So my trip in Japan has come to an end and I am excited yet sad. I am looking forward to getting back home and seeing everyone I love and care about but I feel the need to reflect on what I love about Japan and what I will miss.
Things I will miss:
- Delicious Japanese Food
- Organic, fresh, tasty, locally grown foods
- The friends I have made and the kind people I have met
- The quiet trains, buses, and cities
- The amazing deer i met in Nara Park
- Punctual and courteous public transportation
- Practicing Japanese with locals
- Being completely dumbfounded when I cannot understand someone
- The beautiful architecture
- Peaceful temples and shrines
- Sustainable practices including recycling, fuel-efficient cars, and solar panels
Yes all of these things about Japan are amazing and I truly will miss them. But, on my travels I noticed that Japan was not as different as I thought it would be. Numerous people warned me of “culture shock”,something I was excited to experience, but never did.
Maybe I just had unrealistic expectations, but Japan was more similar to America than what I initially thought, whether it be because of globalization or because people have coinciding characteristics and values. Nonetheless, I did see things that were different and many of them I could see being implemented in America for the better. Things like local farming, 70 mpg cars, efficient public transportation, and a effective recycling program.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay in Japan and I am glad to have met such nice people while being immersed in culture, language, organic farming, and sustainability. I hope to take the experiences I have acquired and utilize them at some point whether it be in an academic, professional, or personal part of my life. Thank you to everyone who visited my blog, left comments and messages, and/or had meaningful discussions with me. I will hopefully have more study abroad experiences in the future and who knows, maybe I will blog once again on amazing opportunities such as this.