Taylor Peters (AY 2018-2019)
August 12, 2019
My name is Taylor Peters, and I studied abroad in Kobe, Japan as a Junior from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through the Year-in-Japan Program. It was perhaps the craziest and bravest, but certainly one of the best decisions I've ever made which led to the best nine months of my life.
Of course, I'm sure you've heard that a million times from people who've studied abroad, that it “changed their life,” that it was “the best experience ever,” and, sure, it may sound like a cliché exaggeration. That's what I thought, before I left. But then I did it, and it's true; it really is life-changing, a blast, a unique opportunity and experience that I will cherish and draw from forever. I can't express enough just how awesome studying abroad is.
Studying abroad in Japan? Without a doubt, one of the coolest and most enriching places to do it. I got to see and do a plethora of things during my program. I mean, a ton. I kept as many brochures, pamphlets, tickets, flyers, basically any mementos I could gather from as many adventures as I could and compiled them into a giant scrapbook that is so stuffed that it's honestly a bulging mess of a thing. Inside I've included a flyer from Shiohigari, or clam-hunting, I did together with my amazing host family along Suma Beach, a sheet of Buddhist mantras I copied atop an ancient Buddhist monastery called Koya-san, a map of Miyajima, Takarazuka Revue ticket stubs, a Konan University newspaper, film strips from the Ghibli Museum, a Kirby Cafe coaster, and tons more. These are of course simply the memories I've gathered in physical form and can't compete with the countless memories I've gathered mentally (or, in the 1000+ photos I've got in the cloud).
And yet, despite all I did, there is still a long list of things I didn't have enough time to accomplish before I left (saved for my next trip to Japan!). So long as you're willing, studying abroad in Japan opens the door to countless new experiences that you can't find anywhere else, that you may not have the chance to find ever again.
What I found especially valuable as part of the YiJ Program was the homestay, which can easily be the most rewarding part of your study abroad, as it was for me. For one thing, it caused my Japanese speaking and listening abilities to significantly improve, as my host family did not speak any English. Knowing this before we first met, I was quite nervous about successfully communicating with them and getting along, but through mutual effort and patience everything worked out wonderfully. Now I'm glad they didn't speak English because I don't think I would have improved nearly as much otherwise. The other major advantage to living with a host family besides the language practice is being able to form genuine, meaningful bonds with natives from a potentially very unfamiliar country and culture. I became quite close with my host family, learned a lot from them, and they helped me out in many ways. In my final months, they assured me over and over that I was welcome back at their home anytime I returned to Japan.
You can, of course, form bonds outside your host family, too! Konan University provides tons of ways to make friends with Konan students (joining clubs, going to Global Zone, taking gym classes or the joint seminar, for instance). Not to mention, it’s great becoming friends with other participants in the program not only from Illinois, but across the U.S. and around the world! I didn’t expect to learn so much about the world outside of Japan while in Japan, but I did by simply getting to know folks from places like Canada, England, France, and Germany.
Finding your way in the first few days, weeks, and months can be intimidating. What you consider a mindlessly simple task in your home country, like ordering food or shopping or even just asking for help, suddenly becomes a bit of a challenge in a country whose language and customs you are still learning. But your host family, together with the KIEC Staff and your friends, are there to be your pillar of support in navigating a new lifestyle and tackling whatever obstacles you may face, whether that be opening a bank account, reading dubious kanji, mailing a package, or renewing a commuter train pass you accidentally put through the washing machine. But I guarantee that, by the end of the program, simply by virtue of embarking on the wild ride of studying abroad in Japan, you’ll gain the independence, confidence, and greater sense of adventure needed to propel yourself through those challenges as well as any challenges you may face in the future, beyond your time in the program.
Basically, there is so much to be gained from studying abroad. When I felt nervous as heck during the first week, what kept me going was believing that, no matter what, as long as I at least gave it a shot, I would learn from the experience and grow as a person. And that I did, all while having a ton of fun along the way. So I think anyone interested should definitely give it a shot as well! You may be surprised at how great of a time you’ll have studying abroad, and I cannot recommend this program enough.