As everyone else is writing their “Welcome!” posts, I’m saying good-bye to Japan. It was an amazing year, and looking back on where I was 10 months ago, I can only say I’m a changed person because of my year abroad.
There are certain things everyone on this blog will experience. You have to learn to deal with things yourself; with parents, banks and home governments anywhere from 6 to 14 hours separate from you, you have no choice but to figure out what’s what in this world.
Living as a foreigner (or “alien” as they are known in Japan) is certainly an eye-opening experience. With so called “immigration issues” blowing up here at home, going abroad and spending a year as someone who has immigrated? That pretty much gives you one-of-a-kind viewpoints. Use them well.
Grocery stores become a place inspiring both wonder and fear – language barriers and cultural differences collide at your neighborhood market. Perhaps even moreso in Asia, where the lack of a Roman alphabet means a lot of guessing, which never really ends well in regards to your food. Moral of the story: bring your dictionary, everywhere, especially out shopping.
If there’s one thing I can ask of my fellow study abroad students, it’s to really educate yourself about the country to which you’re going. So many of my friends came to their destinations and were immediately disappointed with some aspect of that country. This feeling of being “let down” stopped them from being able to enjoy other aspects of their study abroad experience.
No place is perfect. Japan is a country of xenophobia, bureaucracy and let’s not forget all that WWII baggage. In contrast, I don’t even think I can list all the awe-inspiring or just plain fun things about Japan. But in order to discover all those great things, I had to get past those barriers of yuck. Luckily, I had been warned about these things by professors and friends who had traveled to Japan, so I came armed.
With all that said, I hope that all my posts have opened some small window into the life of a student in Japan. I wish all my fellow study abroad adventurers lots of energy!
