Long before going on the SJMC Japan 2024 study abroad trip, I had expected I would, in a way, stay in my own lane and not care too much about the classes I would be taking while in Japan. Looking back at these assumptions now, I could not have been more wrong about everything.
I initially wanted to be in this program mostly because I wanted to go to Japan, and this opportunity gave me the chance while also allowing me to gain credits for my major. I was thinking of myself and because of this, I felt as if I wasn’t going to place much effort into making friends or doing class work.
Though when it came time to actually embark on this adventure, it was almost hard not to get filled with such passion for all aspects of the trip. The people who were with me became good friends almost immediately, and the class work drew me in, challenging me to grow and leave my comfort zone, testing the limits of my skills.
Though this was all true, my favorite parts of the trip were obviously what we were there to do in the first place, exploring Japan. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt like I wasn’t filled with joy and curiosity, eager to see and do everything I could.
From the scheduled trips with the whole group such as, one of my personal favorites, Enoshima Island, where I would be able to discover the unmatched views of the city and the ocean from atop massive shrines to the unexpected adventures, I would find myself in separately, like feeding energetic otters and playing with meerkats. There was no end to both the amusement and the amazement in Japan, and that’s an understatement.
On this trip, I learned many things, some that are harder to put into words than others. I, of course, learned many useful things academically like generally improving my writing ability or the workings of social media.
Though there were also important, I found myself gaining an insight with unspoken lessons throughout most of the trip. The most valuable was that despite differences in nationality, background, culture or even language, it’s much easier to make real friends and connections with people more than you would think. Between the college students we met at Rikkyo University and the random encounters with residents of Japan, the kindness and yearning for connection on both sides shone through the conversations leading to newly forged bonds and unforgettable memories.
SJMC Japan 2024 meant more to me than words can offer because it gave me experiences that I’ll think about fondly for the rest of my life, not only the once-in-a-lifetime moments in Japan that were offered, but also the lifelong friends made along the way. I
believe this program will not only vastly impact my personal life in such ways, but also my collegiate and professional careers as well. The knowledge, connections and real-world experiences made will only help to boost me along my career path and allow me to show invaluable skills that many others my age will not have.
This much is true both on the technical front of work, and as well as the previously mentioned, first-hand experiences and connections that you cannot get anywhere else even if you tried. I am immeasurably grateful for getting the opportunity to go on this amazing study abroad trip to Japan, learning the things I learned, seeing the sights I saw and most importantly making the amazing friends I was able to make.
