Summer Exploration, 2006

Visiting Japan has been a big experience for me as I've never been so far away from home before. It's only been one week and I already have a great group of friends. Having friends to laugh with me as I make mistakes and grow make adjusting to the culture so much easier. With each new step my confidence is growing. A simple purchase at the Konbini (Convenience Store) or asking someone a question in Japanese is slowly becoming easier and I feel so much more comfortable. Traveling around takes a lot of courage, and at first the train system and Tokyo in general were terrifying. The only way to overcome your fear is to take a chance, and to push all doubt out of your mind. To succeed in a new culture, you have to be positive and accepting no matter what. Take in each event as an experience to learn from. I can already say that learning about Japan's culture first hand is one of the greatest experiences of my life.