I can’t really talk about this with my family without them flipping out on me, so I hope I can have some advice before I reveal it to them.
(I am also unsure if this is the right subreddit to ask for advice, but if it isn’t, redirection would be helpful!)
For some context; I (18) was born and raised in Southern California and moved once within the state due to financial issues. In 2019/2020, my family and I moved to S Korea due to my father’s job (related to military/govt. stuff I actually don’t know what he does). I spent my final highschool years at an international school in Seoul, and I graduated recently. Currently for education, I do a sort of online community college as the schooling situation for me was difficult, that the military pays somewhat for. I do not have a job, and all my friends have left the country, and I cannot speak Korean at a conversational level; I feel miserable and bored. Due to this lack of knowing the language, I cannot do lots of things (martial arts, job) that require specific instruction.
My lifestyle seems to be clashing with my own family members that I live with, and tensions are getting higher, and I am becoming less and less enthusiastic about living here. It seems like I have to act in a certain way that avoids things that may start ‘trouble’, like mental health, and a seemingly crazy standard of ‘respect’. I am also a very social person, and having no social interaction besides my own family is starting to get kind of stale, as it most likely may end in small disagreements that ultimately blow up.
I would like to move back to California in search of more life experience, rather than sitting idly. As for where I may stay, I am planning to ask my cousins if their parents would be okay with me crashing until I could get on my own feet, as they go to college and commute from their house. The reason why I mention this is because before I graduated, they offered for me to live with them while I went to school there (I declined because of a lot of personal issues) and they are quite a bit well off as they said I wouldn’t need to pay rent if I stayed.
I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had here in Korea, however this style of life is not for me as it is quite literally making me feel like I am not living, and frankly being around my family is making me live on edge at all times. I would like to have a job and be able to drive, and have similar life experiences, as my older brother a few years older than me, has none and is a bit socially awkward and way to laid back, lazy almost. To be frank, I would not like to become that kind of person, as we were often regarded to be similar people when we were younger. While I do understand that there is definitely going to be a lot of hardships coming up, my life experiences, compared to peers my age, is simply elementary, and quite a bit embarrassing (imo).
Any advice is welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read this far! <3
TDLR: Unhappy with my stale and boring life in the current country I am in due to a lack of important life skills/experiences. Want to move back to my home state with other family members in search of opportunities to have such life experiences, and generally more opportunities that fit my lifestyle.
Definitely move back. The fact that your cousins family offered a place for you to say earlier means they probably have a bit of insight into your situation and want you to know there’s a safe place to land if you need it. At 18 you don’t need your parents permission or approval so if they try to block you or insist you can’t go, don’t let them hold you back.
I know people who’ve lived in Korea/japan and there’s a big difference in the life you can enjoy if you struggle with the language. Since it’s not your choice to live there in the first place I can imagine it would be even more challenging. Are you on any 3rd culture kids forums? If not maybe check them out, see if you can find other people your age living in Korea with similar experiences. It’s good to get impartial advice from people who’ve had the same experiences. Best of luck