My K-drama Romance: The Relationship
We knew from the beginning that our relationship would be challenging. We had several factors playing against us.
You may think that language and cultural barriers would be the biggest challenge but I found that the least of our obstacles. River was quite fluent in English and although sometimes he felt frustrated when trying to explain himself, I found that I could understand him quite well. Sometimes, understanding someone is more about the intention than words. As for cultural barriers, having lived in Korea for a year and a half, I had a fair understanding of Korean culture. He, also, had a good understanding of Western culture as he had many friends from foreign countries and was very open-minded about many things.
Another obstacle was the age difference. River was 22 and just finishing university. I was 26 already a few years out of university. Some people may say that 4 years is not a big difference but if you are in different stages of life, it can be. I think for River this was a major concern at first but as time went on it no longer became an issue.
The final and most difficult obstacle for us was the distance. River lived in Seoul and I lived in Taebaek. A 3-hour bus ride separated us. We could only see each other on weekends which may not seem like a big deal to most but in Korea, couples often spend almost every day together. It was a struggle for River, and for me seeing him feel lonely at times was hard.
But despite these obstacles, there was a connection between us like I've never felt before.
It was a year of happiness. Weekends in spring spent walking among the lush cherry blossoms of Seoul forest, a summer of sun and travel, swimming in the ocean and seeing new places; a fall amongst the changing colours of the season; but most of all the evenings spent talking about life and our dreams. We understood each other.
You know someone really loves you when you are at your most disgusting. I came back from a trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong. I was meeting River in Busan for a long weekend together. I had food poisoning. I was so sick I had to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. He could have canceled the weekend and gone home but he didn't. He stayed with me, making sure I was hydrated, forcing me to drink liquids even when I didn't want to. I was gross but he still looked at me like I was desirable.
I knew we were a good match. We fit well together and our senses of humor meshed so well. I felt content and safe when I was with him. But sometimes, despite everything, it's not enough.
You may think that language and cultural barriers would be the biggest challenge but I found that the least of our obstacles. River was quite fluent in English and although sometimes he felt frustrated when trying to explain himself, I found that I could understand him quite well. Sometimes, understanding someone is more about the intention than words. As for cultural barriers, having lived in Korea for a year and a half, I had a fair understanding of Korean culture. He, also, had a good understanding of Western culture as he had many friends from foreign countries and was very open-minded about many things.
Another obstacle was the age difference. River was 22 and just finishing university. I was 26 already a few years out of university. Some people may say that 4 years is not a big difference but if you are in different stages of life, it can be. I think for River this was a major concern at first but as time went on it no longer became an issue.
The final and most difficult obstacle for us was the distance. River lived in Seoul and I lived in Taebaek. A 3-hour bus ride separated us. We could only see each other on weekends which may not seem like a big deal to most but in Korea, couples often spend almost every day together. It was a struggle for River, and for me seeing him feel lonely at times was hard.
But despite these obstacles, there was a connection between us like I've never felt before.
You know someone really loves you when you are at your most disgusting. I came back from a trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong. I was meeting River in Busan for a long weekend together. I had food poisoning. I was so sick I had to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. He could have canceled the weekend and gone home but he didn't. He stayed with me, making sure I was hydrated, forcing me to drink liquids even when I didn't want to. I was gross but he still looked at me like I was desirable.
I knew we were a good match. We fit well together and our senses of humor meshed so well. I felt content and safe when I was with him. But sometimes, despite everything, it's not enough.
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