The first month I spent in Japan it was basically my honeymoon period.
It’s as fun as I remember with way more freedom than when I came last time.
I got to spend my days exploring the city, seeing friends and meeting new people.
There was this sense of relief because it was just relaxing and fun, there was no stress, no anxiety.
Kunteki Shrine Honden
My biggest fear coming to Japan was that I’d hate it and want to go home in the first few weeks.
And while there were times when I wanted to go home I never had that absolute panic of homesickness.
Never did I think “I have to go home I can’t make it through.”
I’d never been to a mountain top botanical garden,
or ride my bike from one side of a city to the other three times in a week,
or make friends with a guy who sells shoes in the mall as just a regular week.
That’s what my first weeks in Japan were like. It was constantly an adventure.
Makino Botanical Garden
Like I said there were times that I wanted to go home, so it’s probably safe to assume that the honeymoon ended.
I wasn’t as in love with Japan after two months the way I was after two weeks.
It was the little digs of homesickness that started getting me as classes were starting that really pushed me to become more independent,
to learn how to manage being alone better.
This ended up being maybe the most important lesson I learned, and to get it so early I consider myself very blessed in that regard.