My experience abroad has officially come to an end and I’m back home in the US. It’s crazy to think back to four months ago when I was just getting ready to leave. The nerves …
UW-madison
Letting Go
For those of you that know me, one of the first descriptors that may come to mind for me is A-type personality. I love, and often need, every aspect of my life to be as …
Hello Kitty Restaurant
Japanese pop culture has many unusual quirks such as J-Pop (Japanese pop music), slapstick game shows and anime cosplay. But one facet of Japanese pop culture I was not expecting is this real, and some …
It’s the Final Countdown!
I couldn’t help but hum these tunes as I sat outside of the Education Center looking down at my table consumed with notes and papers as I prep for my last final of the semester! …
Home is where the heart is
The beginning of May marks the end of another semester. People are cramming for finals, frantically packing up their apartments and cleaning out the fridges that have remnants of food long spoiled sitting in the …
Koya-san
9000 meters high, two and a half hours from Osaka, 2 trains a bus and a cable car away resides Mount Koya (in Japanese it is called Koya-san with the “san” referring to mountain). I …
Real Talk (Culture Shock)
I’ve waited a while to write this because every time I think I’m over culture shock, something strange happens and it hits me all over again. My first indicator that I may be finally getting …
Hanami
Cherry blossom season in Japan is incomparable with anywhere in the world (sorry, that includes you Washington DC) from sheer abundance to endless varieties to traditions of having parks dedicated to cherry blossom trees to …
Rhinoceros Part 2
Several months ago, in my post entitled “Rhinoceros,” I wrote about my mental health and the challenges I was facing with it during my first couple weeks abroad. Now, here we are, at the end …
Leaving and Goodbyes
When I first started this blog, I had no problems posting every week about my life. However, as I spent more time abroad everything started to build up and go by so fast. I feel …