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! ✌

My goals for studying abroad include learning how to adapt in a different culture, learning how business management is taught differently in another country, and lastly to interact with different people and make future connections. I am excited to study abroad, but at the same time I am extremely nervous. I'm nervous because it will be my first time not being in America. However, after a few days of learning new things I feel the nerves will go away. One thing I would like to do to maximize my experience is go to a soccer game because Argentina is real big on soccer. The next thing I would like to do is hang out with other people from the country to see how life is everyday for them. Lastly, I would love to travel all parts of the city and try many different foods.

Studying Abroad: My Expectations

The excitement I have for studying abroad is almost overshadowed by the pure curiosity and wonder that I have for my future endeavors. There's a feeling in my gut that everything unexpected will happen, and it only creates an oxymoron of happy anxiety for what I will endure. 

I want to submerge in the culture that will be provided to me. As minuscule as it may seem, I have a goal to eat every food that is a common experience wherever I go. No meat, no mix, and no feast will be able to stop my hunger for traditions and culture. 

I have an idea of who I want to be while away; I want to create an image of myself that will only belong in a foreign land. Someone who goes out of her way to say "yes" to every experience, and come back with a plethora of stories to tell anyone willing to listen. That is a part of me I have never been able to show in my local home, seeing as I have already done what is to be done and experienced what I am capable of experiencing. The prospect of experiencing new routines and adventures is something that lays within the forefront of my mind. 

One thing that I am conveniently excited about is the prospect of learning everything I can learn while attending my abroad institution. While I love Maryville College, I have no doubt that I will approve of my final year of college being strictly abroad. I cannot begin to imagine the knowledge of society and communications that I will bring from a different environment that will further benefit my scholarly imagination.

One of the few fears I have for this "pilgrimage" is that I will accept and love my abroad home so much that I will despise my departure. (As cheesy as that sounds, it rings true). I want this experience to open up multiple doors for my career and interests, and possibly welcome me as a permanent resident if I do find connections worthy of my staying or coming back.

While all of my emotions run wild, I still have the privilege to learn about my home away from home. When I am informed of where I am staying, I will go into great depths to study the ins-and-outs of wherever I am meant to be. This means I will learn the culture that will surround me, the basics of political views and morals, and the history of the land where my feet temporarily reside. The understanding of the world you will be in is just as crucial as truly being there. 

The biggest advantage of studying abroad is what I will bring back with me; Not only what I learned while attending classes, but what I learned from interactions, relationships, and adventures. I want a stable idea of where I want to be in life, and if I have to travel to another country to answer that question, I will gladly take that path.

Goals for Going Abroad

Born and raised in East Tennessee is a bit of a jarring background to associate with a small Asian girl, but it’s true. I’m a child of two Filipino immigrants yet I’ve never experienced the world like they have. I’ve only had a small taste of the worldliness they’ve experienced on their way to the States, but I have yet to experience it for myself.

But in a few months, I’ll be doing just that with a summer internship in New Zealand. All of it came together in a little less than two months – which is still quite bizarre to think about – but I’ve only grown more excited with each day (and each form I turn in).

I’m not exactly sure what I’ll be doing yet, but that’s just another part of the excitement. I haven’t even bought my plane ticket yet, but I just know that it’ll be an experience that’ll follow me on my path through life. Believe it or not, the part that I am looking most forward to is learning how to work in a research or healthcare setting since that is the fork in the road I have ahead of me after graduation. This is the part where my penchants for overly seriousness and usually being overdressed will come in handy.

However, this experience won’t be all work and no play. I fully intend to take in the sights (call me the American Hobbit), maybe do some extreme height jumping (don’t tell my mom), and experience the Maori culture firsthand. Despite growing up with proud Pinoy parents, a culture strongly influenced by an Asian culture was not a common thing for me to see in my environment. That will definitely be an interesting change of pace and maybe I won’t be the minority here.

Before I get back to preparation (and trying not to die from homework), let me let you in on a secret. I’m a bit frightened. More than I want to admit. I’ll be jetting off to a country where I know nobody personally by myself and it’ll be the longest I’ve been away from home by myself. What if I build up the excitement too much for myself and am let down upon landing? What if I want more?

I think that the best approach I can take in response to my fears is to worry about when I get there and not beforehand. Obviously, I’m not referring to forgoing worries about the logistics of getting there because I should most definitely be worried about. However, there’s something I need to do differently than I like to do here: I need to not have a plan. More specifically, I need to not plan so much for the way that things will be like over there. I need to ignore my default mode of choosing to stay in when the plan offered isn’t my own. Most importantly, remember the motto that’s gotten me this far: Go big or go home. 

Goals

My goal for studying abroad is to further my knowledge about the business side of sports. Since I major in physical education and minor in business, learning about international business in sports is a great way to gain knowledge in both areas of my studies. I am very excited to attend this study abroad trip and meet new people. The only fear I have is the fear of flying. Three things I want to do while I'm over there is maximize my experience, meet new people, and to learn more about another culture.

Vocation, Vocation, Vocation

      Aside from just joining clubs on campus at Al-Akhawayn and participating in community services, I believe that networking with my professors during my study abroad will contribute the most to accomplishing my vocational goals. The reason I am focusing on professors, is because they are able to bring a little more insight to the table than most. As I was doing research on my host country and institution, I came across many segments where they described their professors as intelligent individuals form different walks of life.

      During my study abroad I will be finishing up my second part of thesis, so talking to my professors about their thoughts and advice on my topic would be a great way to generate a dialogue. Soon after, I would inquire them about internships and other business opportunities that would help me transition into the work force while I am there. Networking closely with the professors of AUI would definitely help in finding my vocation.

Living Like a Local: My home away from home

To be honest my plan to blend in with the locales of my host country is pretty simple and straight forward. Be a sponge, and soak up everything. Sure there will be times where I experience some forms of culture shock but its all apart of the experience in my opinion. Plus it'll help prepare me for future travel experiences.

I have already made plans to get involved in community services in my host country as a way to immerse myself with those who don't just attend the University. This would also give me the opportunity to practice on speaking and understanding the language there.

As far as food goes its simple.....eat all the foods. This is probably the main reason as to why I am studying abroad (after finding my vocation and gaining an increased global perspective of course).

I also intend on joining a few clubs during the semester and become familiar with the campus as soon as possible. With that being said, I am not trying to stretch myself too thin and do everything that is available or become annoying to others. The way I see it is that if I want to live like a local, I should be open-minded to different things and not be prone to say no if I am asked to join in on something.