Blog 1: Goals

Blog 1: Goals

It's hard to imagine, after 10+ years of wanting to go to Japan, I finally have the opportunity and the means to go. Not only that, but I get to study abroad there. One of my goals for the summer is to eat as many authentic Japanese foods - I specifically want to try Japanese sushi (because American sushi is WAY different), and foods like okonomiyaki and sukiyaki, which aren't as easy to find in restaurants in the States. Another goal of mine is to to get more comfortable speaking Japanese with native speakers, because I am currently reluctant to practice my Japanese with them in fear of making silly mistakes. While taking Japanese here at MC, my professor focused more on grammar and writing. The only real practice we got speaking was when we did speeches in class, but those were prepared and memorized beforehand. I'm hoping being abroad in Japan by myself (without friends or family in immediate reach for assistance) will help me gather courage and make me more willing to step outside of my comfort zone. I have many other goals I'd like to accomplish during my time abroad, but I'll leave it at those for now.

sukiyaki

okonomiyaki

Since Japan is not a majority native English-speaking country, I am terrified about having to navigate myself while I'm there! Japan is huge on public transportation - subways, buses, bikes - you name it. I have no idea how to get from point A to point B on a subway OR a bus, and I never learned to ride a bike as a child. Cue nervous laugh. Another fear of mine (and this is purely superficial, but still) is the level of humidity in Japan. It's ridiculously high, and not to mention, it will be monsoon season during the time I'm there. My hair will be ridiculously difficult to tame. I visited Korea during monsoon season, and walking outside was kind of a nightmare. I'm hoping it won't affect my experience in Japan as much as it did while I was in Korea, but I have doubts. I also have fears concerning the trip to and from - especially when it comes to making sure I have a seamless process, and making sure I get my luggage in one piece.

When it comes to maximizing my experience abroad, I want to make a language table with other students to improve our language skills! If not a language table, maybe some kind of language exchange with Japanese students - they could practice their English, and I could practice my Japanese. I also want to see if there are any clubs we could create or join to interact more with other students (Japanese and others). Blogging my experiences to share with others is something else that I want to do as well.

At this point, I think I'm equally scared and excited to embark on this journey. It still hasn't hit me that I will be in Japan in just a few months, but I think it will become more clear the closer we get to the end of the semester. Farewell for now, friends! ✌