Oh to pack your life up into a suitcase and move to a foreign country. It sounds so romantic, doesn’t it? Be it at work or in class, so many of us find ourselves drifting away momentarily and dreaming of a world outside our own. However, if asked the question, “Could you really ever do it?” the most commonly resounding answer would be, “I’d love to but…”
Yes, that’s right. Despite the fact that we all find ourselves flirting with the dream, we know that the reality is not as finger licking sweet as we hope it would be. Because leaving your friends, family, job and cone of comfort was never an experience coated in cinnamon and sugar.
Now to my story…
Japan. Oh, Japan. If you’ve known me at all in the last 6 years, you’ll know that this country has had my heart, and ever since my first visit in 2009, I’ve been religious about my annual visits. No I never studied the language at school, and no I do not love anime. It’s just that every time I come here, I find myself wishing I could stay. So that’s what I decided to do. It was a little impatient of me to come mid-way through my university studies, but I was meant to have graduated by now. There was just a hiccup with my studies, and the faculties funding, that saw me taking a short course at a second university, in order to transfer to a THIRD university. *sigh* But anyway, university number three is a venture for me to begin when I return home. For now I am in Japan.
Now we all know moving to a new country all by yourself is of course going to be hard, but I was pumped up and ready for it. So I pushed through the first two months, seeking adventure and creating new friendships, and finally I felt a sense of comfort. However, despite my heart always being for Tokyo, I had ended up in Yokohama. So after another couple weeks, I packed up again and left for my dream city. Now this was even harder. I considered just changing my February ticket for a June ticket and just flying back home. I’d worked so hard to create a comfortable environment for myself, but again I was moving to a clean slate; a place where no one knew my name. I really missed just walking into a room and seeing the faces of people I knew who loved me, people who knew my heart, and people I could call on for help without feeling guilty. You see being a foreigner who doesn’t speak the language does leave you feeling helpless at times. But I remembered everyone’s goodbyes to me back in Melbourne. There was a word that I heard so many times that it still rings in my ears. That word is ‘Courageous.’ People telling you that you inspire them… well, it’s not a little thing. So for that reason I was determined not to quit. I felt weary but I wasn’t going to let anyone down. I want to inspire people to step out in spite of their fears. So I chose to move here, to Tokyo, in spite of the obstacles. In spite of the fact that the room I was meant to move into was not vacated at the agreed time. In spite the fact that I ended up sleeping on a new friend’s floor. In spite the fact that I didn’t have enough money to pay my bills.
But you see, two months later I am starting to relax again. Two months later, I’m that much stronger again. Two months later, I’ve met great people again. Two months later, I have money to spend and save again. Two months later, I’m glad I’m here. I’m getting more opportunities at work, I’m playing with fireworks in the park, I’m modelling for beauty school students I meet at Starbucks, I’m playing crazy Japanese watermelon smashing games at the beach, I’m watching extravagant firework shows from rooftops, I’m visiting adorable Rilakkuma themed cafes, and on Friday I’m even volunteering at a summer camp for orphans. My life is not easy-peasy, but it is full of beautiful things. I can say that I feel like I’m really living.
So if you want to travel, if you want to spend that year abroad, there’s no artificial sugar coating here. It will be tough, but my gosh, it will be beautiful. You will grow, and you will meet beautiful people, and you will make beautiful memories. You will discover parts of yourself that you never knew existed. I’ve only just passed the 2 month mark in Tokyo again, but I believe these next 7 months are going to be even more beautiful. This is only the beginning of my wonderful adventure.
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