The Aftermath

It has been approximately four months since I had the opportunity to travel to Japan via the Japan Foundation Program, and I can honestly say that I’ve never had a more life changing experience. As someone who was born and raised in Hawaii, and had never had an opportunity to travel outside of the country, my view of the world was unfortunately very limited. While I was very interested in Japanese culture, being able to actually visit the country and see everything first hand seemed like a dream that was completely out of reach. After having the experience of traveling abroad with HPU, I have developed a newfound respect and appreciation for Japan, as well as developed the belief that I am not only able, but will, be able to return to Japan.

Initially, I had many concerns about studying abroad. Like most people, I was afraid of being away from my family and overall comfort zone. I was worried about how I would manage in a strange place. However, throughout this experience, all of these fears were dissolved. Every single person I met in Japan was both extremely friendly and willing to help me when I asked him or her. I was shown incredible generosity and graciousness by every single person I interacted with while I was in Japan. On top of that,  I discovered that the limits of my independence is far vaster than I originally anticipated. To be in a place you love, feeling completely free and captivated, is an incredible experience.

As soon as I came back to the United States, I decided that I wanted to pursue a longer study abroad session in Japan. For me, ten days just wasn’t enough. There are so many places and things I didn't get the opportunity to see. I’m completely fascinated by both the social and physical infrastructure of the Japanese people, and it is my hope that I can one day soon return to Japan once again.