Meeting Governor Deal and the Head of Kotra's Germany Branch

The last week seems like a blur, in a short amount of time I've been overwhelmed with some of the best opportunities Korea has offered me so far. Last week, Gov Deal came to Korea to discuss potential investment opportunities in Georgia with Korean business leaders. With Gov Deal was my friend and former Professor Chris Young, who works with the Governor as the Chief of Protocol for International Affairs. I had gotten in touch with Chris a few weeks before the Gov's planned trip to Korea. I was able to plan ahead and take a day off work so that I could meet with Chris for lunch. Lucky for me, I also got the opportunity to sit in on an interesting press conference with the Governor, and briefly meet him and some of the other staff members traveling with him.

It was a great opportunity, and quickly followed with another great opportunity. The head of Kotra's branch in Germany was in Seoul for the weekend, and as a tribute, Kotra was hosting a small "October Fest" (a bit late) to learn a bit about the German tradition. It was a rather exclusive event, and closed to interns, but my boss who is always very kind to me pulled a few strings and invited me to come.

I was a bit nervous at first to show up to such an event. However, when I got there I found that I already knew a large number of the workers from the Kotra soccer team. Further, the presence of an all you can eat buffet and all you can drink bar quickly created a happy and relaxed environment. The event lasted for several hours and was a rare opportunity to really break down barriers with my co-workers and have some of the most insightful and valuable conversations that I've enjoyed in Korea thus far.

Both opportunities were incredible. A week ago I had fallen victim to allowing myself to just push through the tough Korean work weeks with my eyes always set on the opportunities of the weekend. Shaking hands with Gov Deal and a Kotra executive reminded me that every day in Korea is a valuable opportunity, and that I can't let a single one go to waste.