Oh no! I forgot to post this blog last Friday! I was so caught up in my Spring Break that it just slipped my mind!
In truth, I actually visited my home last week!! It was such a surprise my family blessed me with! One quick packing of my suitcase, and one twelve hour plane ride later, I was back in my hometown of Toledo. As soon as I stepped off the plane and into my mom’s car I felt a strange sense of normalcy. It was almost as if I haven’t been gone for seven months at all. I walked in my front door to my house and greeted my cat, Sophie. I surprised my grandparents and my sisters. We went out for dinner, and I got to go shopping for some necessities. I saw my friends and had coffee at a new shop downtown. (It opened after I had left). I visited my dad, and we spent the day together. Truly, this was one of the most memorable parts of my break so far. As I headed back to the airport to return back to my little apartment in Japan, I suddenly felt upset. I got to return and see the life I set to pause as I traveled abroad to study a foreign language. Although it paused for me, it continued for everyone around me. I felt like everyone was moving on and I was still stuck in August of 2016 when I left. I wish I didn’t feel this way but it’s the honest truth. I love Japan but can I live here alone for another five months?
I have to. It’s not just because it’s what I signed up for and I can’t back out of it although that is a small portion of it. I know so many people that study abroad in their lifetimes. Whether it’s for two weeks, a semester, or an entire year, it is done every day by a wide variety of people around the world. I know I’m not the only one who has felt homesick and felt out of place in a foreign country. I use that thought to help me persevere. I’m doing a good thing here in Japan. I know this time next year I will probably either be in a Masters program, an internship or finding a future career. I won’t ever get this opportunity again. This freedom I have now and this area I am in now will only occur this one time in this one specific way for me. Plus I made it over halfway, and while the taste of home was refreshing and memorable, I know it will still be there when I finish my program. I wondered if anyone else has ever felt as homesick as I do? Surely there are people out there who can relate to this post!
So here are some more honest thoughts, and an update of where I’ve been. I’ll have two more posts before the second semester starts here at Aichi University. I’m hoping to make the most of my free time until then. Thanks for listening, and until next time. (: