It’s already been about 2.5 months since I’ve come to Japan. Within the first month, I was already thinking how I wished I could stay here longer, but unfortunately I have to return to my home country in order to graduate university. So far this experience has been everything, and more, than what I expected. My Japanese skills have improved tremendously, I’ve done and seen many things that I have always wanted to do and see, and I’ve made many friends along the way. Since I’ve only been studying Japanese for about 2 years before I came here, there was a lot of room for improvement. But I’ve noticed a big difference in my language skills from when I first got here, to now. Even my friends have noticed that I am able to understand more Japanese and that my speaking has gotten better. Being surrounded by Japanese people speaking Japanese everyday has really helped me develop my skills in the language and also it’s helped me pick up useful phrases that native speakers in the area use. Kansai-Ben has been a little difficult to understand, but I’m starting to learn it and be able to use it even, which I am very happy about. Now-a-days, I am very confident going into stores or restaurants by myself and figuring out what to say to the workers when I need help with something or even asking them questions when I have them.
Although my biggest achievements have been in speaking and listening, my kanji skills have improved as well, even to the point where I can read simple sentences about topics that I am familiar with! I think my improvement in reading is my proudest achievement, because kanji just feels like such a hurdle to get over. But because I have been studying, I have made progress.
Besides my improvement in my language skills, this opportunity has also given me the opportunity to travel around Japan and engage in culture that I would have never been able to experience otherwise. So far I have been to Kyoto, Matsuyama (in Ehime prefecture), Kobe, Nara, and, of course, all around Osaka. And even now I have plans to go to Tokyo and Kagawa in December. I'm very excited for the future travels that I have planned and all of the new sights and experiences they will bring me. As for Japanese culture, everyday I navigate through the cultural norms here in Japan. It is entirely opposite to the culture in the U.S., so it has taken some time to get used to how things are done here, but overall, I can say that I’ve adjusted quite well.
Long before I came here to study, I had intentions of applying for jobs here. After I graduate, I plan to apply for jobs here in Japan. This experience has just made the prospect of living and working here even more exciting, since I have had a taste of what living here feels like, and I definitely want to come back so that I can see more places and experience even more things in this country.