When I had to leave for the airport to Narita on Tuesday I was lucky enough to have my three best guy friends accompany me: Josh, Allen, and Tobias. The easiest route and least expensive route to the airport was a bus fare from Machida bus terminal directly to the airport. It costs roughly 3600 yen or a litte more than $36. With three guys and three bags in tow we took the 2 hour bus ride to the airport terminal. The last time that I had been at the terminal was when I took a flight from Narita to Seoul, South Korea at the end of October. It was so strange a concept for me to be getting on a plane but not expecting a return flying to Tokyo.
Since I'm such a punctual person, we arrived in the terminal about and hour and half ahead of schedule. We decided to take that time to grab something to eat a Japanese family style restaurant. We spent that time joking, laughing, and just remembering the crazy fun times we had together. Before I left, a lot of people have asked me what I would miss most about Japan. After professing my love for the Japanese convenience stores, I answered that the one thing that I would miss the most is the people. The friends that I have made both the Japanese students who were so kind and helpful to us while were were there trying to figure out this new country, and those people who were in the RJ program like me who came from all parts of the world. That's who I would miss most. They all have unique personalities and temperments that I knew I would never find again in another person. The most difficult thing was that I knew that this may be the last time that I would see most of these people. We would go on and live our lives moving in separate directions and that was the saddest part for me.
I didn't think it would be that hard to leave. Actually, when I left Boston, a part of me was dreading the trip ahead. I was wondering to myself, what the hell was I thinking? How can I survive in a place where I can barely speak the language? Now that I am across the Pacific and had the chance to experience this once in a life time chance it was so so difficult for me to let it all go. I've never been one for crying at departures. I never felt the need to. I guess because I've never met such great people whom I wished to never leave before. So it was no surprise that I didn't even make it past Japanese customs before I began crying. People must've thought I was crazy or something since I was the only one looking like I was having a nervous breakdown, but it was so difficult.
Before I left, my friend Josh gave me a few Japanese parting gifts of sweets and a really touching letter. He talked about how we were one of the few people to meet immediately on the first day that we landed in Tokyo and how he was extremely thankful for it. I think that's what the trip really taught us. Is that there is a bigger world to the one that we already know and that there are so many unique people around the world who share the same goals and aspirations as we do. I wouldn't know how under any other circumstances I would've met Tobias; a European born Sweede who loved to get me mad. Or Lulu who was originally from China but who had spent the last five years studying in a college in Vancouver, Canada who felt like my long lost sister in many ways. Or Josh and Allen who were both from sunny California whom I may have never met if it wasn't for this trip. We live on the same continent and yet we were so far away from each other. It's difficult even for me now to write about them. I've kept in touch with my friends and they are doing well but it's still not the same as seeing them everyday.
This study abroad experience has taught me a lot. Being able to live in a foreign country has helped me better adapt to new enviornments. It's helped me be bolder and braver in many ways. I'm not afraid to do certain things that I would've been reserved about before because in the end it's our ownselves that holds us back from what we can achieve not anyone else. I didn't think my trip to Japan would have been possible, but I worked for it and I was able to take it.
For anyone taking this trip to Tokyo it's one that is worthwhile. My only advice is to leave your expectations behind and keep a very open mind. You are going to be entering a foreign country that is vastly different from ours. I did this and I think that was why I was able to readily adjust without having to experience culture shock while abroad. It's an experience that you will definitely not regret.
For anyone who wants more info please feel free to contact me at xxmarorixx@hotmail.com
I hope one day to make it back to Tokyo, but until then....
Ja mata ne!
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