The faint smell of rainy streets, unfamiliar words bouncing off the café walls, the shine of glitter everywhere—people’s hair, shoes and clothes. The summer dream is never ending until I snap back into reality where the sounds of home unmutes itself. My daily schedule in San Diego began as I returned back to where I left off a month ago.
This was the summer where I joined a high school summer exchange program in Tokyo, Japan through the Council of International Educational Exchange (CIEE) program. I applied for CIEE last November and was accepted with a Global Navigator scholarship on Feb. 23, 2023. As explained by the official CIEE website, their mission is to help students gain a greater understanding of the culturally diverse and globally interdependent world we now live in.
When the date for me to leave San Diego rolled by, I felt all possible emotions hit me at once. Because my program session was from June 11 to July 8, it felt unreal and I was hesitant to go. But little did I know that this program would be life changing and would leave a lasting impact on me.
Every day in Japan was a new adventure. The first two weeks, I lived with a welcoming host family in Nerima—a western ward in Japan—allowing me to experience the life of a Japanese student. I found myself commuting to and from school by train and walking the remaining distance from the train station to the school alone. Although the experience was very unfamiliar, I knew there weren’t other options to reach my destination.
After three hours of school, my afternoon activities, and free time on my first day, navigating myself through the train station was very easy. It wasn’t until my walk home at night, where my phone died. I realized how lonely I really was in the unfamiliar country. Although it took me two hours to get home, I recognized what I was capable of accomplishing. Challenges and new experiences like this would be a daily occurrence, but all it took was my mind and will to push myself to success.
Thus, a challenge I faced was that I was shy and quiet at first but I went out to make friends. I talked to the members of my session who came from different states like Georgia, New York and Florida. The friendships grew stronger in the last two weeks when everyone in the program moved to dorms. I felt myself becoming more social and understood that I had to live everyday to the fullest, to get the most out of the program.
Eventually, I became friends with almost everyone in my group session. These were the people who I would explore Japan with. We found ourselves eating meals together, staying out late for karaoke, hopping on and off trains to new places.
Additionally, I was able to explore the fashion and makeup styles during my stay. My schedule was so packed I didn’t have time to stop and think about missing home. Japan was a whole new world and completely different culture that I was able to explore. The whole month felt as if I were in a dream, living a carefree and independent life.
Eventually, it was time for me to say goodbye to the friends I made, the life I accustomed to and Japan as a whole. Before I knew it, I was crying on the plane ride home to San Diego. Though I could reminisce back to my summer in a positive light, it feels as though I have grown attached to seeing my friends and waking up early in the morning, knowing my day would be filled with new adventures.
Arriving back home, I was reminded of my memories of Japan everywhere I went. When I came back, I realized that people got used to living without my presence and the world kept revolving. It was only time before I wrapped back into the cycle and moved forward with them.
After I shared the exciting memories of my trip with my family, I took note of the growth I made as a person. My mind felt lighter in a sense that I was more open and appreciative towards everyday life. I was able to make friends who understood the joys of Japan and cried with me when we missed it all.
My summer break in Japan offered experiences like no other and allowed me to make memories I will cherish forever. I was able to face challenges and new experiences on my own knowing I would make it through successfully.
