Thoughts on 日本

So right now I am writing a speech for a class I am taking I have decided to pick the topic of Studying Abroad. Writing this speech has caused me to reflect on a couple things

1. Why is it that Americans are so prejudice and naive in general when it comes to other cultures? I look at the world around me and I can't help to be astounded by the hate I see. It really saddens me. From my experience, our culture difference are something to be celebrated because it makes us unique. I see people different than me as interesting and an opportunity to learn. I think people are missing out on how much we can really get out of each other. Could you imagine a world were we all just grew from each other instead of worrying about where we are from, the color of our skin and the language we speak, or our differences in politics? I think it would be a pretty neat place.

2. I have also been reflecting on my opportunity to study abroad when I was younger. For those who don't know, I went to Japan the summer before my Junior year as a 15 year old. It has truly been the single most influential experience of my life. I think of how different my life would have been if I hadn't of gone. Not only did I learn so much and gain so much respect for the Japanese people/culture and other cultures in general, but I learned the most about myself. I left America a troubled teenager without any faith, hope, or understanding of who I was or what I was going to do with my life. I came back a different person. I learned that we are all children of our Heavenly Father and I learned how much he loves us...and how much he loves me, something I never grasped. I learned to rely on my faith and truly seek for answers and guidance. I came back with a realization that the person I was pretending to be prior was not me at all, but an impostor in my body. I returned with confidence, a new view of the world, a renewed faith in God and Christ, and for the first time a plan. Not just any plan, but a path that I was going to take in my life, and let me tell you it was sure different than the one I had been on.
I often reflect on those days spent walking alone on the crowded streets of Tokyo and things that I was able to ponder and learn while I was there.


Studying abroad was the biggest blessing I have ever had in my life, and it virtually saved my life. Who would have guessed that it would take a foreign country for me to figure myself out... I guess I am just that hard headed :) Studying abroad gave me the strength to become better than I was, to become what I had deep inside of me.
Someday I would love to return to that place! 私は日本を愛する (I love Japan)