Assimilating Your Japan Experience Into Life Back Home
Your time abroad is probably one of the most exciting experiences in your life. You will meet new friends, learn about a new culture, speak a new language, and open your eyes to a whole new world. Readjusting to life back home can be another big change for you; it may take some time before you feel settled in again in your own home. To reach the full potential of your study away experience, you can use a number of ways to assimilate, maintain, and deepen the many things you learned in Japan.
Here are just a few tips for making the most of your Japan experience:
Eat foods similar to what you had in Japan.
Food can be an integral part of culture shock as well as reverse culture shock. Spending some time abroad allows your taste buds to discover the different ingredients and cooking styles of a particular region. Back at home, you may find yourself longing for those familiar tastes. Seeking out Japanese restaurants in your area will give you the chance to have familiar foods from Japan, remind you of your experiences abroad, and may become part of your regular diet.
Keep a journal.
Keeping a written or video journal will allow you to chronicle your time abroad, your experiences, and even your personal growth. You can look back on fond memories of your adventures and your thoughts at the time. It can bring in a flood of sensations of what life was like in Japan.
Watch Japanese movies, anime, television shows.
Find ways to watch Japanese movies, in Japanese. You can skim etflix, Hulu, or YouTube for any Japanese shows that you can find. The familiar sights and sounds of Japan in your own home can be a means to slowly reintegrate in this simple and entertaining way.
Connect with the friends you made in Japan.
Keep in touch with the friends you made while in Japan as well as reconnecting with your old friends from home. You can use Facebook, Skype, email, text messaging, and so on. Friends near and far can help ease your transition. It’s also a wonderful way to share your experiences.
KCP Summer 2016 Kamakura trip. | KCP Flickr
In time, things will fall back into place. You’ll develop new routines and incorporate what you’ve learned into your everyday life. Your Japan experience will truly be an asset for your future!
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