee.
“I enjoy the food when I visit Korea because the Korean food in America isn’t quite the same,” Kim said.
Kim’s whole family looks forward to this trip every year. Her mom is often unable to join them due to her job, but last year she was able to come. Kim’s older sister, Joy, is in college at Rice and does not have much free time. The family’s trip to Korea is a great way for them to take a break from their busy lives and connect with each other.
Last year, the Kim family was able to rent an AirBnB in Seoul next to their cousin Sarah’s house. Kim enjoys meeting family and friends every year. Each morning, Kim, her sister, and her mom walk Sarah’s dog, talking and enjoying each other’s company. Kim loves the experiences she gets to be a part of in South Korea.
“It was amazing, and one day we went to the Gyeongbokgung Palace. My sister and I borrowed traditional Korean dresses called Hanbok and wore them around the palace,” Kim said. “My sister got a green one, and I got a blue one. My mom tried it on and resorted to walking in the gardens with her sister-in-law.”
Kim really enjoys the way of living there. She loves the free time she has during her time there when she gets so busy in America. She loves being able to speak her native language freely and meeting people similar to her. To her, the food, culture, scenery, and people are so much better in Korea than in America.
“What I truly love is the culture, language, and how at home I feel,” Kim said. “Overall, I’m grateful for sharing Korean culture with my family when I don’t have much opportunity to do so in Texas.”
