I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea basically my entire life. While I have visited other countries for trips with family and friends, I have not really lived in a foreign country for more than a year. Seoul is my home and where I am most familiar. 

However, Seoul is also an extremely busy city; there are skyscrapers on every block, there are apartment buildings everywhere, and it is always crowded with people. While there are parks and a huge river, it is often surrounded by buildings and human-made structures-it is difficult to become immersed in nature when you are in Seoul. 

Some people may not enjoy this city life and environment; they prefer to see more green spaces, and more wild animals roaming around. It could be because I grew up in this environment and became used to it, but I personally enjoy the hectic city life. The trees and the river are enough for me to "feel" nature.

When my family took a trip to Busan-the second biggest city in South Korea, I was expecting similar city vibes. I was wrong. The fact that Busan was surrounded by the ocean seemed insignificant at first; however, after just a few hours in the city, I found myself truly appreciating nature, especially the ocean. I loved how the ocean was not bombarded by skyscrapers or buildings as everything was back in Seoul. I started to enjoy the accompaniment of seagulls and once again realized how beautiful earth is. 

It would be devastating to see the animals in the ocean suffocating and the color of the ocean fading due to pollution. As much as I love the city, I came to realize how precious nature is and the reason humans should strive to protect the environment.