August. The shortest, yet hardest month for me here. It’s Aug. 4, and I just boarded my plane home. I’ve been scrolling through my camera roll, looking for what to write about. So many funny stories, places I’ve gone to and memories. The number one thing that held constant in my photos, though, was that I have always been surrounded by such cool people. My teammates who all wanted to take a picture with me after my last frisbee practice; the crew who stayed up till 4 a.m. with me watching Olympic basketball, and then woke up again at 7 a.m. to wish me farewell to the airport; the friends who I plan on celebrating Oktoberfest with in Germany in years to come. I’m beyond grateful for the acceptance and friendliness of everyone I’ve encountered here in Japan, and it’s unbelievable how in four months I’ve become some close with so many of these people, let alone now having to all “return to our normal lives.” I’m so thankful for technology too. I just got off FaceTime with my friend Mikuru, telling her all that I’m excited about back home: my family, friends my dog. She tells me how happy she is for me to be going home, and that she can’t wait to visit the U.S. one day! These goodbyes have been tough, but it’s comforting knowing that my Japanese friends all convinced me to download BeReal so that I can still see them every day!

It took two years of planning to make this experience happen, and it’s hard to comprehend that in these short four months my semester abroad has come and went. I remember a week before leaving for Japan I hadn’t even though about packing, much less what I was going to do in Japan. Now that the shock of leaving is in reverse, it doesn’t feel real returning home. Despite my lack of preparation, I’m so thankful for my family, who have always supported me exploring the world and especially my advisers, who dealt with me and all my questions — probably their most needy student!

My friend’s mom asked me a few hours ago during breakfast, my last meal in Tokyo, if I felt like anything would be different once I got back to the U.S. It’s easy to say the food. Oh my goodness, that’s going to be rough not having ramen anymore. I love the hustle and bustle of the city life too, but it’s the Japanese people that make it work so well. They are so respectful and considerate of everyone around them, and I’m really going to miss their hospitality. The main thing I will bring back with me, though, is the work ethic. I learned from my time in their university clubs that everyone is very dedicated to becoming better at their craft and putting hours in to practice day in, day out. And of course, the style! I’ve got some Japanese drip I’m bringing back to the U.S., but I’m definitely going to be wearing pants more often!

Overall, this program has not only been the best one I’ve ever embarked on, but it’s been the best four months of my life. I dream of travelling all over the world, but I’ll never be able to be able to attend a foreign university as a young 20-year-old; I’ll probably never stay in a dorm with nearly each room hosting a student from a different country again; and playing for Sophia’s ultimate frisbee team was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All my experiences in Japan were not just sensational, but unique moments that I will carry with me forever. I’m excited to come back and show my friends and family my entire camera roll now! I guess with the rest of the time on this plane, I will try and figure out when I can come back to Japan!

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