Japan: Thank you Japan

Hello Jaspers! 

As my final day here in Japan approaches I would like to share with you all a little about my overall experiences here. Back in New York, after I received news that I would be able to study abroad, I was thrilled. I was happy but my brain and body did not process the news in the way that I thought it would. I know this because before any big travel plans I get jittery and hyper and with the news about Japan, I did not. I am pretty sure that my mind and body were in shock, up until the point where I stepped foot off of that plane. No, actually I started coming to my senses as the plane descended, and I was able to see the island that is Japan. I was thrilled to be on the other side of the world, creating new friendships and experiencing a new culture. But because of the jet lag I was suppressing those emotions. 

Two things before I go off on a tangent telling you all about my experiences; my expectations for Japan were not met, they were exceeded and two, my initial thoughts on what Japan would be like were completely incorrect. 

Studying abroad in Japan gave me every thing that wanted to get out of this trip. Not only did I get to travel to Asia and broaden my horizons, I also got to step out of my comfort zone in a country whose main source of food is seafood. Although those things are great, my favorite things about studying abroad were learning about the culture and heritage of Japan, getting to see first hand what the people are like, and getting to see unbelievable places. 

Let’s start small, before coming to Japan what I had pictured in my head was Geisha in places like Kyoto and what the Japanese call Harajuku fashion in Tokyo. Basically I pictured commercialized Japan. This is a great example of how narrow-minded people can be. Even with having done research beforehand, that is what I was expecting and it was not at all what I got. Instead, I got people who live and dress just like you and me, yes there are people who do dress like this but not a large population of people. That is why I think traveling is the key to ignorance, points of views can be altered. This study abroad trip was an eye-opener, it was just the right medicine and I think that everyone should take advantage of travel abroad for the sole purpose of enriching and opening your mind. Because, not only are you seeing, you’re also learning first hand in a classroom setting. This teeny tiny detail about my trip made all the difference in my experience. 

Here, in Japan I have had quite the experience. I tried sushi for the first time (not a big fan of the texture but it is pretty good), I got to see amazing places both up close and far, I got to hang out with deer at Nara and Miyajima Island, I got to struggle with a deer because I did not want it to eat paper and get sick, I got lost a couple of times without google maps (made exploring even more fun), and I was forced to rely on myself. Although all of this sounds like nice experiences I have had a couple of rough patches. 

The first week of the trip I felt alone and as if I had nobody to enjoy Japan with. This really became a problem for me because it was keeping me from enjoying my time in Japan and it was keeping me from being happy. But by the second week I got myself together and told myself that I did not need to be included, that I did not need to let that affect my time and experience in Japan. From there on out I started doing my own thing, and I was relying on myself, I started to enjoy my own company, I did not let being alone influence my experience. Instead, being alone enriched my experience, I gained a new-found confidence. So, in the end, looking at the bigger picture, I did not have a bad experience, I just had an experience which taught me something and I would not have been able to learn that if I weren’t on this trip. I had the best time in Japan.