I did not know what feeling of home was like for a long time. I was born and raised in Korea until I turned ten. That is when my family of four decided to move to Canada. At the time, I was very upset about moving to Canada because I have only spent all of my ten years at one country that I know I belong to. I loved everything about Korea when I was a child. I cherished my time with my best friend Christine who I used to share everything with. Every summer, Christine and I rode our character bicycles at the Yeouido park which was near our homes. The fresh breeze of air would tickle our skins under the flaming yok-yellow sun, making our face sweat and our cheeks pink. I remember my very last day in Korea, it was nothing different than any other ordinary summer day with my best friend Christine. We rode our bicycles to Yeouido park, over the Mapo bridge where I could see the glittering river and the tallest building, 63 building standing so proudly under the clear blue sky without a cloud. The day was very peaceful without an interruption. I was at a place I have been to countless times with a person I’ve been with since I can remember but I was feeling scared and nervous because I had to leave a place I only knew to call it a home. Everything I’ve known, seen and shared in my home, in Seoul with Christine was going to change and I could do nothing but spend my last day just like I would’ve spent any other day.

I did not know anything about Canada, I didn’t know where it was, how many people lived there, and the environment. The word “Canada” sounded very weird and strange to me at the time. My family and I first went to Toronto before moving to Vancouver. I could remember the long 14 hours on the plane and I was getting cramps in my legs because I was sitting for such a long time. I did not want to leave Korea because I was afraid to leave a place where I felt I belonged to, but my parents told me that my life would be better in Canada compared to Korea. They told me that I could be happy, free from the educational pressures and be able to dream big and become whatever I wanted to be. My parents believed that Canada was a place where my brother and I could grow to our fullest potential and have a future that would not be possible in Korea. At the time I did not understand but now I understand the reasons behind my parents’ decision to move to Canada. It was because of Korea’s pressuring educational environment, economic instability and ongoing political tensions.

I was first very excited upon landing in Canada and moving into a new house because our house was a two-story house with a backyard. I have never lived in a house before because Korea is a small country with many people, so most people live in an apartment. Although I did not speak any English at the time I arrived in Canada, I was very fortunate to have gone to a school where teachers and fellow students helped a lot. No one teased me or bullied me because I was not very good at English or for my accents. As a result, I did not have a very hard time getting used to a new school, new environment and new language. Although I was very homesick at first and really missed my friend Christine and everything we used to do together in Korea, I started to slowly forget about Korea. I even forgot lots of my mother tongue because most of my days contained only speakingEnglish.

Ten years passed since then and when I turned 20, I was given a high school graduation present of a flight ticket to Korea. I remember I immediately got scared rather than excited. I haven’t thought about Korea for a very long time and I haven’t been to the country since I came to Canada. Although I really missed Korea when I first came to Canada, I was unsure if I really missed Korea anymore. I couldn’t even speak the language well.

In the summer of 2015, I arrived in Korea with mixed feelings. I was very nervous to meet my friend Christine who I haven’t seen for 10 years. We kept in touch for couple years after I moved to Canada but naturally lost contact through time. I made plans to meet Christine immediately at the Mapo bridge where we used to ride our bicycles. The smell of pollution and metal mixed together on the Mapo bridge was a familiar smell I’ve known from my childhood. I was back at the place at age 20 where when I was 10, I never thought I would be back again. Christine came towards me riding her bicycle, her beautiful smile hasn’t change in 10 years and it comforted me. It brought me back to the moment we shared in our childhood. We were still riding our bikes but instead of our favorite character bicycles, we were on the rented green boring bicycles. Our friendship felt the same as we have always been together and never separated. We didn’t have to fill in each other’s missing 10 years of lives to understand each other but bonded like a long married old couple.

The peaceful but busy Seoul city I remembered 10 years ago waslivelier and more exciting. The 63 building that used to be the tallest building back then was no longer the tallest but still stood there proudly beside the Lotte hotel building.

As Christine and I passed the enthusiastic night scenery, I looked back while still paddling through my bike. The cool night breeze gave me the chills and I couldn’t take my eyes off as I was getting farther and farther away until I was at the end of the Mapo bridge. I could no longer see the buildings and my heart ached.

‘When will I be able to be back again?’ I thought to myself as I sighed.

I was heartbroken to realize that by the end of the summer, I had to go back to Canada. This was going to be the last time I was able to enjoy the late-night bike rides with Christine. I didn’t want to leave the place behind not knowing when I will be back again. It felt like home. The feeling of comfort I shared with Christine and the place was something I’ve never felt while living in Canada. It felt right, it was like finding the last missing puzzle to fit in my life.

I learned from that experience that for me, home is where my heart is and who I share it with. It is not about where I am in the continent that matters that makes me feel at home, but it is who I am with that makes me feel home. I’m very grateful that I grew up in Canada with my family and Canada was a great place to grow up. If I ever have a child in the future, I want to raise my child in Canada. However, the feeling of home for me will always remain in Korea no matter how much time passes. I love the vibrant and lively Seoul filled with excitement and adventures and having Christine to share it with.