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"I loved airports when I was young-being in one meant another travel adventure was about to begin. Although I was born in London, my family was Nigerian, so we used to go back and visit quite often, and we'd also take trips around Europe. When I was in secondary school, we moved to Kent, which wasn't the most diverse area at the time. I was the only Black girl in my grade, and that's when I first experienced racism of any kind."
"After college, I worked for two years at my university-but I was looking for another kind of experience, one that allowed me to travel internationally and also have a consistent income. After hearing about teaching abroad, I went online and came across EPIK (English Program in Korea), applied in February of that same year, got accepted, and started in August."
"To be honest, I didn't know much about life in Korea before I moved there. I had a Korean friend at my school in Ghana who introduced me to K-dramas and other pop culture, but I hadn't even been to Asia. So I did my research, including watching YouTube videos. Culturally, South Korea didn't look like anything I'd experienced before; life seemed so fast-paced, and there were people trying all sorts of foods I'd never seen."
Sarah Toyin grew up in London with Nigerian family ties and traveled frequently to Nigeria and Europe. A move to Kent during secondary school exposed her to racism as the only Black girl in her grade. At 16 she attended an international boarding school in Ghana before returning to the U.K. for college. After working at her university for two years, she sought travel plus steady income and applied to EPIK. She moved to South Korea in August with limited prior experience of Asia, relying on research and online content for reassurance and cultural orientation.
Read at Travel + Leisure
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