November 15, 2013
Dear friends,
I hope this message finds you well.
A few years ago, I developed a sudden interest in Korea, and began to teach myself the language through music, books purchased, and countless online resources. I, in some strange way, became magnetized. I felt this strange pull to a foreign land, unlike anything I've felt before. It became my dream to one day visit Korea, using my new-found knowledge to explore the land, learning its culture and the beauty of its people.
Around my twenty-first birthday, something sparked in me. It occurred to me that over time, I had become afraid of my own dream, and the challenges I would face trying to achieve it. But I remembered how short life can be (and ain't nobody got time fo' dat!). When I look back on my years, I want to feel proud of my choices and accomplishments and feel happy.
In my twenty-one years, I've had some truly enlightening experiences. I've learned a lot about myself, and what I'm capable of surviving and achieving. I've set goals, dreamed dreams, and have worked to accept my many struggles hand in hand with my bountiful blessings. Life's lessons have brought me a new level of self-understanding, and some food for thought; what good is all my carefully cultivated "courage" if I don't actually use it? This realization has re-awoken in me the passionate desire to make this dream of mine come true.
So, I did my research, and considered different avenues of travel to Korea, and have decided put my all into attending a 10 week language intensive program at Yonsei University's Korean Language Institute, located in the heart of Seoul, Korea's capital. I applied, and earlier this morning, I received an email, saying that I've been accepted into the program! (And attached was the invoice for my tuition.)
As it turns out, the deadline is much sooner than was originally stated, and now I'm on a serious time crunch to raise the funds, and secure my spot in the program. I created a page on GoFundMe, a crowd-funding website, that works similarly to sites such as IndieGoGo and KickStarter, which you may have heard of. In order to make sure that I can attend the program, I need to pay 1,740,000 won, which is a little less than $1,650, for my tuition and application fee. The deadline is now November 29, 2013.
I am reaching out to you to share my plans with you, but also to ask for your help. I really want to make this trip happen, so I'm asking you to share this link (http://www.gofundme.com/3MonthsinSeoul) and message with any friends, family and colleagues to help me raise the funds for my trip.
I have the feeling that there is some sort of connection, that some part of my destiny is tied to Korea. I've come to believe that this dream was sparked in me for a reason. Do you believe in that sort of thing? In the past, I didn't have much belief in things such as destiny and fate, but with every day that passes it grows stronger within me. My heart won't allow me to let this go.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I am grateful for your assistance in any way towards my goal.
Wishing you many blessings,
Ngozi Romain-Johnson
