Hello again! This feels weird to say, but I finally feel like I’m “getting it.” I know my way around the trains, I can have basic conversations in Japanese and ask useful questions (though sometimes I don’t always understand the response), and I’m finally following a routine that makes me feel like this is home. I got my classes under control, I’m going to the gym and frisbee practice very frequently, and I’m even finding time to bake for my dormmates at home! That being said, this month was still filled with tourist adventures!

The first weekend of June I went to Kamakura, a small town about an hour and a half from Tokyo that is known for its serenity and beaches. It felt so good to dip my feet in the water as it’s starting to get HOT here. I’ve embraced the Japanese culture of always wearing pants, but, man, is it challenging. It’s not fair that they don’t sweat like I do! My favorite things in Kamakura were the giant Buddha statue, and the beautiful hydrangea that bloomed along the streets and in the shrines. It’s a highly recommended day trip! The following night in Tokyo, I went to a summer festival where men wearing traditional clothing hoisted a small shrine up and down the street. Many people held up large lanterns on sticks, and it attracted thousands of people to watch the spectacle. Afterwards, there were many vendors for carnival games, and my favorite, grilled street food. The squid and beef were so good.

After a couple weeks of hard workouts and practices, the frisbee team attended our first tournament. We played near the base of Mount Fuji, and we dodged the rainy forecast to make for a great setting for a frisbee tournament. After two brutal days of three matches each, we made it to the championship game on Sunday. It was hard fought, but victory slipped away, and we ended up with second place, the team’s best result for this tournament in school history. The energy was electric, and it was amazing to learn all the cheers and celebrations the team used after each point. I particularly enjoyed staying in the hotel with my teammates Saturday night, as we got to enjoy the ofuro (public bathhouse) and play fun teambuilding games, especially with my freshmen class. This has by far been one of my favorite experiences of Japan, and I’m so happy to be embraced by such a supporting group of athletes!

After I returned, I had the incredible opportunity to see my family early before going home. My parents and sister came to visit me in Tokyo, and I got to show them all around my campus and how I’ve been living this semester. We also used the opportunity to go somewhere I haven’t been yet — Kyoto! This place is beautiful. I’m not exaggerating when I say there is a shrine on every street corner. And not like small ones either, they are all HUGE and so unique in their appearance. You can’t go to Kyoto and not see Kinkaku-ji (the golden temple) and Fushimi Inari Taisha (Shinto shrine with many Torii gates). They are just jaw dropping. I love sightseeing, but I also love activity, too, so I can’t forget to mention Arashiyama Monkey Park. This park was a short hike to get to, but once at the top, small monkeys ran around you unfazed. Babies were riding around on their mothers’ backs, children were wrestling and playing in the open fields, and the smart ones were hanging near the lodge. There, we could buy nuts and fruit to feed the monkeys, which they took from us with their very human-like hands. Overall, it summed up to be my favorite thing we did in Kyoto.

Not long after we returned to Tokyo, my reunion with my family came to an end and they went back home to the U.S. I’m so proud of them because they really opened their minds to a lot of new things. My dad, being an elementary school principal, though it was amazing how the Japanese people were so disciplined in lining up for trains and buses, as well as sticking to the left side of escalators. He joked how he struggled to get his school to follow such basic rules while in Japan the whole country was able to do it no problem! My sister also rejected the idea of eating raw fish, but after reluctantly trying it, she proceeded to order many more plates!

Each month I have been met with unbelievable opportunities and experiences, so it’s difficult to guess what I will be writing about next month. I suppose we will have to see!

---

Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Sophia University