Harvey Scholar Travel- Deirdre in Japan

Deirdre- Japan 2013

       I chose to study abroad in Japan for a month over the summer between my freshmen and sophomore year. I studied beginner’s Japanese and Japanese culture at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. I lived in a small apartment with my sister (who came with me) about 20 minutes from the campus. Living off campus in an apartment made me feel like I was really living in Japan and not just a tourist. It gave me the chance to live as they live and really immerse myself in the culture. It was very scary and intimidating when I first got to Japan because the only Japanese that I knew was how to count to ten and how to sing the song “Head shoulders, knees and toes” (random, I know). Despite my initial fear, I found it to be the most incredible, life changing learning experience to live in a different country with a different language. It opened my eyes to a whole different way of life and made me realize that there is a huge world outside of the United States. I can’t wait for other opportunities I have to see other parts of the world.