7 Questions with Natalie '13 in Japan
1. What made you want to study abroad in Japan? - I decided to study in Japan because I wanted to get myself out of my comfort zone and immerse myself in a culture that is entirely different from my own. My friends that did this program always ended up applying to the JET program after graduating because they wanted to come back. That's how I knew I wanted to apply.
2. What's the food like in Japan? - The food here is amazing! It is so incredibly healthy and there are always so many options, every time I open up the menu it is overwhelming. Food varies from raw/cooked seafood, steak, noodles, miso soup, sushi, it is so good.
3. Do you have any advice for immersing yourself in a new culture? - I would definitely suggest learning a few words/phrases before traveling to a different country because it is not fair to expect that everyone knows how to speak English. Also, I would say to be as open minded as possible! Try new things, because not many people get the opportunity that you do. It is truly a wonderful thing to see how every day life can be so different depending on what part of the world you live in.
4. What have you learned about yourself in the first few weeks of being in Japan? - I have learned that it is okay to be different. I think when I first got here I assumed people would want me to assimilate in their culture, but that is not true. That is the beauty in traveling, learning different customs but also showing people your culture as well. People want to learn from you just as much as you want to learn from them.
5. Describe your favorite day so far. - My favorite day so far would have to be when I visited the elementary school in Yamaguchi. We got to visit 5th graders and it was so wholesome. They were all practicing their English while also teaching me Japanese, they were just so adorable! We played Dodgeball, and our team Dominika (Dominican Republic) won, they were adorable. I was smiling the entire time I was there.
6. In what ways does this study abroad experience inform your future goals? - I hope to become a lawyer one day so this was probably going to be the only time I was going to be able to study abroad for a while. It is giving me the opportunity to witness how laws and government works in a different place.
7. What does it mean to be an Esperanza graduate studying abroad in Japan? Are there things you learned while at Esperanza that you have carried with you through high school and college and now abroad? - As an Esperanza graduate studying abroad seemed like a dream come true! I never would have imagined being in Japan when I was a student there. Esperanza has taught me to take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way. You never know where you can end up, so getting out of our comfort zones and saying 'yes' to opportunities that may seem intimidating at first can take us a long way.
