Before I go...

So, why am I going to Japan?  Well, there are numerous reasons behind my decision to leave the comforts of home and go on this journey (which I am incredibly grateful for). Traveling to and exploring new places has always been a huge passion of mine (in fact, while I am typing this I am in a car driving 1,600 miles from Alabama to Arizona).  So when I had the opportunity to go to Japan I jumped at the chance.  Also, I’m excited to be able to not just explore the country, culture, and people of Japan, but to also learn about pharmacy and the healthcare field there.  Before getting into pharmacy school I worked at a compounding pharmacy that focused more on natural medicine and I was intrigued by this practice.  I know that Japanese medicine tends to involve more natural aspects and I am excited to be able to learn more about how these natural remedies are utilized and incorporated it into medical practices.

I am so excited to visit Japan!  Having been to 46 of the 50 states in the US and studied abroad in Europe I like to consider myself a well-seasoned traveler, but I have always wanted to explore parts of Asia.  It’s always fun to read about a country and learn about certain customs, cultures, etc., but it is a totally different experience to actually be there and participate.  I cannot wait to just be there, see everything with my own eyes, and take it all in! I’m am also excited to meet our pen pals, all of the KGU students, learn about medicine and pharmacy practice in Japan, and of course try all the food!

On the flip side, I am also worried about “messing up culturally”.  When I was studying in Spain I was always anxious about making a fool of myself about certain cultural things I had no idea how to do.  I knew and tried to tone down the loud, overly hand gestured American part of me but there were still a few major set backs.  I’m nervous about certain aspects of the culture that I know I will just have to figure out once I get there.  One is something I am always scared about when traveling and that is going into restaurants (how to find a table, how to order, how to pay, what do I do with my shoes, do I wear socks, etc.)  I am anxious about these little cultural things in Japan (especially since I don’t speak the language).  I already know I will stick out as a tourist (and the blonde hair never helps with that) but I still like to try and maintain an air of cultural sensitivity.  Luckily, we have been well prepared by our faculty and we will have some students who I know will be happy to show us around and teach us the “cultural ropes”.