Integrating into a new community is not always easy, and it does not happen right away. The key is to make friends, learn about the community, and find familiar, but also new and exciting things in the places around you. For me, moving from Virginia to Kentucky was pretty easy because I spoke the same language and had the same general culture, but it has been much more difficult in Japan.
Once I exited my plane at the airport in Tokyo, everything was overwhelming. The bathrooms were different, my phone that I was told should work didn’t and I went through customs and immigration for my first time ever. I lugged my suitcases through the international terminal onto a bus and into the domestic terminal. I was sweaty, tired, and shaking. I had been awake for so long and still had about six more hours to go until I would be in a hotel that would overwhelm me more. I finally got to my gate and realized I had three hours until my plane would take off.
There were only two other foreigners on my plane, and I didn’t see either until 30 minutes before boarding. One of them was headed to a different school, while the other person and I were going to the same hotel, but we didn't realize it.
