The End of the Journey: Back Through the Looking Glass and Up the Rabbit Hole

It is the eve of my departure for Japan and I can't believe this day has finally arrived. My suitcases are packed (save for the few items I plan to use tomorrow morning before I vacate the apartment), the majority of my gifts are bought (with the exception of those duty free items I plan to get at the airport tomorrow), and the hours until I arrive in the USA are decreasing with every minute that passes. Tomorrow, I will have been in Japan for 160 days. 160 days. That's about 44% of the year. When you put it into those terms, it doesn't seem like all that much. But looking back at all my entries, looking through all my pictures, seeing how much I have done during my time here...it seems as though I've been here for ages. Stanford feels like a whole other life; Kyoto itself, even though it was only a few months ago feels so far away. Tokyo really was a "reset" button on my abroad experience, and all I can say at the end of this adventure is that I'm so glad I came on this trip. I'm so grateful that I was given this opportunity and I would not trade it for anything in the world.

I have so many thoughts about my trip that it's hard to sort everything in a coherent manner, organize it all and find the right words to convey all my emotions. It's so strange that I've been here for five months when originally I had only intended to stay for about two and a half. I remember feeling so scared to come to Kyoto at first. I was frightened of not being able to speak any Japanese or communicate with my host family. And then I remember the similar fear when I was moving to Tokyo; that I would not be able to understand anything at work and that I would be on my own in this large, urban city, forced to live on my own and figure it all out for two and a half months. The amount that I have learned over these five months, about Japan, Japanese culture, people in general, and myself, is enormous. I have experienced so much and been confronted by so many things that I may not have encountered otherwise that I can only be totally thankful for these opportunities given to me. I'm so so glad that I decided to come to Kyoto, and then subsequently decided to stay in Tokyo for the summer.

Anyway, let me pause on the sentimentality discussion and focus on something more lively. For instance, I enjoy lists. So let me make some "Top 10" lists.

Top 10 Japanese Foods to Eat (in no particular order...except number 1):

10. Japanese Curry (Austen's Fav)

9. Shabu-Shabu (Japanese Hot pot -- mostly meat)

8. Korean BBQ (Yummy)

7. Tempura

6. Sushi (Freshest you'll ever have)

5. Soba (Cold or Hot -- both are good)

4. Udon (I prefer this hot)

3. Yakitori

2. Taiyaki (or anything with red bean paste)

1. Ramen (Big Surprise!)

And SUKIYAKI. SO GOOD.

Top 10 Things to Do in Kyoto (also in no particular order):

10. Temple Hopping (e.g. Kyomizudera, Fushimi Inari, Kinkakuji etc.)

9. Shopping in Teramachi St.

8. Looking for Geisha in Gion

7. Hanging out by the Kamagawa River

6. Taking a tour of the Kyoto Gosho grounds when they are open in the spring

5. Climbing Mt. Hiei

4. Visiting the International Manga Museum

3. Looking at Nijo Castle during Sakura Season

2. Attending Gion Matsuri (I didn't go but Austen said it was fabulous)

1. Kyoto Tower (I never went but my friends that did said it was wonderful)

Top 10 Things to Do in Tokyo (no particular order):

10. See a little bit of history in Asakusa

9. Tour the East Imperial Gardens in the center of the city

8. People watch in the two story Starbucks at the Hachiko crossing in Shibuya

7. Pose with fashonistas and cosplayers in Harajuk

6. Get inundated with anime and gaming paraphernalia in Akihabara

5. Visit Little Edo AKA Kawagoe

4. Be overwhelmed by the massive Shinjuku Station

3. Master Mt. Takao

2. Fall in love with Disney at the Tokyo Disney resort

1. Pray to the Daibutsu in Kamakura

Top 10 Things to Do in Japan in General (no particular order):

10. Tabehodai/Nomihodai (If you miss this I will say you are a fool)

9. Picture Booths (These are too fun to pass up -- take pictures with your friends and then decorate)

8. Clubbing (Oh man, don't miss the clubs in Japan, especially in Tokyo)

7. Karaoke (Um..duh)

6. Figuring out the subway/train system (this is a pretty epic feat if you manage to accomplish it)

5. Stalking interesting fashion (AKA walking behind people to better observe their outfits)

4. Visit American establishments to see the differences between the Japanese versions and the American ones (e.g. McDonald's)

3. Miss your last train, stay out all night, and catch the first one at 5 am

2. Go to the movies (and realize Japanese etiquette is quite different from American etiquette)

1. Dancing in the streets/trains while making a music video

Top 10 Weird Japanese Foods (no particular order)

10. Okanemyiaki (weird pancake thing...)

9. Mondja (uh...no words)

8. Dried seafood jerky (why?)

7. Salted Plums (really?)

6. Pickles (Why are the Japanese obsessed with pickles?)

5. Massive amounts of Mayo (there's always too much)

4. Raw chicken heart (Austen says it was awful)

3. Tacoyaki (why would you eat octopus fried? Why?)

2. Savory mochi (Mochi is supposed to be sweet...not savory)

1. Sweet potato ice cream (this is actually pretty good, just strange)

Enough with the lists now, though they are helping me relieve the past 160 days of my life (yes it's been 160 days since I came to Japan). And in less than 24 hours I will be on my flight home. I think over the course of these 160 days, I have realized how much I love and enjoy traveling, but how much I do really appreciate my home (my home being my family, though I do have some attachment to California separately). While Japan has been a wonderful home away from home (it is strange to think that I will be leaving my apartment in Tokyo and never coming back in less than seven hours), I have also come to appreciate the diversity that exists in America compared to the lack of diversity here. I know that when I go home, I won't be stared at simply because I'm a foreigner (no matter what I get stared at as people always try to figure out my ethnicity; it's something I've learned to live with). Most likely, I will not look around and see only a sea of Japanese people; various ethnicities will be present in those places I will haunt and visit at home. That is something I have greatly missed while being in Japan; you never can really understand the diversity that is the US until you travel to an almost homogenous country like Japan. It's a little bit mind boggling; at first it's shocking, but after a while you get used to it.

I realize I have also cultivated my sense for adventure, my disposition to be flexible, my ability to gather information and plan trips. Living on my own has strengthened my own sense of self; it may sound a little cliché, but I definitely feel more independent and self-confident than I first did arriving in Kyoto all those months ago. And now I'm just sorry to leave, as I've grown so accustomed to taking care of myself while here in Tokyo (e.g. cleaning my apartment, making dinner, planning to leave for work at the right time, taking out the trash etc.). I can't say it's all been glamorous, but that's not the point. The point is that it has both been an amazing experience, but also a journey of self discovery. And this is why I would encourage any college student to study abroad, for it is only when you are outside your comfort zone that you truly come to know your limits, maybe force yourself to step up to the plate, and learn who you are.

I know I can't say it enough, but Japan has been a dream come true. I wanted to go abroad since I heard about the program my senior year of high school when I was applying to college. And now I'm at the end of my time here and can't believe it has all gone by so quickly.

Let me say thank you to all of you that have followed my adventures, read this blog, seen all my pictures and so on. I'm glad I was able to share it with you in this way and cannot wait to see you all when I get back. So as I look on the Tokyo skyline from my apartment window, I know I say farewell to this wonderful city, but I'm going to be saying hello to my family and friends again after so long.

Maybe in the days, weeks, years to come, I will look on my time in Japan like a dream. But tomorrow, I will venture back to the Golden State of California, passing through the looking glass and traveling up the rabbit hole, exiting the wonderful Japanland.