My first week in Japan had me feeling a whirlwind of emotions as I met new people, tried new foods, and… slept… a lot. Upon arriving in Tokyo, I stood in awe as I looked around at the city that I had been dreaming of for years. I wanted to sit and memorize every little detail of every person and airport shop I passed by, until I remembered that this is now my home for the next three and some months. I will have plenty of time to cement pieces of this beautiful country to memory. And, I was holding up the taxi driver waiting to drive me to my actual home for the next few months.
I recieved the warmest of welcomes from my two host parents as soon as I approached their doorstep that night. I could not have asked for a better family away from home. With their extended knowledge of Japanese bureaucracy and delicious cuisine, they were an invaluable resource to my speedy adjustment to daily life in Tokyo. Their kind faces greeting me every morning is a highlight I could not have expected. Another suprise was the instant friendship that formed bewteen my housemate, another Temple student studying Japanese, and I when we first met at our shared homestay. Within hours of being in the country, I had already sowed the seeds of three life-long friendships that I know I will cherish for years to come.
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