On August 8(Japanese time), my alarm made me wake up at 5:30am. This was a day to leave Japan. Even on the day of my departure, I did not feel like leaving my home for 1 year. I boarded a plane to the United State with two huge suitcases. It took more than 13 hours to come here. After 13 hours of flight, I finally arrived at Detroit airport. At that time, my phone showed August 8th again and this time difference made me realize the beginning of my new life fully.
My new life in the U.S. started on August 8th. This is a totally different life that I've experienced in my life. I had never been out of Japan so studying abroad at Ohio Northern University as an exchange student is really fresh and exciting for me. One of the difficulties I'm struggling with at Ohio is communication in English. It is much harder than I expected. I did not know how to react to each conversation the first time.
On August 9th, international Orientation started. At the orientation, I made awesome friends from Netherland, Italy, Spain, China, Korea, and even Japan. We do not speak the same language but we can be dearest friends like somehow, we are from the same country. Also, I met ISGs who are domestic students welcoming us. I was scared of the new environment but their kindness helped me a lot. Moreover, during the welcome week, I got to meet Orientation leaders. We played volleyball or a water ball fight and spent an unforgettable time.
Even now I am struggling to get used to my new life but I am definitely having a wonderful journey. I am able to gain new knowledge little by little. I believe that this difficulty can be also a meaningful and challenging thing in my life. Not only communication but the cultures I see every day at ONU also stimulates me. I feel both exhaustion and also joy being exposed to new things. I am proud of myself for choosing ONU as an exchange study abroad. Let's enjoy my new journey.
Be brave.
AIka
Hello Aika. I think your post shows the reader a great perspective of how an exchange student feels when experiencing a new culture. Detailing how you traveled from your home country to Ohio helps the reader understand the process and how the student could be nervous along the way. It would be so hard for me to spend that long on a plane knowing that you would land in an entirely different country. You end your post by saying to “Be brave” and that is so inspiring to read from someone like you who wants to experience a new culture while studying at a university. In your future posts, I think it would be interesting to write about specific differences from your culture to Ohio Northern. It would not just help the reader understand exchange students more, it would also educate the reader about Japanese traditions.
ReplyDeleteHi Aika, I really liked this blog. I find it interesting that you decided to study abroad in small town Ada. I have lived in Ada my whole life, I can tell you that while there is nothing here to do, the people are always friendly and I am sure you will enjoy your time here.
ReplyDeleteHello Aika! I'm happy you decided to come to ONU! New experiences are always scary in a way. Even though I've lived in Ohio my whole life coming here was still a heart-racing experience.
ReplyDeleteI cannot speak from experience but I can understand where you are coming from when it comes to language barriers in communication especially in a new environment. As much as we want things to go well in our heads they may not always pan out in practice. But what you do have is determination and the will to "be brave" and keep making these new memories in this new environment. I hope your confidence continues to be a driving force in your life.
Welcome Home.
Hello, Welcome to ONU!! I cannot imagine the adjustment that you must be making moving to this extremely western country. Having had foreign exchange students from accross Europe and experiencing their adjustments, they've expressed to me that the experience is worth the adjustment. Feel free to reach out with any questions!!
ReplyDeleteHi my best!
ReplyDeleteI also felt that kind of feeling when I left my home and after I came here, I felt homesick every day.
But now we have a wonderful friends who they are from every where in the world. I'm really glad to meet you in this study abroad. I also always remind 'Be Brave'. This word makes me strong. One year is long but our study abroad is short. Let's enjoy rest of our life in the United State!
Runa Mizusawa