Over the course of 4 months and in between my studies, I managed to get sick, turn 21 and have a sister graduate from high school. All of which were big moments in my life.
I never ever ever get sick. I did however in Japan, with the flu. I am still amazed of my ability to navigate a Japanese hospital while incredibly ill. Though the experience was not in any way pleasant, I learned in more ways than none. First, wash your hands and take care of your body. Second, Netflix in Japan does not have the Office and Hulu and other streaming services cannot be accessed without a VPN. Lastly, the masks that people wear do not always mean sickness so be aware.
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| This is me calling my mother at 3am letting her know that her child is sick and over 6,000 miles away. Fun. |
How cool was it that I got to celebrate my 21st birthday in Japan?! And I got to celebrate it for two days thanks to the 14 hour time difference! Though I had class, it was a very special day with shoutouts from friends and even my Japanese instructor.
Thanks to technology, I was also able to witness my sister graduating from high school. It was bittersweet because of my absence, but also made me very proud big sister to see it.
Before my study abroad experience, I was expectant of the things and events that I would miss back at home. However, it now give me a chance to catch up with people as I make it a point to speak to many of my friends and family members.