In my mind, I haven’t been in Tokyo for long. Two months in, and I still feel as if I just stepped off the airplane in late August. 

I suppose it’s a good thing that time is flying, since that probably means I’m doing enough to warrant busy days. Despite this fact, I still feel a ball of sadness in my stomach when I think about my semester abroad coming to an end. 

In the past month or so, I’ve noticed a lot of changing feelings. At first, I started to feel more comfortable speaking with my host mom and talking to my peers in class. Then, I noticed how better situated I was to address my culture shock that I was feeling for quite some time. Even now, I see ways in which I could continue to grow as a student overseas, and it makes me sad to think that I may not have more opportunities to do so before my time is up.

This first half of the semester hasn’t been perfect. In fact, I’ve struggled with my fair share of anxiety and loneliness. On the surface level, I’m very happy to be in Japan, and I love all the opportunities I’ve had available to me. Deeper than that though, I’ve been struggling with my personal reflection and motivation.

Being abroad gives me the opportunity to work on adapting to changes more independently. However, it also means having to rebuild a support system by myself. At this point, I feel better situated to address any issues that may pop up, but I still feel uncertain much of the time. 

I love being able to study in Japan and experience a different way of life. I’m already so sad thinking of having to say goodbye to this little part of the world that I’ve temporarily made into my home. However, I think it’s important to realize that, like all things in life, it isn’t without its flaws. It makes me happy though, seeing as I’m able to grow from these moments of uncertainty. I’m grateful to be where I’m at now, and I’m happy to see how I’ve changed even in this short time. Come December, I hope that I’ll have plenty more things to reflect positively on too.

As of now though, I have lots of fun memories and pictures to enjoy! If you’re interested in seeing some of my recent favorite photos, feel free to take a look at the links below!

https://flic.kr/p/2nVvC3n / https://flic.kr/p/2nVufeS – Tokyo seems to have vending machines on every corner. Not only are they convenient, but they’re enjoyable to look at too!