2025-26 Hong Kong to Argentina, Renee Chau
“On the last day of the term, I finally couldn’t hold back my tears. The local students immediately came around and hugged me tightly. They told me, ‘We love you. You’re such a wonderful person.’ In that moment, I felt a kind of understanding and love I’d never experienced before.” Renee recalled.
When she first arrived in Argentina, she was still a girl who questioned her own decision—overwhelmed by language barriers and cultural differences, and having countless moments where she wanted to run back to Hong Kong.
The Fading “Honeymoon” Filter
In her first month in Argentina, everything seemed beautiful. Everything felt fresh, exciting, and full of colour. Renee shared that at the beginning, she viewed the world through a romantic “traveller” mindset—wandering through the streets of different cities, walking on unfamiliar roads, and trying as many local foods as she could.
“The people were warm and friendly. Many times, they would come over and talk to me. Every smile felt like they were telling me I was welcome. Then, I was filled with curiosity rather than fear. I even felt like everything was easier than I had imagined.”
But as time went on, that invisible “honeymoon” filter began to fade. Argentina’s changing weather repeatedly made her sick, and her physical weakness gradually broke through her mental defences. The stress from the language barrier became heavier than she had expected.
“So many times, I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Every day, my brain had to process a huge amount of new information, a new culture, and completely unfamiliar ways of interacting with people. That kind of mental exhaustion left me drained. Sometimes, I felt like my head was going to explode—I had no space left to breathe.”
In the face of the frustration of not being able to fully fit in, Renee—being a typically reserved Hong Kong student—chose her most natural protective mechanism: silence. She kept herself withdrawn.
In sleepless nights after nights, the overwhelming sense of disconnection pulled her into a deep spiral of self-doubt. She kept asking herself, “Why did I leave Hong Kong, where I felt safe and understood? Why did I come all this way just to suffer?” She also kept missing Hong Kong—missing the comfort of familiarity, the unspoken understanding of being understood without having to explain, and the people who truly knew her.
A Turning Point: “Three Small Goals Every Day”
Pain forces you to stop—and to face your own purpose. Renee realised that if she let her emotions keep taking over, this precious year would pass by in vain. She realized she had forgotten her original intention. “I forgot why I wanted to grow, why I wanted to become more independent, and why I wanted to know myself better.”
Renee learned that adaptation takes time, and growth is never a smooth or easy journey. So she started pulling herself back step by step. Every day, she set three simple goals, such as:
- using Spanish to say one sentence,
- even when she was afraid, to start a conversation actively,
- and recording one small good thing from the day.
This “small steps, fast action” method slowly helped her start moving forward again. Her wounded heart began to work—better day by day.
But Renee stressed that what truly brought her out of the dark wasn’t just her own bravery. It was the love and warmth she received from her friends in Argentina and her host family.
Connections Beyond Language
Hong Kong culture tends to keep personal distance and expresses emotions in a more subtle way. Argentina, on the other hand, is a country known for intense warmth—where physical closeness and sincere emotion are common. They showed her love through their actions. Renee’s host family knew she loved animals, so they specially took her to learn horse riding on the open grasslands—letting her feel clearly that “she was valued and understood.” Her friends worried she might feel lonely, so they invited her to join various gatherings and activities, always including her and pulling her into their circles.
“Through them, I gradually understood that human connection doesn’t always need words. Love and kindness really can cross any barrier. Language was never the biggest problem. The real issue was my own heart—I kept it closed.”
In that kind of wholehearted warmth, the cold defenses she once built finally melted away. Renee joked that she used to be someone who really wasn’t comfortable with physical contact. But in Argentina, she gradually became someone who could hug others naturally. She discovered a simple and genuine kind of happiness—one that belongs uniquely to that place.
Full of Gratitude
Although this exchange journey was never easy, Renee—without even realising it—went through a transformation that exceeded her expectations. The people and moments that once made her feel like she didn’t belong, eventually became the ones she loved most and was most reluctant to leave behind.
Looking back, Renee feels truly grateful that she stepped out of her comfort zone. What Argentina taught her was more than a new language. It became a life lesson she never learned at school: learning to accept her vulnerability, learning to take care of her emotions, and choosing to face challenges—rather than escaping from them.
“Now, I can honestly say: I feel incredibly happy.”