“People don’t take trips, trips take people” – John Steinbeck

I feel as though there is not a good enough word out there that best describes my trip to Japan. So for now, until I can find a suitable word, I will just use the word amazing. I thought I had an idea of what to expect while in Japan, but once I got there my expectations changed greatly. The whole culture in general had the most impact on me. I have never met more kind and welcoming people. The time and effort the faculty and students took to take care of us was nothing I have ever seen before. They always made sure we were having a great time and went out of their way to make the most of our time in Japan.

Professionally, I had no idea what to expect. I loved that we got to sit in on lectures. I loved learning about the herbal medicines and how they are made. I was surprised when I found out how little pharmacists in Japan make per year compared to pharmacists in America. I was even more shocked when we were told that the highest paying job in Japan are pilots.

This trip makes me want to be a more kind and giving human being. The pharmacy profession can be frustrating at times, but seeing how our hosts conducted themselves showed me the kind of person I want to be not only in my personal life but in my professional life as well.

As a last note I would just like to give a big thanks to everyone that I met on this trip. It was a blast and something I will never forget.