Studying abroad is an unforgettable opportunity for people to learn about a new culture, language and themselves. It is also a wonderful time to share these experiences with friends and families back home. By creating a blog, a person is able to communicate with friends and family about these new experiences even though they are physically separated. Through writing descriptive entries and posting interesting pictures, the author of the blog can excite the readers and create a feeling of sharing the experience together.
During my study abroad or “gap year” in Korea last year, I created a daily blog to describe my experiences and keep in touch with my close friends and family. Everyday I would post pictures of my experiences. For example, when I visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest and most beautiful palace in Seoul, I posted pictures I took and wrote brief information about each picture. Experiencing the beauty of Gyeongbokgung Palace was truly an unforgettable experience for me because of its rich history and unique architecture. However, I wanted other people to also share this experience and learn about the beauty of Korean culture and history. Through my blog I was able to do so. Seeing the positive responses from my closest friends and family brought made me happy. I felt fulfilled knowing I was able to educate people about a country that has a special place in my heart.
Writing my blog also helped me adjust to living overseas. While I was in Korea, I would include short summaries of the events that occurred on certain days along with the pictures. By writing these posts, I was able to overcome my homesickness and lessen any of the worries my friends and family had.
Also, I found that by writing my blog I was able to bring out my creative side. I took more pictures than I usually do when visiting places and I was more aware of the history and background of the places and people I encountered. Blogging even allowed me to create new friends or rediscover old friends. Sometimes, I received an email from someone I didn’t know or had known long ago after they saw my blog. They would email me questions about my experience. Overall, creating a blog can truly connect you to yourself and to the outside world.
I found your post extremely interesting, because studying abroad is something I have always wanted to do but never had the opportunity. I understand that the information in your blog might be quite personal and if that is the case, feel quite free to ignore this request; but I would like to read it if you don't mind sending me the link.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog makes me want to study abroad even more and keep a blog while I do it! That's a great idea and I could keep my friends and family updated on my adventures! Reading this entry has made me excited for blogs!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Kristin. Your tone is very friendly and open, and sharing your personal experience with blogging in the past is very inviting to readers. Also, I love your blog template! In the future, you might consider putting a space between your paragraphs (since the indentation here is pretty minor) to help break things up visually, but that's entirely up to you.
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