Author: bmonahan@rollins.edu

Well, this is it. My finals are done, the other exchange students are moving out, and I’m getting ready to say goodbye to Japan. Although it’s a bit sad to be leaving what I have grown to consider my second home, I’ve made so many great friends and memories so I can’t say that I…

There’s only a few more weeks left and although I’m anxiously trying to make sure that I get to do everything I wanted to do in Japan, I’m still incredibly happy to be coming home. There’s a lot of things that I’m going to miss here, but I feel like Japan is like a second…

Japanese pop culture has become famous all over the world, and for good reason. Sometimes it’s interesting, sometimes it’s beautiful, and sometimes it’s just plain wacky. I’ve been taking a pop culture class while studying at Kansai Gaidai, and we’ve been given many opportunities to learn about and experience many elements of Japanese pop culture…

Looking over the letter that I sent myself via FutureMe, I can see that I have grown a lot. I had expressed that I was shy and scared and anxious, and that I wasn’t sure that I could live on my own in another country like this. I was terrified to speak Japanese and I…

There is no shortage of interesting things to do in Japan even after staying here for two months, and I’ve found myself completely immersed in all different kinds of cultural festivals and interactions. Along with this, the weather has started to change from scorching hot humidity to freezing wetness, and it’s brought with it a…

Although there are tons of things that I love about Japan so far, the friendliness of the Japanese students at Kansai Gaidai is one the best. If you sit still for too long, you are almost guaranteed to have a student approach you to practice their Japanese or make a new friend. One girl that…

Now that things are starting to slow down, I’m beginning to find a rhythm. I feel at home here for the most part, and I’m starting to try things that I never would have tried in America. I have some kind of event written down almost every week until December, so I’m rarely bored. For…

I’m finally in Japan! Even though I’ve only been here for two weeks, I’ve already travelled more than I’ve probably ever travelled in my life. Osaka Castle, Kyoto temples, Hirakata City, Osaka shopping malls (including the Ghibli Store and the Osaka Pokemon Center), restaurants and stores galore… Needless to say, I’m loving every second of…

With less than one month away from my arrival in Japan, I’m feeling both nervous and excited. I’ve never been out of the country before; in fact, I’ve barely been out of the state! I’ve also never lived alone, which makes this journey both an exhilarating one and a frightening one. I’ve been looking forward…