I hope that I don’t disappoint anyone here.
But I have made the decision to cut my exchange in half.
Well, tecniqually, it will be nearly 6 months in Japan.
There are a lot of reasons, both personal and program related.
In short, I have found that after getting over the “honeymoon stage”, Japan isn’t the country I thought it was. Unfortunately, I just can’t cope with the negative aspects of life here. It’s not something I can ignore. People are so two-faced.
Additionally, I am unhappy and school and I am being charted around from host family to host family every few months. I tried to fix these problems, but nothing much came of that.
Lastly, I think that 5 months is enough for me, like this. Perhaps, in a few years, I’ll come back to visit. I find that there are more important things for me to be spending my time on, rather than being unhappy here.
Please don’t judge me for this.
I thought about this decision for over a month.
I feel some regrets, but mostly relief and happiness to be returning home.
I will miss my best friends, Amy and Sehee, SO SO much.
I almost considered staying just for them.
But I know that we’ll meet again because we are too close not to.
I’ll be leaving sometime next week.
I don’t know when yet, but I will keep posting and I will write about what life is like back home.
Quite honestly, I’m a little scared.
I don’t know how to live in Canada anymore.
Japan is just so….natural.
It’s okay.
If you think it’s truly the right thing to do then it must be.
Wish you luck returning home!
Don’t feel regrets about it! As long as you gave it your all there’s no problem! If you weren’t happy then you made the right decision~
omg canada. i think i’ll be an exchange student to canada.
Welcome back!
Of course half a year is plenty to experience another culture.
I think you were very courageous to go in the first place.
Come to think of it: your 2 friends (Amie & Sehee) are not even Japanese!!!
You know, of course, that there’ s a Japanese girl in your home in Kemptville? Plus a French young lady. That should keep you going, to help them adjust to Canadian life. (as you no doubt remember it).
Yesterday Sarah went into her residency at Western. She was terribly excited!
We are enjoying warm summer weather at present. Been out painting all day and preparing for another 8-week session to teach again.
Looking forward to seeing you again.
Have a good trip!
Love,
Oma.
I really can’t help but think to myself that if you had gone with Rotary, things would have turned out better for you. I’m not trying to nag you about how Rotary is supposedly better or worse: Rotary would have placed you in a country that would have fit you better. You would have been disappointed at not getting your first choice, but in the end, you would have probably been happier.
Still, it’s good that you got to experience Japanese culture and learn some of the language, even if it wasn’t what you were expecting it to be.
I’m sure you made the right decision if you thought that long and hard about it. Good luck with everything!