The purpose of my study abroad was to leave my comfort zone in Japan and broaden my horizons, and to study tourism management in Australia, a tourism-driven country.
When I was a high school student, I participated in an international exchange program and spent my summer vacation with American high school students. I had a hard time adjusting to the new values and culture in an unfamiliar English-speaking environment, but at the same time I felt the excitement of expanding my world and growing as a person. During the program, I was shocked to learn that most of the American students did not know about Kobe, my hometown. From that moment on, I became interested in tourism management, as I wanted to make Kobe and Hyogo a world-famous place.
Based on these experiences, I decided to study abroad and chose Curtin University, where I could study tourism. In addition to the study, I hope to gain many experiences that I can only have there.

What surprised me when I came to Australia was the large number of immigrants and international students. Many of them do not speak English as their first language, and they are very considerate of people like me who are studying English.
I am taking classes that I cannot take in Japan, such as tourism management and design, which are not my specialty. I struggle with class discussions, presentations, and essays every day, but I am getting better at keeping up with the classwork by thoroughly preparing and reviewing my work. When I have a hard time, I get over it with the help of my classmates and by encouraging each other. Learning new things in a foreign country is sometimes difficult, but it is very fresh and fun.
Western Australia has beautiful nature, so I go to the beach or camping with my friends during holidays. I also participate in the university's Japan club every week, where I learn about each other's culture with students who are interested in Japan. Although I have some difficulties in my classes I have made friends and am refreshed every day as I work hard.

It was a fulfilling study abroad experience, where I was able to learn about what I was most interested in and was blessed with new friends. At first, I was anxious about living abroad alone, building relationships, and attending the university. However, I was blessed with kind people and was able to have various experiences with them that I could not have in Japan. Through this study abroad experience, I was able to develop the ability to challenge new things without fear and to communicate smoothly with people from different backgrounds. I will use the experiences I gained here in my future work and life.