This summer, I am traveling to Japan for a six-week study abroad program. To say I am excited is an understatement. This will be the first time I have left the United States for a sizable amount of time. I have spent a brief amount of time on some of the islands in the Caribbean but nothing close to six weeks.
Going to Japan seems almost surreal. Going to any country to study abroad seems surreal. I still can’t comprehend that this is happening, but there have been a couple of things that I have been potentially worried about or have some general questions about.
The first is, of course, language differences. Japanese and English are very different languages (no surprise) and despite my daily Duolingo efforts, I still have a lot to learn. I am making a strategy of reaching out to other students in my program who have proficient knowledge of the language so I can use their expertise to make navigating a forum country easier.
The second concern I have is the dress and culture. Japan is very modest clothing wise even in the summer. Mostly everyone wears pants, heavier shirts, and more formal clothes. The issue arises with the fact that I need to run for cross country and complete my miles. Normally in the nasty Nebraska heat, I am wearing running shorts, no shirt and a hat. But if I did that in Japan I would be treated like the weirdest person on Earth. I think they might start circulating rumors that I am a nudist. The culture in Japan is also wildly different than here in the US. Over here we are much more casual and loose. Again if I overstep cultural boundaries, I will be labeled an insensitive foreigner, which is a death sentence socially.
The third concern I have is getting there. The airline industry is evil. I have never seen such outlandish prices. Some of these plane tickets are so expensive you could buy an entire car and just drive to the location yourself. The issue is of course I can’t drive there, the Pacific Ocean is not very car-friendly.
I voice all my concerns about the language barrier, the adjustment to culture and the price of traveling out-right but even still I am not only excited to study abroad, but I am completely giddy about the trip. Not only am I willing to go headfirst into somewhere completely new but I am willing to pay for that stupidly priced airline ticket. The opportunity to be abroad is such a unique and potentially life-changing experience that any issues I have will be completely overshadowed by the positives.
The fact that Doane has given me the support and resources needed to study abroad makes me even more grateful. I am openly imploring all students to at least look at the prospect of studying abroad, the amount of resources available to help you go abroad is astounding. I know the prospect of going to an entirely different country might be daunting, but studying abroad is such a special opportunity that I am willing to push through those difficulties in order to potentially change my worldview and outlook. So take the risk and try to see if you can go abroad.
