My first overseas trip

Arriving in the center of a city in Australia, I am starting my day with excitement as I prepare for my future schedule.

In 1990, the adventure of my very first overseas trip began. Until that moment, I had never set foot outside South Korea. Traveling abroad felt like stepping into the pages of a novel where each chapter was written in a language I had never learned. The destination? Australia, a vast and mysterious continent that seemed so far removed from everything I knew. My journey took me through the vibrant streets of Singapore, then onto Sydney, Australia, and finally New Zealand. While I marveled at Singapore’s exotic charm, my heart was set on Australia, a land that had only ever existed in my imagination.

A motel in Sydney, Australia, 34 years ago, although it was blurry in an old picture, the morning sun then was really impressive.

Boarding a Qantas flight from Singapore to Australia, I remember gazing out of the window at the endless stretch of sky, feeling a surreal realization wash over me: This is it. I’m really going somewhere different. When we finally touched down in Sydney, the first thing to greet me was an impossibly blue, cloudless sky. It was unlike anything I had ever seen back home — so pure, so vast, it felt as if the heavens themselves were welcoming me to this new world. Stepping onto Australian soil for the first time, it felt as if I had crossed into another dimension.

This is my brother’s friend’s house in Australia. It may seem normal to me, but at the time it looked very big, and it was a really nice house with a swimming pool in its backyard.

But what truly struck me in Australia wasn’t just the landscapes; it was the people. Back in Korea, encountering foreigners was a rarity, but here, I was surrounded by people who looked, spoke, and lived in ways that were entirely new to me. Their faces, their customs, their languages – it was like discovering an alternate reality. Conversations were challenging due to the language barrier, yet they opened my eyes to how limitless the world really is. Each exchange was like an invitation to explore not just a new country, but a different way of thinking, of living. That experience shifted something deep within me.

It is Sydney Beach, Australia. The group posed together. It seems that you can see the opera house in the distance.

That sense of wonder and possibility sparked by my first trip stayed with me, ultimately leading me to where I am today: living in Vancouver, Canada. Twenty-three years have passed since I first stepped off that plane in Australia, and in those years, my thirst for adventure hasn’t dulled. I’ve explored the cities of the U.S., wandered through Europe, and immersed myself in the vibrant cultures of Asia. Each place, each journey, added a new layer to my understanding of the world and my place in it.

We’re in New Zealand. The tall guy on the left is my brother, and he was carrying that big camera back then.

Now, here in Vancouver, after all these years, that initial excitement still burns bright within me. I look back on that first overseas trip as the moment I learned how to approach the world with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the unknown. Whenever I think about that crystal-clear sky in Australia, it feels as vivid as the day I saw it. The lessons and experiences I’ve gathered through my travels have shaped not just how I see the world, but how I live my life.

This blog is a way for me to share the memories, insights, and reflections from my travels.