Moving; Is it a good idea?
The hardest part for Youjoo Lee ’21 was never the actual move, but the adjusting that required an effort.
As teenagers, social connection and cultural resonance are super important. Most of us at West High have known each other for years, and we can quickly make friends based on similar interests. However, the situation is entirely different for a newcomer. Not a girl who hasn’t attended a school in Iowa, but a girl who hasn’t even been to America. Yeah. Then it’s kinda hard to adjust.
Lee and Hyo Kyung, who currently lives overseas, have been great friends for several years. “Youjoo is … hard to define in one word. Well, there are two different sides. First one is when she is with her close friends or people she knows well. She is very outgoing and positive when she’s with them. She tends to talk about her thoughts or opinions straightforwardly and honestly,” Kyung said. “Second one is when she is with people that she doesn’t know well. She suddenly changes to a very introverted person and doesn’t talk a lot.”
Lee’s struggle with a big decision is amplified because of her introverted personality; moving to an entirely new place.
Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea and first moved to America in the summer of 2011 at age 10 as a result of her father’s medical career. Then, as a little ten year old, she saw the move as an opportunity for new experiences and a really fun time. Her one year stay in Iowa was relatively pleasant, relatively because while she did enjoy the peaceful environment and fresh air, South Korea still held her heart.
“The first time I lived here, I really missed Korea, so I actually really enjoyed going back,” Lee said. Lee went on to stay around five more years in Seoul. Life was pretty good. Unfortunately, life started getting too busy when high school started. A tough academic schedule occupied most of Lee’s time.
“When I went to high school, I just couldn’t do it anymore, because I didn’t even have time to think about what I want to do in my future,” Lee said.
So Lee convinced her entire family to move around the world, yet again, to Iowa in the summer of 2017 at age 16. Clearly, Iowa had struck a chord with her. Even though her ninth grade year here wasn’t that fantastic, she has learned to adjust. “Being separated overseas, I realize how important my friends and family are,” Lee said.
Her friends were dispirited, but they understood. “I was kind of disappointed that she never discussed about it with me,” Kyung said. “But she had already made her decision and I knew she wouldn’t change her mind so I just decided to be on her side and wish luck for her. It was really sad though.”
Fortunately, the new schedule has given Lee much more time to relax. She has even picked up playing tennis and restarted her Taekwondo lessons. Lee is now a black belt, and has kept in contact with her friends and emails them often. “(Something interesting about Youjoo is) that she maintains strong relationships with her friends back home,” said her math teacher, Mrs.Meyers, “She is quiet yet confident. She is an active learner who pays attention and follows along. She has a beautiful smile.”
Lee’s future goals include going to a good college here and continuing on to become either a doctor or a hotel manager. After that, who knows?
Lastly, Lee would like to give some pessimistic but essentially helpful advice for anyone planning on moving to a new country.
“I think that I’m not very good at adjusting to new environments. Last year, like the first year at West High, I had a really hard time making friends. I would say..….don’t think that, like everything is going to be fine.” She explained her reasoning, “I know that’s really negative, but the reality is that not everything will be good, that there will be no conflicts. It’s not like that, it is really hard to be in a different culture where no nobody knows who you are and nobody knows what your background is. So just be prepared for that.”