I have dreamed of studying abroad since I was in high school. So, when I came across the SJMC Japan flyer on the first day of the spring semester, I knew I had to take this opportunity. After anxiously sending my forms in, I was thrilled when I received my acceptance email with a Canvas invite to the program!
When the initial meetings and Canvas courses began, I had no idea what to expect. I had only hoped to gain valuable writing skills and grow academically. I was extremely reserved, and I thought I would keep to myself the entire trip just because that’s how I am. Little did I know that I would walk away from this experience with lifelong friends and memories I’ll never forget.
The more the trip neared, I began to look forward to drastically exiting my comfort zone. The thought of traveling across the globe filled me with anticipation. I also realized that I couldn’t shut myself away from others in this program, so in a way, I forced myself to become more social. I began to talk to my classmates more at the last few meetings, sharing my excitement with them.
As departure day arrived, I couldn’t have been more anxious. I felt like I was doing this entire trip alone but once I saw familiar faces at the airport, I gained a sense of confidence. I realized I was not alone at all on this journey! I could not wait for the flights to be over so our Japan journey could begin.
Each day was filled with excitement. There wasn’t a single moment throughout this trip where I felt uninterested in what was happening.
From our scheduled activities, I really enjoyed Miyajima Island. The Island was packed with so much to see and do; it was amazing. Seeing all the sika deer and how they interacted with the island was fascinating, especially because they were so accustomed to being around people!
Also on Miyajima Island was Daisho-in. This temple was the most interesting to me because it was so different from the other temples and shrines. Scattered throughout the temple were little statues wearing hats called Rakan statues. Also in this temple, there was an extremely dark tunnel that everyone could walk through. The experience of walking through the darkness of the tunnel and reemerging into light is supposed to represent spiritual rebirth. When I walked through the tunnel, I was amazed by the pure darkness inside. Seeing nothing but darkness and a few dimly lit Buddhist figures was incredible. I couldn’t stop saying how awesome that experience was.
Besides our scheduled outings, I also really enjoyed exploring each city, especially with my newfound friends. After each long day, Stefan, Kendall, Amanda, Vince and I would look for anything to do. Whether it be finding a place to eat or just walking around, we always had something extra to do.
However, my favorite excursion of ours was when we went to see Shibuya. I was initially a little nervous since we had gotten lost a couple days before because we didn’t know how the train system worked, but we made it! I was so shocked by the way Shibuya looked. It was so surreal seeing a place i had only seen through the screen of my phone.
At one point, Stefan and I broke off from the rest of them because we had wanted to see this record store, Tower Records. That record store was huge! It was full of items I would never be able to find in the United States! I ended up spending $70 the first time I went. I eventually went two more times and spent even more money. After we were both done at the record store we met up with the rest of the group and walked around Shibuya for as long as we could before the trains stopped running. That was the first night the five of us did something together. Later, we’d become the “Onitsuka Five” since we all purchased Onitsuka Tiger brand shoes to signify our friendship.
Throughout this trip, I learned so much academically and personally. My writing skills improved, my knowledge of media creation improved and my general worldview changed. Being so immersed in Japanese culture really made me see the way we live in a different light. Talking with University of Tokyo students really interested me because we had so many similarities with them but experienced drastically different things. For example, their workload was way heavier than ours taking up to 12 classes a week, but their campus did not have housing for most students like ours does.
I also found that I grew as a person because of this trip. Before this, I was extremely shy and not too confident in my ability to be alone. That changed quickly once we landed in Tokyo. The first morning, I woke up at 4 a.m. and went with Kendall and Peyton to Asakusa’s Don Quijote, all strange and scary to me at the time but, when in Japan! Each passing day I broke more and more out of my shell. From being quiet in all my spring classes to being sociable on the other side of the globe was huge for me.
I’m saddened that the program has come to an end, but I couldn’t be happier from this experience. This program will always mean so much to me because it was full of personal firsts, unforgettable experiences and academic growth.
I was still initially unsure about my major and my actual future at Texas State, but this solidified my place at Texas State and more specifically the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The two professors also heavily impacted me with knowledge and skills that I will continue to use throughout my college career.
The entire SJMC Japan experience will always hold a special place in my heart.
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