I have always enjoyed school. Even when it wasn’t “cool” to enjoy school, I really enjoyed school. I liked learning new things and the times I rebelled the most in school was when I had a teacher who really didn’t like to teach.

Anyhow, when I saw an article about a Korean adoptee who received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Hong Kong, I was pretty excited. According to the article, this is the first time that Laura Brymer will be in the area since she came to the United States when she was eight months old. I can’t fathom what this experience would be like.

What I really enjoyed about this article is that the Korean adoptee was not studying Korean history and she isn’t trying to be the spokesperson for adoption or against adoption. This article hints at her adopted status, but talks about her…what she has done and what she hopes to do. The center of the article is not how her adoption led her to this point.

Ultimately, this is where I think most of us Korean adoptees end up. We are not Korean adoptees first. We have made choices that have led us to do wonderful things – some normal (work, family, etc…) and some extraordinary (Fulbright winners). Being a Korean adoptee is a part of us forever and, in some ways, it influences everything that we are. Personally, adoption influenced me because it brought me here – my parents, my schools, my friends and my work all influence how I see the world. When I make my decisions, I might wonder what my parents would think, but I don’t wonder how being a Korean adoptee will effect my decision.

I wish Laura Brymer luck in Hong Kong and I hope she uses her experience to make the right choices for her. In the end, that’s all we can do.