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Have you ever heard the expression “a frog in a well”? It’s a Korean expression that implies a person lives in a small, isolated world and thinks that’s all that exists. Growing up in Korea, I often heard, “Don’t be a frog in a well. Explore possibilities, and be ambitious. ‘’ That always inspired me. I decided to move to the United States. I didn’t want to be a frog in a well. I wanted to explore the ocean.
The ocean was extremely big, salty, and full of waves. Every single moment of my life became a fight for survival. I had to learn how to swim in the deep ocean, where to find food, how to talk to sea turtles, and how to befriend fish. The harder it was, the harder I tried to become a whale. After years of fighting, I found a small island to rest on. I desperately needed to rest.
Living on an island was easier. There was fresh water to drink and other frogs to talk to. I still had to fight with the ocean to survive, but I had my own island that I could escape to and relax on.
