This spring I am traveling to Japan to stay with a host family and shadow students at my teacher’s old school. I am overwhelmed with excitement to engage in new cultures and build special connections. I can’t wait to experience life across the world, and discover new parts of myself I would’ve never known if not for the opportunities of traveling abroad.
In first grade, a new girl joined my class. She looked a lot like me, petite and fair-skinned, with a black bob and bangs. Her name was Yuki and I thought the cute name matched her charming demeanor. We quickly became best friends and stayed together every day during school. She was fairly shy, like me, but also brave, her fearlessness shining through during recesses when she would climb on top of the monkey bars and hang upside down, encouraging me to do the same even though I was scared of heights.
She was from Japan, and while she spoke very quietly, she could read and write well. She wrote me sweet letters, and I remember the messages shared on paper deepening our bond even more so than small talk conversations. Knowing languages is key to navigating unfamiliar circumstances. It not only gave her the ability to communicate, but helped her form profound friendships.
I am thankful I get to learn Japanese at my school and have the chance to put it to use with the guidance of my teachers and peers. Having knowledge of this foreign language will make my trip more meaningful and productive. It will help me communicate and have confidence to actively interact and engage with my surroundings. I hope to utilize my Japanese skills to form relationships and venture outside of my comfort zone like Yuki did.
A few months after she arrived, she came to class one day with miniature origami boxes. Everyone in the class got one, and inside of mine laid a squishy mold that smelled so delicious I tried to take a bite. Alarmed, Yuki said it wasn’t edible and stopped me before I consumed the scented Japanese moldable eraser. I had never seen anything like it, and decided to carry it around in my pocket everywhere I went. Underneath was a note expressing her gratitude for our friendship, and saying she would miss me. Confused, I asked her what she meant, and she said it was a parting gift for her last week here. My heart dropped. I hadn’t known she was leaving, that her family was only on a sabbatical. Before she left, I joined her on top of the monkey bars for the first time. It was exhilarating.
It occurred to me that my home, this town I was born and raised in, was a completely new environment for her, and that we would never experience it in the same way. I realized there are certain things in life you can never have. You can never have someone else’s experiences or see the world through another’s perspective. But you can enhance your own through the power of language. I remember finding Yuki’s origins mysterious and alluring, making me wish I could live in Japan too. Would my life be more fun? But I learned to replace impractical desires with actively pursuing more experiences for myself, forming my own, beautiful relationships, and expanding my worldview– something no one can ever have or take away from me. I want to go on new adventures, learn about people who are living completely different lives, and share with them what mine is like. I want to create unforgettable memories and explore outside the comfortable bubble I’ve always lived in.
I am beyond grateful for the chance to experience overseas school, home, and city life. I look forward to further developing my Japanese skills and comprehension by pushing myself to use everything I have learned. I will take advantage of sharing a common language to create long-lasting connections and stay in touch with people I meet (perhaps by writing letters). Languages serve as tools and pathways to explore the world. They are beautiful in that they foster heartfelt bonds and bring people together. By having a stronger understanding of fresh lifestyles across the globe, I will grow as a person and absorb more of what life has to offer. I will be able to view the world through a new lens, enhanced with color.
Earlier today, I returned home from my week-long immersion trip, and now it all feels like a dream. It was a beautiful, eventful journey during which I had the privilege to adventure in Japan and live a completely different life for a few days. Now I’m back home, sitting at my desk with my legs propped up, typing on a fresh Google doc about a trip I was on just some hours ago. A big part of me feels sad that I’m back already, that my once-in-a-lifetime excursion has ended. But an even bigger part of me feels nothing but gratitude for all the special memories and connections I made.
For the first few days, I stayed at a Youth Hostel with delicious breakfasts and scary communal bathrooms. This initially made me anxious since it was my first time having to use a communal bathroom and shower with strangers. I probably wouldn’t do it again unless I had to, but realizing that many other girls my age were so casual and comfortable with being vulnerable was eye-opening to me. During the day, I went out with some of my classmates, exploring busy cities, peaceful shrines, and hyping each other up to go to people and practice our Japanese. It was a great experience to learn how to navigate new environments and adapt to different cultures. By the third day, my friends and I were able to use the public transit system completely on our own, and I noticed significant growth in myself as well as the others around me. Our newfound confidence played a key role in overcoming the initial, overwhelming stressors of traveling across the world, and allowing us to appreciate the unfamiliar environment around us.
The second half of the week, I stayed with a host family who welcomed me into their home and brought me to new places every day. I got to watch my host sister’s school concert, then attend a tea ceremony and 書道/shodō (Japanese calligraphy) class. I was so excited and grateful to experience various aspects of Japanese culture, both modern-day and historically appreciated elements. Although it felt strange and a bit intimidating to be immersed in a foreign language 24/7, it was also exhilarating in moments when I understood what was happening. Being forced to only speak Japanese and constantly practicing using context clues also swiftly helped improve my comprehension skills. It felt like my studying paid off, and I had unlocked a new superpower.
My favorite activity with my host family was renting a kimono and riding a rickshaw. I always thought kimonos were beautiful and instantly made anyone look very elegant and lovely, so it was on my bucket list for something I hoped to experience. I took my time picking out the outfit, and with the help of my host sister and mother, we put together a light pink kimono with a matching obi, bag, and shoes. After getting dressed, they also gave me a traditional Japanese hairstyle and different pins and flowers. When we were all ready, we went on a rickshaw tour, which was about half an hour of a man running us around the city, explaining historical highlights and taking lots of photos for us. It was such a lively experience– at first, I felt bad when I realized just one person was going to be manually pulling a heavy vehicle while tour guiding. But our driver was so enthusiastic and smiled the entire time that it was incredibly fun and entertaining. I was also glad to talk to him in Japanese and learn more about the area I was seeing around me. This was in Asakusa near Sensō-ji, which is one of the oldest and most well-known temples in Japan. It is an extremely popular spot, so there were all kinds of vendors, foods, and activities everywhere. After the ride, my host sister, mom, and I walked around for a while, eating delicious snacks like mochi and taiyaki, shopping for little trinkets, and getting Omikuji (fortune telling).
My favorite experiences with my school group was going to cafes– I didn’t realize how many different cafes there were, from maid and macho cafes to cafes featuring any small animal you can think of, they were everywhere and a unique part of Japanese culture. We went to a cat cafe and a maid cafe, and besides the unforgettable establishment itself, it was also one of the first times we were really using a lot of the vocabulary we had learned. Our teacher was with us to chaperone, but he encouraged us to try everything ourselves and would ask the staff to speak a bit slower for us. I noticed that the staff were always extremely kind, understanding, and seemed delighted to help us practice our Japanese. I felt very nervous at first, worried I wouldn’t understand anything or mispronounce words, but that feeling quickly disappeared when I realized how welcoming everyone was, and that I was likely judging myself a lot more than anyone else around me was. I thought, if a Japanese person learning English was brave and tried talking to me, I would be grateful for their effort to learn our language and communicate, and more than happy to help. This mindset made me feel a lot better throughout my trip and helped allow me to embrace the unfamiliar culture and explore the new world around me with fewer mental limits. Although it was intimidating to go outside of my comfort zone and travel abroad without my family for the first time, this trip was truly an amazing experience. I learned a lot about myself and loved exploring a beautifully different culture across the world. I had the opportunity to experience life from a completely foreign perspective, viewing the world through new lens, and am forever grateful for the expanded worldview and timeless memories I have been left with.
– Charlotte Lin / 林美希