by Cameron Pensak
On my way to the castle entrance of the Disney store, I cross Shibuya Crossing with around 200 other people and see Mario, Luigi, and their friends driving in their go-karts down the street; just another day in Tokyo, Japan. You might be wondering: What were you doing in Japan, Cameron? How did you get there? While the story is not as wild as a go-kart race through the streets of Tokyo, you should still buckle yourself in for the ride.
When I was a first year at Newbury College, I was taking a break between my classes when I saw one of my professors, Dr. Gordy, by a library study room. I went over to talk with her, and she asked if I was attending the information session she and a previous Newbury graduate, Mabel, were hosting soon after. I saw that one of my friends was also in the room, so I said sure, and I went in not having a clue what to expect.
Dr. Gordy and Mabel told us about an exciting opportunity to study in Tokyo, Japan for three weeks over the summer at Showa Women’s University. They explained that students who attend the Showa Summer International Program (or SSIP for short) take classes about various aspects of Japan’s culture with other students from around the world. They also mentioned that those participating would take part in an overnight homestay with a family and also have a couple days off from studying in order to go explore. The best part was that because of an agreement between Newbury and Showa, students only needed to pay for a registration fee, the flight, and any food, souvenirs, or special experiences they wanted while there.
Of course, given how fantastic this opportunity was, there were some restrictions: only three students from Newbury would be chosen for the trip. All of us who were interested had to submit our resume and a 500-word essay about why we wanted to attend and why we should be chosen.
I submitted these materials and anxiously waited to hear the results; while there were only five of us applying, I really wanted to go. I knew some basic things about Japanese culture through television, movies, and food, but I wanted to learn more. There was also another reason. A few months prior, my dad had passed away and he always encouraged the idea of me traveling and exploring the world on my own. While the concept of being completely on my own was daunting, I wanted to make him proud and get the experience he always wanted for me.
In February, two days before my birthday, I got the best gift: I found out I was accepted into the program! Although the trip would not be until June, we still began preparations in advance. We had a few orientation sessions at Showa’s Boston campus where students from Japan come to learn about living in America and practice their English skills. These were comprised of fun activities with the students, such as origami, before eating dinner. This was also our first chance to meet the other U.S. students going on the trip along with the interns who would help with the program.
Next, I had to focus on booking a flight and figuring out what to wear in a country with a slightly different climate than I was used to. Between buying my own first set of luggage and forgetting to pack an umbrella during their rainy season (and no, a raincoat is not enough there),
time flew by. Before I even realized it, it was the night before my flight and I had to pull an all-nighter to finish packing before my mom dropped me off at Logan Airport. We said goodbye at the terminal’s entrance, and I went through airport security by myself for the first time. A few short hours later, I landed in Canada to catch my 13-hour flight to Tokyo.
The plane ride was fun as I had brought some sudoku books and music to listen to, though I found out afterwards that the movies and games offered on the flight were free. Thankfully, I managed to catch some sleep as the plane had dimming lights. About 7 hours later, we were finally close to leaving North America and soon enough we landed.
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was so much larger than I expected, but it thankfully had the perk of free Wi-Fi so I could tell my mom I landed safely. I worked my way through immigration and customs and after a quick passport stamp, I was ready to leave the airport. Thankfully, I was not alone as a Showa student came to meet me and other participants. We went on a bus with her and drove past Tokyo Tower to our new home-away-from-home.
Arriving at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, where we would be staying for the next few weeks, was a surreal experience. Here I, a 19-year-old who had never left the United States (or really the eastern side of the country), was in Tokyo living where former Olympians had stayed. To make things even better, the style and color of the buildings almost made the view from my room feel like it was out of a Studio Ghibli movie. Though I was incredibly nervous about what the experience would be like, I was ready for the exciting new adventure.
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