Blurry Days

Hey y’all! It’s some time since I last updated my blog, and time seems to be slipping right past me as I continue with my weekly routine of attending classes and heading to my internship. The only time that I can have for myself is the weekend, so trying to balance my internship, classes, exploring Japan, and having room for me time has been a little of a struggle. I feel like I am working a 9-5 job, and it has definitely taken some time getting adjusted to it. As I slowly become more and more adjusted to my life here in Japan, there are moments where I still can’t believe that I am actually in Japan. I usually take a 20 minute walk back to the station after my internship, and by that time the sun has already gone down. I take a main street all the way back to the station and during the night, the street is illuminated with bright signs teeming with small restaurants and cafes. It also rains more often here in Japan compared to California, but that doesn’t stop people from heading out to the local ramen shops. The street is familiar but foreign, but as I continue to learn Japanese at my university, the street transforms into something new. I begin to understand what some of the signs say, and what each store offers. 

Each time I follow my daily routine, there are those days where I look around with a new perspective of the same street. I wonder if that’s what it was like for my parents when they first immigrated to America. The feeling of being in a completely foreign country, and not being able to completely understand what is going on. I was lucky to have studied Japanese a year prior, but my parents came to America with no knowledge of the language at all. It must have been so difficult for them, not being able to understand anything about this new country. But over time, my parents were able to make America their home. Although I don’t plan on making Japan my home, I feel like I am closer to my parents and their experiences. Each day that I am here, the more adjusted I become and the faster the days seem to past by. It’s almost like I am taking the days for granted, so I want to work towards being more present. As the new year starts to creep closer and closer, I wonder how I’d grow during these next couple of months.