My body cried like a newborn babe, afraid in an unfamiliar place. Immediately, my fresh eyes were greeted by waves of black hair, friendly smiles, and the Japanese language. I had arrived in Japan. I did not know the language or the customs, but I dove right into the dark pool. I was determined not to let the unknown drown me. Those feelings of my first moments in Japan will be forever cherished in my memories. I will cherish the embarrassing moment I handed the cashier cash instead of placing it in the cash tray and the first time I rode the train. It felt like riding a roller coaster and the first time someone spoke to me in Japanese and I could not understand what he/she had said. Everything made me feel like I was in an entire different dimension. Paying with cash and riding the train now seem mundane, and hearing Japanese being spoken everywhere, but only because it had become part of my life. The train systems no longer seemed impossible and ordering food became a breeze. What I learned from Japan from daily life tasks to communication with the locals helped me mature and made me gain a better sense of self identity. In one year, I experienced life and learned more about myself than I ever could in ten years. It gave me a new sense of purpose academically. Without that experience, I would have …show more content…
Pace University offers many opportunities to do this such as being in the financial district, the opportunity to participate in a the LinkedIn mentorship program and to be involved in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The university offers many opportunities to help me excel in my specific academic field that I feel I cannot receive from my current university. Also, Pace also offers extended Japanese courses besides basic beginner level. I would like to continue my Japanese studies because of my positive experience in Japan and incorporate in my