Richard Peterson, 31, reflects on moving back to Korea nearly nine years ago, armed with both advanced Korean language skills and a solid knowledge base of Korean history. But instead of looking back, Richard reflects on his opportunities in Korea today and of building a life on his terms.
Richard Peterson is at home with his wife Emily and their dog Rudy in Seoul.
Really nice to hear how Korean Adoptees are succeeding in Korea. I think so many stories about adoptees are about how imbalanced we are emotionally and/or we have psychological issues. While it is important to recognize how adoption for many is a traumatic and violent experience, that does not solely determine our successes later (nor should that success be defined by others). We need stories that are more nuanced about our struggles, successes, and everyday lives.
I like his comments at the end about not putting any pressure on himself to be native Korean. I think I have been putting too much pressure on myself to do this since moving back to Korea in July 2015. This has been particularly difficult as I confront the language barrier. Although I took Korean at two separate universities, my skills are anything but fluent.
But I have succeeded in other ways and am making a life in Seoul.