Hello, everyone. My name is Tanja. Now that I'm back home in Germany, sitting at my desk, the world outside my window is quiet and familiar. It’s a stark contrast to the vibrant energy of Seoul, a city that for four incredible months, felt like my own. My journey there didn't start at the airport, but two years earlier in this very room, with my online Korean teacher, Juyoung.

For over two years, our weekly lessons were my cherished ritual. It started as a simple curiosity, but with Juyoung-teacher, it quickly became more than just grammar and vocabulary. His lessons were a cultural deep-dive; a window into the heart of Korea. I wasn’t just learning sentence structures; I was learning the stories behind holidays like Chuseok, the nuances of honorifics, and the warm, unspoken culture that flows beneath the surface of the language.

That feeling is what gave me the courage to apply for a dispatch assignment to Korea when the opportunity arose at my company. The Korean I had worked so hard on was no longer just a hobby; it was the key that unlocked a new chapter in my career. Getting accepted for a four-month position in Seoul’s finance sector felt like a dream I had been building, word by word, had finally come true.

When I finally arrived, Juyoung warmly invited me into the Joyful Hub community. I admit, I was nervous. I knew it had a Christian background, and as a non-religious person, I worried I might feel like an outsider. That fear vanished almost instantly. The welcome I received was unconditional, a warmth that had nothing to do with faith and everything to do with human connection. I remember laughing until my stomach hurt while untangling Christmas lights with a new friend. In that simple, silly moment of shared struggle, I felt more at home than I had in weeks.

My weekends began to fill with uniquely Korean experiences. While many other expats I knew gathered for brunch in Itaewon, mine were spent living and breathing real Korean life with my Joyful Hub friends. We made Kimbap in a real home, played the loud and exciting board game Yut Nori, and discovered hidden local coffee shops. My Korean, which had been academic, was suddenly alive, breathing the air of real, everyday conversations.

The people at my office are incredibly kind, but the friendships I've built at Joyful Hub have a different texture. A workplace relationship is often like a bridge—designed to help us get from one point to another efficiently and respectfully. The friendships I found at Joyful Hub were different. They're like winding garden paths. There's no destination; you walk together simply for the joy of the journey itself. That feeling—of being valued for who you are, not for what you do—was the most profound lesson I learned.

Now, back in Germany, the distance is vast, but the connection remains stronger than ever, thanks to our group chats filled with daily jokes and encouragement. The language skills I gained opened a door to a career opportunity, but the community I found gave me a second family. The warmth of that Seoul family is something I still carry with me every day. Thank you, Juyoung-teacher, and my entire Joyful Hub community, for the most precious souvenir from Korea: the memories of truly belonging.

Danke schön, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.