My Experiences in Japan by Sariah

My Experiences in Japan by Sariah - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

Before I came to Japan, I studied the language for three years. And during that time, I made an effort to educate myself as much as possible about the various customs practiced. But no matter how much I prepared for my journey, I never thought it would be this different from my hometown.

At first, I was too exhausted by the jet lag to fully acknowledge all the changes taking place around me. I didn’t notice my lack of proper communication skills or the fact that I was living in a stranger’s home. I simply focused on staying awake and enjoying the scenery around me, but after the last few drops of jet lag trickled away, however, my brain filled the newly vacant space with an overwhelming sense of excitement and bliss; I was truly living my dream of studying abroad in Japan. A part of me thought this couldn’t be real and that I would awake from this euphoric dream at any moment, but it never happened.

Living in Japan has been the polar opposite from living my quaint, little life in Valparaiso, Indiana. Admittedly, the language barrier has been my biggest struggle, but it seems to be getting better every day. Still, I have a long way to go before I’m even remotely fluent. The language barrier hasn’t been the only obstacle in my way since coming here; there has been a lot to overcome. Outside of trying to speak to everyone, I’ve had to find a place to fit in, not only at school, but also at my new, temporary home. Luckily though, everyone made me feel like I already belonged; my host family opened up their house and their hearts to me like I was really part of their wonderful family, and I even made new friends within my first week of school.

Besides a new school and a new family, the weather was also a big change for me. I knew that Japan experienced many earthquakes, along with other minor natural disasters, but the idea of having to face one slipped my mind completely. Within two weeks of my stay, I experienced my first earthquake; it was a shock that I was not ready for. Thankfully though, the earthquake was nothing too major, and I survived my first quake. Since then, I have experienced many other earthquakes, waking me up in the wee hours of the morning, and a handful of other natural disturbances.

Natural disasters aside, my life in Japan has been extremely enjoyable. Outside of school and homework, I’ve spent my short time here filling my days with adventures one could only dream of. For example, I’ve gotten to visit the Toshogu Shrine and the Fukushima Museum of Art, attend a Nikko-city Icebucks hockey game, and taste nearly every food that has crossed my path. I’ve enjoyed absolutely all of it, especially the food.

Throughout my stay, a lot that has changed about me. Being millions of miles away from home, I went from being an independent person to a fragile vase within minutes. Even with being a more dependent person than I was, it’s not a change for the worse. This change has allowed me to open-up more to others, something I was afraid to do before. I think that my biggest change has been that I’ve become more open-minded. I will admit, before I was very picky with what I ate, but after arriving I gave that habit up in a heartbeat. This change hasn’t just occurred in my taste-buds, but in everything. I’ve come to realize that just because something is different than what I’m accustomed to doesn’t make it bad. It just makes it different.

With all the ups and downs I’ve had during my stay, I know that studying abroad was an opportunity I could not miss out on. Every day here has been a life changing experience, and I know that every day to come will be as well. I had been dreaming of this day since the start of my high school career, and now that this day has finally arrived, I can’t begin to describe how lucky I am. Coming to Japan has truly been the best decision of my life.