My first taste of magic in Hong Kong was around a dim sum table. Sitting across from a local friend who promised to take me to the best restaurant he knew, I acquired a taste for this kind of magic. I found it again frequently while summiting long hikes, navigating flea markets, and meeting the diverse student body at Hong Kong University. In my six months abroad, I avidly continued in my pursuit of magic. I took plenty of trips beyond Hong Kong to destinations in Asia where I was amazed by beaches in Thailand, arcades in Japan, and Great Walls in China.
Each magic moment cemented me further into the mold of the excitable exchange student you might be familiar with: the smiley outsider who takes thousands of photos, picks up friends like acorns, and quickly falls in love with local traditions.
Now as a returned exchange student, I reflect on the magic I became so fond of. While difficult to define, I believe this magic is best described as the opportunity exchange gave me to slow down and become more receptive to beauty in the world around me.
And while exchange certainly makes it easier to notice this kind of magic, perhaps more poignant is the reminder that it can be found in any destination, be it Hong Kong, Kingston, or anywhere else.
Us exchange students are often quick to romanticize our time abroad, reflecting fondly on adventurous memories and exciting experiences, wishing our hometowns could provide us with such a rush. But I believe we are sometimes too quick to forget the magic of where we come from.
In speaking with international students who study abroad in Canada, I often hear how excited they are to see the snow! What a chilling reminder of beauty that we so easily overlook. We Canadians are quick to curse the snow, which numbs our toes and blocks our sidewalks. But how did we feel seeing snow for the first time? What changed from when we watched our first snowfall with wide eyes and a curious amazement until now? Surely the snow is not so different.
Perhaps then magic can be found anywhere, discoverable by the eyes that choose to see it. Perhaps being abroad is less about the destination you choose to go and more about how you choose to experience it. And if you can find magic abroad why can’t you find it at home too? I certainly found magic in Hong Kong dim sum, but now this winter I hope to find it again in Canadian snow.
So whether we choose to go abroad or not, perhaps we should all try to live more like an exchange student: receptive to the ever-changing world around us, finding beauty in experiences both exciting and mundane, and eager to see what magic awaits around each untraveled corner.
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