By Kaya DeAngelis
I never wanted to study abroad. I was comfortable staying in the United States, with my
favorite Dunkin’, my family and friends, and the familiar streets and beaches of the town I grew
up in. I had no desire to move halfway across the world. However, when I looked over the list of
countries being offered for study abroad and saw Japan, I knew I had to take the opportunity
and go.
Being part Japanese, I have always felt connected to that part of my heritage. Knowing,
too, that I had family members living in Japan that I had gone 19 years without meeting
solidified my choice. Even though the idea of studying abroad was terrifying, it felt like
something I just had to do. When I heard the Office of International Programs had only just added Japan and I would be the first student from Stonehill to travel there, it felt like a sign. I could forge my own path and make this trip everything that I wanted it to be.
Living in Japan has truly changed my entire outlook on life. Being immersed in my
culture through festivals, tea ceremonies, wearing kimono, and learning history has been
incredibly rewarding. I’ve been lucky to get to know my family while I’ve been here, to see their
hometowns and schools, to learn about their lives, and to have conversations with them in my
broken but sufficient Japanese. Living in a country where I have roots and learning about my
family’s history firsthand has been the most eye-opening and unique experience. There is a saying in Japanese,一期一会“ichi go ichi e,” which means treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. Living with this in mind as a constant reminder that I might never get the opportunity to return to Japan has fueled everything I’ve done here.
From spontaneous trips to Osaka and Mount Fuji, wandering the streets of Shibuya with people I’ve just met, and going solo to a concert at Tokyo Bay, there has been no shortage of impulsive
experiences. Not to mention getting that phrase as my first tattoo from an independent artist in
a suburb of Tokyo. When you’re studying abroad, so much will need to be planned. While it’s
crucial to plan trips for places you know you want to go, leave room for impulsivity. Actually,
leave a lot of room for impulsivity. I’ve found that the best experiences come when you just
stumble upon them.
Moving 6,693 miles away from everything and everyone you’ve ever known shows you
how brave you can be. I arrived in Tokyo with my minimal DuoLingo Japanese and soon
realized it would be no help. But you have to get by anyway, so you learn and adapt (and make
good use of Google Translate). As I learned more Japanese, I found myself putting away the app
and just trying to get by with what I knew. I tried to strike up conversations with people on the
train, speak the language whenever I got the chance, and gradually learned not to be afraid to
mess up time and time again. You just have to keep at it, and the day you finally have a
successful conversation in the native tongue, however simple, is the greatest reward.
Living in a foreign country tests your boundaries and the limits of who you think you are.
You have to be so willing to step out of your comfort zone, you practically throw it out the
window. You have to stay painfully open to growth and jump at the chance for new experiences.
I’ve done things in the past four months that I never would have imagined myself doing. I visited
the town my mom grew up in. I traveled alone to beautiful locations, meeting new people and
forming friendships I would have never had otherwise. I went on dates with locals to cities I
didn’t know. I joined the softball team and enjoyed it the most out of everything I did, despite no
one there speaking English. I simply took advantage of the opportunities in front of me and most
importantly, did what brought me joy. Japan is so special in this way. It’s a country that brings out the best in you.
The truth is, day by day I haven’t felt myself change, but now I look back on the girl that first boarded the plane in Boston four months ago and I can’t say I recognize her.
Traveling abroad is going to be scary, hard, exhausting, and lonely at times. But that doesn’t mean it’s not also the most rewarding and unique experience of your life. Cherish every moment and remember this is your journey alone, no one else’s. Do what you want, go where you want, and make your experience yours. There is so much beauty to be found in this world outside of your hometown. Take the chance and go. When you have the courage to leave behind everything you’ve ever known, you discover everything you can be.
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