Semester Abroad, Global Correspondents Nope, I haven’t visited another country yet!

SA: Chinese University of Hong Kong, China

Connie, one of the Semester Abroad Global Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Fall 2024 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.

Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Philippines, Japan…  

If you had asked me about my bucket list before I left for study abroad in Hong Kong, I would have confidently listed these countries off— travel around Asia was one of my main objectives I desperately wanted to accomplish during my semester abroad.  

Growing up as an Asian American in the US, I had never stepped foot into another country past Fujian, China (my parents’ hometown) past age three. Being a child of immigrants meant my parents didn’t believe in traveling or vacations– why take breaks when you can save now and retire earlier? My parents didn’t believe in extended vacations, which fueled my desire to travel everywhere. 

Frankly, staying within your country for abroad seemed… boring, to me. Plus, Hong Kong is just a city, I told myself, how much time would I even need to explore it?  

Truly, a laughable idea— as it turns out, I’m still not even close to done a month later. As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Hong Kong is packed with not just people and urban life, but with culture, history, and nature. I understand now why people say that Hong Kong is so small but so big. Even the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) itself covers 138.4 hectares (almost 350 acres, which is three times the size of Vatican City!).

I have traveled to mainland China, and of course, trips to Japan and Korea are now planned, but I love how familiar I’ve gotten with Hong Kong. Travel by MTR (Hong Kong’s subway) feels like second nature, and I much prefer Octopus Card and WeChat Pay over cash. Before I came to Hong Kong, sure, I knew the landmarks and attractions I wanted to see, but these were simply spaces that I have never experienced— spaces that I have no connection to. 

I realized that one of the most beautiful aspects of studying abroad is building what your new (temporary) home means to you. By making the voluntary choice to displace yourself from the homes and places you are so comfortable with and to drop yourself into a completely unfamiliar environment, you choose to endow these new spaces with your meanings and experiences, transforming new spaces into places stored in your memories. 

For me, Hong Kong is about rifling through the night markets, walking around Hong Kong’s largest Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival, and inhaling the delicious foods of the cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-styled cafes/diners) and restaurants. But, Hong Kong to me is also laughing and complaining about the 10+ bug bites I get a day, carrying my handheld fan with me everywhere I go in the Hong Kong heat, and booking it onto the closing MTR train even though the next one comes in three minutes.  

So yes, I haven’t visited another country yet, but staying in one place offers its own beauty and experiences that I couldn’t imagine missing out on.