During my time in Japan I learned to push myself, not be afraid to get lost, and to try new things. The day we visited the Tsukiji Fish Market in Asakusa, I departed from my group to meet up with our translator Simon because I had a meeting with a business woman, Ms. Teruko Kobayashi, in Harajuku. When I ventured off on my own to find the correct train to get on, my professor accompanied me and after he left my side I felt completely lost. When I got to the train station, I stared at the directions that Simon gave me on how to get to Harajuku. The first train that came through the station seemed like the train that I needed to get on but I was so afraid that it would be the wrong train and take me the opposite direction so I let it pass by. After looking at my directions and the signs in the train station, I decided that I needed to trust my instinct and get on the next train. I got on the train and paid close attention to the monitor that displayed the route that it was going. Once again, I checked my directions and made sure the places displayed on the monitor matched up to it. The names matched up so I felt comfort and knew that I was going in the right direction. After I got off that train, I hopped right on the next train that took me to Harajuku with no problem. That was a moment that I felt most proud of myself because I used good judgment, trusted myself, and made it to my destination without having to ask someone for help. Because I tend to second guess my actions, that experience taught me to not be afraid and to trust my intuition which, little did I know, I would receive advice telling me to do just that. When I asked Ms. Kobayashi for the advice she would give to a young woman that wants to be where she is she said, “trust your intuition”.
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AsiaFind stories from students who studied abroad in Asia. These locations range from India to Japan.
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